FAIL Comp cams trunion upgrade
#41
Premium Supporting Vendor
GM Racing GTO.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
Banner Racing GXP.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
The entire PC class in the Tudor series with Katech engines
Runs 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS3 rocker arms (with aftermarket cam)
Several SCCA Trans Am 2 teams with Katech engines
Runs entire TA2 season on stock LS3 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V1 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines.
Stock LS2 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V2 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines
Stock LS3 rocker arms
Never a failure.
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
Banner Racing GXP.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
The entire PC class in the Tudor series with Katech engines
Runs 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS3 rocker arms (with aftermarket cam)
Several SCCA Trans Am 2 teams with Katech engines
Runs entire TA2 season on stock LS3 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V1 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines.
Stock LS2 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V2 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines
Stock LS3 rocker arms
Never a failure.
Last edited by Katech_Zach; 01-05-2015 at 01:18 PM.
The following 3 users liked this post by Katech_Zach:
#42
Indeed, ATI is in my lowly LS2.
Nice impressive line up. Race cars with their roars and the least noticeable is the idle ticks.
Having choice is wonderful! And I do appreciate the smooth sounding idle away from the OEM rocker's sewing machine ticks.
Without the excessive floppy runouts, probably ended up with less friction and heat!?
GM Racing GTO.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
Banner Racing GXP.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
The entire PC class in the Tudor series with Katech engines
Runs 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS3 rocker arms (with aftermarket cam)
Several SCCA Trans Am 2 teams with Katech engines
Runs entire TA2 season on stock LS3 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V1 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines.
Stock LS2 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V2 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines
Stock LS3 rocker arms
Never a failure.
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
Banner Racing GXP.R with Katech engine
Ran 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS2 rocker arms
The entire PC class in the Tudor series with Katech engines
Runs 24 Hours of Daytona on stock LS3 rocker arms (with aftermarket cam)
Several SCCA Trans Am 2 teams with Katech engines
Runs entire TA2 season on stock LS3 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V1 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines.
Stock LS2 rocker arms
GM Racing SCCA World Challenge V2 Cadillac CTS-V.R with Katech engines
Stock LS3 rocker arms
Never a failure.
Having choice is wonderful! And I do appreciate the smooth sounding idle away from the OEM rocker's sewing machine ticks.
Without the excessive floppy runouts, probably ended up with less friction and heat!?
#43
There is some great info in this thread. Unfortunately the failure mode found by the OP is not new and has occurred on several cars over the years. I have done some reading up on the various trunion "upgrade" options out there and here is what I found:
Comp Cams - $129
There are thousands of people using these with no issues. With that said, there have been many reported cases of galling of the trunion shaft. Unfortunately this doesn’t become evident until the bearing is removed from the trunion for inspection. I did not find any cases where this galling led to a catastrophic failure of the component. In several cases the bearing would spin freely but once disassembled the shaft was damage similar to the ones pictured in the OP. There have also been reported failures of snap rings breaking, which may or may not be the result of installation error.
Brian Tooley Racing - $115
From Brian Tooley’s post on tech almost a year ago regarding the difference between their product and Comp Cams:
While similar in basic design there are some key differences that justify the price difference. First, Harland Sharp cross drills their trunions to provide access for splash oil to get to the bearings. Second, the Harland Sharp trunions include hardened washers between the c-clips and the rocker. Lastly, the materials used are more suitable for this application.
I found this info from two posts on tech that has some very good info on the differences between Harland Sharp and the rest:
CHE - $420
CHE offers a unique solution as they do not rely on a bearing but rather utilize a bushing. This is regarded by many as to be the ultimate solution to the problem. I have not found or heard of any reported failures with the CHE product. Of course that comes at a price.
Comp Cams - $129
There are thousands of people using these with no issues. With that said, there have been many reported cases of galling of the trunion shaft. Unfortunately this doesn’t become evident until the bearing is removed from the trunion for inspection. I did not find any cases where this galling led to a catastrophic failure of the component. In several cases the bearing would spin freely but once disassembled the shaft was damage similar to the ones pictured in the OP. There have also been reported failures of snap rings breaking, which may or may not be the result of installation error.
Brian Tooley Racing - $115
From Brian Tooley’s post on tech almost a year ago regarding the difference between their product and Comp Cams:
“We use the same trunnions and bearings as Comp does, we use USA made bolts and larger snap rings that should never break and provide slightly better pricing.”
Harland Sharp - $273While similar in basic design there are some key differences that justify the price difference. First, Harland Sharp cross drills their trunions to provide access for splash oil to get to the bearings. Second, the Harland Sharp trunions include hardened washers between the c-clips and the rocker. Lastly, the materials used are more suitable for this application.
I found this info from two posts on tech that has some very good info on the differences between Harland Sharp and the rest:
“The difference between the Sharp kit & most of if not all the less expensive kits is that they use full heat treated 52100 steel for the shafts & the others use a case hardened steel like 8620. The case hardened shafts are only a surface heat treat meaning the outside of the shaft is hard, prob .02-.030 deep but the inside is still soft. The case hardened shaft is a poor choice for something that has a hard bearing with & the load from the valve train on it.
There are plenty of unhappy people on here that have had the Comp kits fail, the early Harland Sharp kits also failed but I believe they had surface heat treated shafts also.”
“You are relying on a thin layer of hardened steel supported by a soft inside & 8620 that is typically used is not a good choice, the 52100 that Harland Sharp uses is a full heat treated steel used in some bearing applications.
And for everyone's information I am a tool & die maker @ the former GM owned former New Departure/AC Delco Chassis/Delphi bearing plant which made/makes bearings on all your vehicles so I know a little about bearings.”
As was mentioned in the above statement, Harland Sharp had similar failures in their early design. They changed the material and design to correct the galling being found on these “upgrades” and as I understand have not seen reports of the same failure mode.There are plenty of unhappy people on here that have had the Comp kits fail, the early Harland Sharp kits also failed but I believe they had surface heat treated shafts also.”
“You are relying on a thin layer of hardened steel supported by a soft inside & 8620 that is typically used is not a good choice, the 52100 that Harland Sharp uses is a full heat treated steel used in some bearing applications.
And for everyone's information I am a tool & die maker @ the former GM owned former New Departure/AC Delco Chassis/Delphi bearing plant which made/makes bearings on all your vehicles so I know a little about bearings.”
CHE - $420
CHE offers a unique solution as they do not rely on a bearing but rather utilize a bushing. This is regarded by many as to be the ultimate solution to the problem. I have not found or heard of any reported failures with the CHE product. Of course that comes at a price.
Last edited by CorvetteCoop; 01-05-2015 at 05:46 PM.
The following users liked this post:
CI GS (03-23-2016)
#44
Burning Brakes
I think the real issue here may have been the oil...
In that oil report - http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30483
It lists Mobil 1 as very solid product. It's all I ever ran in my race engines, always saw most consistent oil pressure and bearing/cylinder life.
For what it's worth, GM recommends it as well
In that oil report - http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30483
It lists Mobil 1 as very solid product. It's all I ever ran in my race engines, always saw most consistent oil pressure and bearing/cylinder life.
For what it's worth, GM recommends it as well
#45
There is some great info in this thread. Unfortunately the failure mode found by the OP is not new and has occurred on several cars over the years. I have done some reading up on the various trunion "upgrade" options out there and here is what I found:
Comp Cams - $129
There are thousands of people using these with no issues. With that said, there have been many reported cases of galling of the trunion shaft. Unfortunately this doesn’t become evident until the bearing is removed from the trunion for inspection. I did not find any cases where this galling led to a catastrophic failure of the component. In several cases the bearing would spin freely but once disassembled the shaft was damage similar to the ones pictured in the OP. There have also been reported failures of snap rings breaking, which may or may not be the result of installation error.
Brian Tooley Racing - $115
From Brian Tooley’s post on tech almost a year ago regarding the difference between their product and Comp Cams:
While similar in basic design there are some key differences that justify the price difference. First, Harland Sharp cross drills their trunions to provide access for splash oil to get to the bearings. Second, the Harland Sharp trunions include hardened washers between the c-clips and the rocker. Lastly, the materials used are more suitable for this application.
I found this info from two posts on tech that has some very good info on the differences between Harland Sharp and the rest:
CHE - $420
CHE offers a unique solution as they do not rely on a bearing but rather utilize a bushing. This is regarded by many as to be the ultimate solution to the problem. I have not found or heard of any reported failures with the CHE product. Of course that comes at a price.
Comp Cams - $129
There are thousands of people using these with no issues. With that said, there have been many reported cases of galling of the trunion shaft. Unfortunately this doesn’t become evident until the bearing is removed from the trunion for inspection. I did not find any cases where this galling led to a catastrophic failure of the component. In several cases the bearing would spin freely but once disassembled the shaft was damage similar to the ones pictured in the OP. There have also been reported failures of snap rings breaking, which may or may not be the result of installation error.
Brian Tooley Racing - $115
From Brian Tooley’s post on tech almost a year ago regarding the difference between their product and Comp Cams:
“We use the same trunnions and bearings as Comp does, we use USA made bolts and larger snap rings that should never break and provide slightly better pricing.”
Harland Sharp - $273While similar in basic design there are some key differences that justify the price difference. First, Harland Sharp cross drills their trunions to provide access for splash oil to get to the bearings. Second, the Harland Sharp trunions include hardened washers between the c-clips and the rocker. Lastly, the materials used are more suitable for this application.
I found this info from two posts on tech that has some very good info on the differences between Harland Sharp and the rest:
“The difference between the Sharp kit & most of if not all the less expensive kits is that they use full heat treated 52100 steel for the shafts & the others use a case hardened steel like 8620. The case hardened shafts are only a surface heat treat meaning the outside of the shaft is hard, prob .02-.030 deep but the inside is still soft. The case hardened shaft is a poor choice for something that has a hard bearing with & the load from the valve train on it.
There are plenty of unhappy people on here that have had the Comp kits fail, the early Harland Sharp kits also failed but I believe they had surface heat treated shafts also.”
“You are relying on a thin layer of hardened steel supported by a soft inside & 8620 that is typically used is not a good choice, the 52100 that Harland Sharp uses is a full heat treated steel used in some bearing applications.
And for everyone's information I am a tool & die maker @ the former GM owned former New Departure/AC Delco Chassis/Delphi bearing plant which made/makes bearings on all your vehicles so I know a little about bearings.”
As was mentioned in the above statement, Harland Sharp had similar failures in their early design. They changed the material and design to correct the galling being found on these “upgrades” and as I understand have not seen reports of the same failure mode.There are plenty of unhappy people on here that have had the Comp kits fail, the early Harland Sharp kits also failed but I believe they had surface heat treated shafts also.”
“You are relying on a thin layer of hardened steel supported by a soft inside & 8620 that is typically used is not a good choice, the 52100 that Harland Sharp uses is a full heat treated steel used in some bearing applications.
And for everyone's information I am a tool & die maker @ the former GM owned former New Departure/AC Delco Chassis/Delphi bearing plant which made/makes bearings on all your vehicles so I know a little about bearings.”
CHE - $420
CHE offers a unique solution as they do not rely on a bearing but rather utilize a bushing. This is regarded by many as to be the ultimate solution to the problem. I have not found or heard of any reported failures with the CHE product. Of course that comes at a price.
One major component removed, to have better durability on the CHE is that, they don't ship their bushing as a kit. Bushing is only done in house.
Few other notables:
"C" clip retention is effective as long as it is not over stretched during R&R.
Skewed bearing installed will result is early failures and galled shaft, which serves as the inner race.
Racing cars in order to stay competitive, engines need rebuilds. Loads of OEM parts are used but basically, consumables.
On the other hand, DD can enjoy a relative trouble free life with selected components, installed properly to enhance its longevity.
#46
Advanced
Thread Starter
Member Since: Sep 2010
Location: Washington
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update
I can finally write an update on my trunion modifications. I have put 6,000 miles on them with the oiling slits and they look great! I am very happy now and finally feel like I can relax.
Thanks everyone for some very good posts backed up by great information. I realized I could have just replaced them but I really wanted to try and figure this out. Maybe it will work for others.
Thanks VictorF for that post. I didnt know harland sharp already had it figured out. I will inspect again in another 6k (or before if the magnet is fuzzy)
Thanks everyone for some very good posts backed up by great information. I realized I could have just replaced them but I really wanted to try and figure this out. Maybe it will work for others.
Thanks VictorF for that post. I didnt know harland sharp already had it figured out. I will inspect again in another 6k (or before if the magnet is fuzzy)
Last edited by DerekeLakin; 02-18-2015 at 12:22 AM.
#49
Drifting
Kits can be used with OEM bolt and/or aftermarket bolt or stud.
#50
Cruising
Member Since: Sep 2015
Location: St.Louis Mo
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is Colorado speed selling your kits, Straub?
The new bushing kit uses proven old technology in the LS Rockers. The design of the trunnion allows for constant oil to the bushings. Even when long term storage of the engine happens, the oil channel holds oil in place and during start up after sitting oil instantly supplied to the bushing.
Kits can be used with OEM bolt and/or aftermarket bolt or stud.
Kits can be used with OEM bolt and/or aftermarket bolt or stud.
#53
Drifting
Lots more info on these over on LS1tech
I bought a set Friday and installed them today. Nice to have an option for a easy DIY bushing kit and not having to send them in. Affordable as well.
Attachment 48363347
Attachment 48363348
Attachment 48363349
I bought a set Friday and installed them today. Nice to have an option for a easy DIY bushing kit and not having to send them in. Affordable as well.
Attachment 48363347
Attachment 48363348
Attachment 48363349
#56
Tech Contributor
Can I ask why you guys are modding your rockers? As reported by many, including Jason from Katech's very compelling evidence, the stock rockers are great. Why spend money and get something less reliable?
This is an honest question not trying to be a smart aleck, I've seen no need to "upgrade" but if there was a compelling reason, I would. My car sits a fair amount now so if there's something to be done better for cars that aren't daily driven, I'd be interested in that.
So far, all I've seen is failures from this "upgrade"...
This is an honest question not trying to be a smart aleck, I've seen no need to "upgrade" but if there was a compelling reason, I would. My car sits a fair amount now so if there's something to be done better for cars that aren't daily driven, I'd be interested in that.
So far, all I've seen is failures from this "upgrade"...
#57
Drifting
Can I ask why you guys are modding your rockers? As reported by many, including Jason from Katech's very compelling evidence, the stock rockers are great. Why spend money and get something less reliable?
This is an honest question not trying to be a smart aleck, I've seen no need to "upgrade" but if there was a compelling reason, I would. My car sits a fair amount now so if there's something to be done better for cars that aren't daily driven, I'd be interested in that.
So far, all I've seen is failures from this "upgrade"...
This is an honest question not trying to be a smart aleck, I've seen no need to "upgrade" but if there was a compelling reason, I would. My car sits a fair amount now so if there's something to be done better for cars that aren't daily driven, I'd be interested in that.
So far, all I've seen is failures from this "upgrade"...
The bushing kits offer peace of mind to the guy/gal that has modified their engine.
#59
Tech Contributor
The bushing design has an oil channel that stores oil. Great for cars that sit for long periods. With change of cam profiles and more aggressive spring loads the needles in the OEM design can fail also. Unlike a needle bearing, if the bushing fails it just wears down and does not spit out needles into the engine that can cause catastrophic failure.
The bushing kits offer peace of mind to the guy/gal that has modified their engine.
The bushing kits offer peace of mind to the guy/gal that has modified their engine.
#60
Drifting