Need some advice on a used cam I just received. It has substantial pitting on several lobes. Looks like junk to me, but I'm not an expert on condition of used SBC cams, so let me know your opinion of this.

I'm not going to put something that looks like this in my engine regardless, but I want your opinions to decide whether to pursue a refund. It was represented by the seller as having no problems - taken out at 57k for an upgrade.

 

It's garbage.

 

Afraid so......

 

You could send it out have it sprayed and reground.
Looks like the motor got real hot.
Hope it was free.

 

Toast!

 

what is the logic of buying used parts to put inside any motor ????

 

 

Looks good enough to wack the seller

 

Try for a refund!!

Good luck

Mike

 

If that came out of my car It would go straight in the sh** can. I cant believe people try to sell junk like that. Get the refund.

 

Sometimes it can make the difference in being able to do something or not. Of course it's not the ideal situation, but not all Corvette owners loaded with cash. That said, *I* would never consider a used flat tappet cam or pistons. Blocks, heads, cranks, even rods can be checked out fairly easily and verified as to their condition.

RACE ON!!!

 

Thanks for the input all. It helps to be able to point the seller to this thread instead of simply giving him my opinion on the condition.

 

J U N K !

Jake

 

I would not use it. I remnber few yrs back ago. I bought a brand new LPE 219 and it has very light pitting but it nothing look like your. and it was work fine on my car.

 

GET YOUR MONEY BACK!!

i have used stock cam in WAAAAAAAY better condition...stock cam ....taking offers

 

definitely try for that refund.

also, never buy used parts that move or rotate, ie, invlolve friction. fixed parts like intakes, probably heads (bare), etc. are a good bet no matter what mileage. but don't buy a camshaft for instance that had any appreciable mileage on it whatsoever. its more than worth it to buy new, in these cases..........especially, absolutely especially if you have to pay someone else to install it.

if you're a mechanic who does this stuff blindfolded, i suppose buying used parts, or cheap parts for that matter, have much less of an impact in the paranoia dept. but if you're playing for keeps, and need to buy better reliability - or at leats the perception of better reliability - then buy new.

 

This may not be necesarry true. I paid $325 LPE cam. I run for one year. I sold to forum member for $100. It all depends how honest the seller. The condition of the cam above, I would not attempt to sell to any one. But some out they will sell for what ever they can get for it.

Bruce

 

That's the kind of part I display on the failure table!

YIKES!!!

I feel for ya. Buy new.


When people ask me what kind of parts I put into my engines, my answer is simple: ALL.

 

The logic put forth here is pretty sound. A used cam is the last part I would reinstall in an engine, even if it were my engine and I were rebuilding it. With new technology, cams are just too cheap to consider re-using. They say also, to never mix and match cams and lifters. New cams, with new lifters is the safest bet. If you are keeping the old cam and lifters, keep the lifters sorted by lobe location so they can go back in the same spot on the cam. Destructive wear on a camshaft takes place in the first 30 minutes of running time.

The problem with buying used parts, of any kind, is you have little information about the condition of the part when you hand over your money. You only know what you can see, and that does not reveal alot. I have bought entire engines, with the intention of rebuilding them, knowing that every rotating part might have to go, but hoping that much could be reused. But in that case, you can take the rotating assembly to a machine shop and have it checked out, polished, balanced, etc. You can replace the fasteners, pistons, cam, etc., but the price I am willing to pay for a used engine assumes the cam, lifters, pistons, oil pump timing chain, gaskets, and bearings are going to be replaced, and maybe the crank and rods. When it comes to checking things out, and deciding what to reuse, it's whether or not the crank and rods are good that determines whether you got a good deal. But the cam, never stays.

Here is an ethics question. I sold an engine a few years ago, and threw in the cam. The guy acted like the cam was the deal clincher. I didn't tell him not to use it, but the reason it was sitting around is because it came out of a motor I rebuilt, and thus got replaced with a new one. It MIGHT have been fine, but the point is, you can't tell by just looking, so giving it to him was easier than throwing it in the trash.
Was I acting unethically here?

 

No, but if you can't tell by looking, how CAN you tell? Roller cams, especially should last virtually forever unless there's a problem with the engine as there obviously was in this case. My Hotcam was bought used and has performed flawlessly for many thousands of miles. Years ago, a friend bought a flat tappet cam from a fellow drag racer, he then used it in a drag engine. I then got it from him and used it in two oval track engines. A few years ago I traded it back to my friend with an engine that he put together for a hot rod. The original racer from whom we got this cam ALWAYS wanted it back, he never found another that made his car go as fast. It was a Crane for a 351 Cleveland and it did make insane power and worked great in all applications, even street.