Safe Cam Install ??
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 579
Likes: 0
From: North Texas
Safe Cam Install ??
With all the talk about quick ramp cams wiping lobes so easily could some of the experts please provide a list of "Must Do" for cam installations.
I'd like to install a sbc cam for the first time and of course I'll follow the instructions, but are there additional secrets to success?
Please advise. Thanks
I'd like to install a sbc cam for the first time and of course I'll follow the instructions, but are there additional secrets to success?
Please advise. Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
Likes: 14
From: Fountain Hills AZ
One of the most important things is to have everthing set up as close to right as possible so the engine runs right upon startup. If your timing or carb adjustment is off the engine could overheat, increasing the chances of failure.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
I wish I would have kept the intructions from my Crane cam. It had the best, simplest, most easy to understand instructions you could ever want. They even went into their method for setting cold valve lash, and it was great. I set the valves cold, then after the cam was broken in, I put the oil blockers on the rocker arms prepared to reset the lash hot. After 3 lifters I figured out that they were all right on the money to begin with. See if Crane has some downloadable instructions on their site...they were great! 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Here's a list of installation instructions from Crane, they do have PDF's of their docs:
http://www.cranecams.com/?show=insta...rain#Camshafts
http://www.cranecams.com/?show=insta...rain#Camshafts
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
Yeah, there it is. This is document shows the cold lash setting.
http://www.cranecams.com/pdf/151g.pdf
http://www.cranecams.com/pdf/151g.pdf
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Originally Posted by Nate 76x
With all the talk about quick ramp cams wiping lobes so easily could some of the experts please provide a list of "Must Do" for cam installations.
I'd like to install a sbc cam for the first time and of course I'll follow the instructions, but are there additional secrets to success?
Please advise. Thanks
I'd like to install a sbc cam for the first time and of course I'll follow the instructions, but are there additional secrets to success?
Please advise. Thanks
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 162
From: columbia city in
lube cam well and do not over tighten rocker arms.when you start up motor have good fan blowing blowing on the motor ,the exhaust manifolds will get hot sitting there running at 2000rpm . i change oil after break in .
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
I checked that link above to Crane but could not find any mention of cam bearings... maybe I missed it.
When you slide the cam into the block, if you're doing it horizontally, you need to avoid dragging the cam lobes across the cam bearing surfaces. The bearings are extremely soft relative to the cam and you can destroy the bearings very easily by being sloppy. Use a few long bolts threaded into the cam or the "special tool" they sell to install the cam.
If you gouge the bearings, the cam can fail and you can have low oil pressure.
When you slide the cam into the block, if you're doing it horizontally, you need to avoid dragging the cam lobes across the cam bearing surfaces. The bearings are extremely soft relative to the cam and you can destroy the bearings very easily by being sloppy. Use a few long bolts threaded into the cam or the "special tool" they sell to install the cam.
If you gouge the bearings, the cam can fail and you can have low oil pressure.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
you know i don't buy this whole wiped lobe issue........too many varaibles.....too many guys building engines that don't have a clue.... too many worn out engines that are getting rebuilt with out proper machining....not having new cam bearings installed....too many olds parts getting reused....too many people not paying attention to adjusting lifters....too many people not prelubing the engines....too many people not paying attention to installing the proper springs....and then we hear how they wiped the lobes and it must be a bad series of cams.... i know that mechanical parts fail and some can fail immediately because of poor design or materials....i just think that anyone can complain about there wiped cam lobes but how many will own up to the short cuts they took that got them there? and their second install goes much easier/better because they don't take the short cuts and pay attention to the set up.....
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Originally Posted by bobs77vet
you know i don't buy this whole wiped lobe issue........too many varaibles.....too many guys building engines that don't have a clue.... too many worn out engines that are getting rebuilt with out proper machining....not having new cam bearings installed....too many olds parts getting reused....too many people not paying attention to adjusting lifters....too many people not prelubing the engines....too many people not paying attention to installing the proper springs....and then we hear how they wiped the lobes and it must be a bad series of cams.... i know that mechanical parts fail and some can fail immediately because of poor design or materials....i just think that anyone can complain about there wiped cam lobes but how many will own up to the short cuts they took that got them there? and their second install goes much easier/better because they don't take the short cuts and pay attention to the set up.....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Originally Posted by Ironcross
One of the most sensible answers to a post that I have read on the forum.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
I`m sure that there are several members that do know how to correctly install various parts. However there are many more quite obvious by the questions asked that shouldn`t be looking for that "Blue Sky" bench racing computer horsepower and best be left to the pros that know how to do it correctly. Done right the first time makes for one a hell of enjoyable ride instead of a ton of misury trying to figure out what went wrong or liabiling manufactures for producing defective parts. 
