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Cam nitride

J

justcruisin

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Can you tell if a cam has had the nitride treatment by looking at it.
My cam card says it has been done but there was some confusion from Summit Racing where I ordered it as to weather it had been done or not. I wasn't charged for the service.
 
Typical cam surface is sort of flat, the nitrided finish is smoother & slightly shiny...
 
If it's Nitrided, you can take a sharp file to any exposed surface and try to file it.
If it is, you won't be able to cut it at all! if it cuts, the whole thing is soft. Nitriding
is applied by subjecting the part to a gas while hanging in a high temperature
furnace. The cam should be a "Billet" piece made of steel. You can't Nitride cast!
 
You can tell by looking if it’s new. And it’s defiantly not billet... :thumbsup:
609BBDDC-3580-476B-82EB-03BE3FB53E57.jpeg
 
Hit it with a file! Cast Iron can't be Nitrided!
 
68 HEMI GTS said:
I’m gonna say no it’s not. Look how smooth mine is between the lobes. They do extra work on the nitrided cams.
Click to expand...

I've got one at my shop right now, tomorrow I'll take a look but I don't believe it is machined like yours...

justcruisin, what does the cam card say? Mine clearly states that the cam is nitrided...
 
I've had nitrided CAST cams that sure weren't as smooth between the lobes as 68HEMI's picture. And don't go taking a file to your cam lobes to check...

They sure can nitride cast iron...it's done all the time. Mike Jones explained the difference between high and low-temp processes to me at one time but I've slept since then:rolleyes:
 
Call the cam manufacturer direct. I had the same question on my Comp cam. I called Comp Cams and they were able to confirm that it was, maybe by the order #.
 
Yes, a cast steel cam can be nitride treated. We do dozens every year on all are more stock resto hyd f.t. cam engines. Mainly, for costs when customers don't want to pay for a steel cam or go hyd roller.
 
O.K., I didn't bring my lawyer with to clarify, but here goes:
Most cams are made of "Chilled Cast Iron".
Cast steel CAN be Nitrided, but Cast Iron cannot.
Steel camshafts, or Billet cams are made of steel bar and can be nitrided.
 
This is clear as mud.
How can steel be "cast" ?
Isn't steel and iron different?
 
Cast Iron is very porous. Cast steel is tighter grain.
Then there's forged steel. Cast steel that's had the snot
pounded out of it and the grain is really tight! Then there's alloy steels
Mixes of chrome, Molybdenum, Vanadium, etc. You have to have the
right alloy in the cam and the right alloy in the lifters or everything will
start to scuff and ruin the whole party.
 
Hang on....
I base some of my confusion on car related parts. I have heard of cast iron cranks and forged steel. I have seen cast iron 3rd member housings, steering box housings but then drop forged steering center links, idler arms and Pitman arms. NOW you're telling me that all along, there has been a process where a mold is formed and molten steel is poured into it to form a part?
I'm having a hard time seeing that.
If you're claiming that there is such a thing as "cast steel", what other components are made from it?
 
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