Old Cam with new lifters

[cudaken]

 Kind of off the cuff question. I was spaeking with DFS68 Charger today. At this point I thing we would both like to have a stock BB's.

I have a stock HP cam and a MP Cam, both are used. No care was taken in saving the lifer's in the right spot. Can a used cam be used with new lifter's?

                                                Cuda Ken

[71charger_fan]

I've done it and gotten away with it but I don't think it's recommended. I think it greatly increases the chances of wiping a lobe. But, who knows, there is so much disinformation out there maybe all the warnings about not doing it are just BS. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than one guy who did it and got lucky will know the answer.

[andy74]

ive done it before never had any problem

[max]

i have done it with out any trouble. the key is the new lifters, they have a small radias on them and it wears down to match the cam over a period of time. the cam is harder then what the face of the lifters are and the lifters wear down to match the cam lobes.

now i've seen what happens when old lifters are used on a new cam and it is a very bad idea. plus they make alot of lifter chatter.

not to change the subject too much but i have run across a new set of hyd lifters where the plunger inside of the lifter was frozen due to the camisol or what ever they use to keep them from rusting and i have also compressed the plunger with a push rod and they have never came back up.

so i always take a used push rod and compress the plungers on hyd lifters to make sure they move freely.

this is just a theroy but i think that is the biggest problem with hyd cam lobes being wiped out and that is a sticking plunger.

[firefighter3931]

this is just a theroy but i think that is the biggest problem with hyd cam lobes being wiped out and that is a sticking plunger.

Collapsed lifters can cause a wiped lobe but the soft lifter and poor quality machining is just as much a problem. Lifter quality just isn't what it used to be. The reformulated passenger car oil is also a big problem. The newer blends lack Zinc which is a very important anti scuffing additive. The new engines don't require it because most are using roller cams. I run a high zinc oil in all the flat tappet engines that see street action....even my daily driver beater GMC truck. Shell Rotella-T 15-40 diesel oil works well. For a high rpm high hp application i use Valvoline VR-1 20-50 racing oil.

Ken, no problem using NEW lifters on a used cam...done it many times with no failures. Just use the same procedure as breaking in a new cam....moly lube, GM EOS, Rotella oil and 2500 rpm for 20 minutes. Change oil/filter immediately after breakin and you're good to go.

Ron

[DFS68_Charger]

Ken,

I think you were asking that question for me, Thanks...
Some of you may know that I wiped out a new cam recently, Hughes 2330BL. I'm sick of pouring money into this motor.
I just want to get it up and running and driving again. I saved my old, stock HP grind cam and lifters (1000 miles max on it). I installed the old cam last night and discovered my 3/8" pushrods are basically too big for the lifter cup and can't use them. The 3/8" pushrods are custom length and set up for roller rockers; so I can't use them either.
Thats when the question came up about new lifters on a used cam.
At this point, I'm going to keep the stock cam & lifters in, use my MP pushrods and a set of stock stamped rockers. Pulled the heads off tonight (Again) and am going to swap the existing springs out for some lighter ones to match up better with the stock cam.

DFS

[cudaken]

 Dave, did not ask the question for you. I am as sick of this 440 as you are of your 383. If I had not sold Troy my HP exhaust manafolds I would have taken a hack saw to the headers. Hum, you going to use the 250 heads?

Kind of like you, if I would go to stock I wonder what will happen with the 2.14 and 1.88 valves in the 346 heads.

At this point a nice stock BB rather it be a 383 or 440 would but a   on my faces.

                                                       Want to stock again Cuda Ken

[DFS68_Charger]

I saved my HP manifolds, just in case I got pissed at the TTIs.
The 250 heads are still in the trash bags and laying on the floor next to the Charger.
I think the bigger valves and porting (2.14, 1.81) on my heads is going to take away from the bottom end some, especially with the 1-7/8" TTIs. She should run pretty good above 2,000 RPM though.

DFS

PS. You want an Aluminum Big Block Stroker Rod?