Roller Cams

[packman]

I just received my how-to book on building hi-perf. FE engines. I did a little speed reading until I got to the chapter on cams. The author said that you don't have to break-in a roller cam, whether it's hydraulic or solid. Is this true? I would imagine that a performance roller cam would need to develop some sort of wear pattern. Any thoughts on this?


Packman

[91grandmarquis]

Roller cams do not wear... unless a lifter is broke in some horrible way and the engine can still run. Roller lifters dont usually make any distinguishing marks on the cam. Not sure about breaking in though.

[packman]

I know that roller cams roll over the lobes, but don't they need to go through some sort of heat cycle like a flat tappet cam would. Eh......perhaps I need to lay off the tequila and not ponder on this stuff too much.

Nice sig pic btw. I couldn't get a pic like that without being kicked in the face by mom telling me to get off the ground lol.

Packman

[gadget73]

roller cams are hardened steel, so no heat cycle or wear breakin or any of that. Just put it in and go. Thats also why used roller cams are generally considered safe where used flat tappet cams are a crapshoot. Change the wear patterns on a flat cam and it might cause problems. Roller cams don't care though, provided the lifters aren't shot and there isn't any damage from something else on the cam lobes.

[1980c10]

+1 stab it in and go

[91grandmarquis]

Nice sig pic btw. I couldn't get a pic like that without being kicked in the face by mom telling me to get off the ground lol.

Packman

That was the day I was under my car for like 8 hours doing coolant flush, and changing all the radiator hoses and fuel filters. That was my second set of clothes, and I was sitting in a puddle of antifreeze. My mom wasn't around to yell at me.