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Flat tappet cam wear pattern

Jimmy Jakobsson

Well-Known Member
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1:56 PM
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Location
Sweden
Hi! I broken in my camshaft xe275hl in my new built 493cui stroker in July this summer with succes, i use Joe Gibbs break in 10w-30 oil and have shange the oil and cut the K&N oil filter open a few times under the 400 trouble free miles i have on the engine and find no metal or any debris in the filter any of these times, all lifters are spinning and so on. I have checked the wear pattern on the cam lobes and they all looks the same like i show in the pictures here, looks normal to me, what do you guys think? The engine running great.
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Looks normal wear pattern to me.
See my pictures, this camshaft has been in there for years (don't know how many miles) and you can see a similar pattern but more obvious then yours.
The cam lobes and contact face of the tappet are not flat but slightly rounded, therefore you do not see a evenly wide sweep.
The rounded face causes the tappet to rotate which makes sure there is even wear.

IMG_3549.jpg IMG_3552.jpg
 
Looks normal wear pattern to me.
See my pictures, this camshaft has been in there for years (don't know how many miles) and you can see a similar pattern but more obvious then yours.
The cam lobes and contact face of the tappet are not flat but slightly rounded, therefore you do not see a evenly wide sweep.
The rounded face causes the tappet to rotate which makes sure there is even wear.

View attachment 890585 View attachment 890586
Thanks for answer! Yes it looks pretty much the same and normal to me to. The engine has go about 400 miles after break in without any problems so i belive its all good. It use to go pretty quikly with a camshaft if something is wrong so i think i can relax. Thanks
 
Indeed, if something is wrong there you would see damage/excessive wear directly.
I don't know how long you are planning to run on the break-in oil, i've seen many advises going around about how many miles and how many oil changes with break-in oil so i cannot say anything about that from my experience.
What oil you are planning to use after?
I see you are from Sweden and, like myself, do not have the unlimited options to choose from as the guys from the other side of the pond.
Just make sure you get oil with a good amount (believe 1200PPM+) of ZDDP additive to keep that cam happy.
I am using Kendall Racing Green GT1 20W50 oil, as the PO of the car and by looking at my cam it does the job without issues.
The Dutch climate is a little more forgiving in winter time then yours so i can run a bit higher viscosity. :)

But as global warming continues, also because of our hobby cars, we can run lighter oils in several decades!
:screwy::screwy::D

BTW: Do you have/know any European or Swedish shops that sell lots of Mopar stuff?
The main one here in Europe i use is Moparshop.de in Germany, here in the Netherlands we also have a few shops that can get parts but they do not have a webshop to go through.
Besides, ordering from them is just as expensive as going to Summit or Classic Industries myself.
 
Indeed, if something is wrong there you would see damage/excessive wear directly.
I don't know how long you are planning to run on the break-in oil, i've seen many advises going around about how many miles and how many oil changes with break-in oil so i cannot say anything about that from my experience.
What oil you are planning to use after?
I see you are from Sweden and, like myself, do not have the unlimited options to choose from as the guys from the other side of the pond.
Just make sure you get oil with a good amount (believe 1200PPM+) of ZDDP additive to keep that cam happy.
I am using Kendall Racing Green GT1 20W50 oil, as the PO of the car and by looking at my cam it does the job without issues.
The Dutch climate is a little more forgiving in winter time then yours so i can run a bit higher viscosity. :)

But as global warming continues, also because of our hobby cars, we can run lighter oils in several decades!
:screwy::screwy::D

BTW: Do you have/know any European or Swedish shops that sell lots of Mopar stuff?
The main one here in Europe i use is Moparshop.de in Germany, here in the Netherlands we also have a few shops that can get parts but they do not have a webshop to go through.
Besides, ordering from them is just as expensive as going to Summit or Classic Industries myself.
Hi and thank you for your answer! Indeed its go quikly if something is wrong with the cam, i have drive this engine for 400 problem free miles now so i guess i can relax. I brake in the cam with Joe gibbs BR 30(10w-30 oil) and tap the oil out after 25 minutes break in on 2000- 2500 rpm, cut the filter open and no metal or debris, just little silver coulor in the oil from pistons, rings and cylinders. I change the oil to Joe gibbs HR 10w-30 oil with 1400 zddp in it, i have change the oil 3 times under this 400 miles and cut the filter open every time and find nothing in it so i guess my stroker build be a succes, the engine running great and have a huge low end power with this pretty mild 231/237@050 camshaft for my 493 cui, 10,03:1 compression ratio and 8,05:1 dynamic. I have now bought Lucas hot rod& classic oil 10w-40 with 2100 zddp in it, i think that be great for the engine. We have pretty much shops in here selling Mopar parts, Persåkers.se, Bigbadmopar.se, Hansen racing.se, Löven racing.se, Norrlands custom.se, ppm racing.se to name a few of them. When i build the engine i bought a lot of stuff from the states but that not always sheaper
 
Pictures are to dark to see anything. But if it made it thru 400 miles and vacuum gauge reading are good then feel lucky. Stay with good hi zinc oil and remeber not to use zinc additive must be hi zinc and moly in the oil.
 
Thx, i will check out those websites..some of them will ship in Europe as well i guess.
I found that Lucas oil here as well, reading about it it seems a very good oil indeed.
A good alternative for the Kendall i am using in case it becomes unavailable or so.

Enjoy the ride!
 
Pictures are to dark to see anything. But if it made it thru 400 miles and vacuum gauge reading are good then feel lucky. Stay with good hi zinc oil and remeber not to use zinc additive must be hi zinc and moly in the oil.
Thanks! Yes i know the pictures are not the best. Yes 400 problem free miles and good steady vacuum reading, no metal in the oil filter, i have cut 3 of them open, change oil 3 times, so i think i can feel calm. The engine running great, yes only good oil, Joe Gibbs so far but im going to try Lucas 10w-40 oil now with 2100 ppm zddp
 
Thx, i will check out those websites..some of them will ship in Europe as well i guess.
I found that Lucas oil here as well, reading about it it seems a very good oil indeed.
A good alternative for the Kendall i am using in case it becomes unavailable or so.

Enjoy the ride!
Yes do that, i belive the shipping not be a problem. Yes i belive Lucas is great stuff and high zddp level, have use Joe Gibbs so far but i know Kendall is good stuff to.
 
Yup, no additives just Kendall.
I believe Kendall has 1200PPM ZDDP but this Lucas oil has 2100PPM which is quite a lot more.
Not sure why they add so much zinc to the oil.
 
Uhhh..what is that?? :rofl:

Got ya, i did read something somewhere there was a reason for 1200PPM but did not remember.
1200 ppm is the minimum limit for a flat tapped cam and the more agressive the lobe profile is the more important it will be to not go under that limit, to much is not good eather, the upper limit is about 2800 ppm and thats what in Joe Gibbs break in oil so somewhere in between is best i belive, Joe Gibbs HR oil is 1400 ppm something and Lucas is 2100 ppm, i have heard a lot good about that oil so thats why i want to try it and for sure its enough zddp in it to protect all parts in the engine. No additives in the oil ever
 
2100 was the legal limit i believe 1200 is to meet us epa limits for catalytic converters.
Ok, and i belive its also the under limit for flat tapped. I have also read that that the upper limit is around 2800 ppm and after that it do more harm than good, 2800 ppm is what most break in oil has in it
 
One piece of advice on Joe Gibbs oil. It does not like straight alcohol fuel.
Other than that it is purdy good oil.
 
One piece of advice on Joe Gibbs oil. It does not like straight alcohol fuel.
Other than that it is purdy good oil.

Now the latest upcoming danger for our cars is bio fuels with stupid amounts of ethanol :upyours:
 
Now the latest upcoming danger for our cars is bio fuels with stupid amounts of ethanol :upyours:
Yes i agree, i think there is 5% ethanol in it now. But i dont really know what harm it does other than the engine wants more fuel and that its drying out rubber parts that must be compatible for it and also that the engine wants more ignition timing. Ethanol is 104 octan and for same power you need higher compression ratio and so on, but like i said i dont know so much about it, maybe some one here knows better
 
I used to help a friend with his race cars. Using straight alk you must jet almost 3x richer than with race gas. That much fuel washes the cylinders down and bypasses the rings, filling the crankcase or oil tank.
We didn't need to increase compression, it was already pretty high being a race engine.


Here in MO gasoline is up to 10% ethanol.
 
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