Comp Cam/lifter failure

[toolmanmike]

A buddy developed a tick in his low mile 440 and found this. Obviously the lifter wasn't turning in it's bore but he was able to remove it easily with a magnet. He read on the net that others have had the same issue possibly caused by the cam not being ground with the proper bevel to make the lifter spin. Anyone have the same issue or heard of it happening? I know Comp has had a lot of cam and lifter issues in the past few years. I don't have a photo of the cam lobe but I can't imagine it isn't damaged as well. He hasn't pulled the cam out yet to measure it.

 

[wagonman]

Seems like Comp has worse odds that Roulette in Vegas. My Buddy went through 3 Comp FTH before going Howards Hydro roller. A good bet is the cam is done. Call Comp and they say Really we never hear of that before.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Same **** here... New cam wiped in minutes.. Comp cam and lifters.

 

[GTX JOHN]

I have had issues with their Hydraulic lifter pumping down
intermittently while the engine was running with both their different
lifters and killing the cams = Usually before engine is broken in. Hard
to Hear over open Headers.
They were ZERO help and told me to pound sand as I obviously
had no idea what I was doing.
The lifter would bang and remove the convex on the lifter and that
would destroy both.
I believe their lifters are Chinese Junk and the clearances seem to be all
over the place!

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

I have been hearing that this has been happening for several years now with their lifters and cams.
Not the only ones having problems.
Probably has to do more with quality of steel used which is a metallurgy question.
Makes me lean toward NOS lifters even if they are old.

 

[Beekeeper]

I know this is after the fact but it’s best with these new cam and lifter problems to put an index mark on the lifters and rotate the engine by hand and make sure they rotate in the bores. Obviously this is before the intake is installed.

 

[toolmanmike]

I have had issues with their Hydraulic lifter pumping down
intermittently while the engine was running with both their different
lifters and killing the cams = Usually before engine is broken in. Hard
to Hear over open Headers.
They were ZERO help and told me to pound sand as I obviously
had no idea what I was doing.
The lifter would bang and remove the convex on the lifter and that
would destroy both.
I believe their lifters are Chinese Junk and the clearances seem to be all
over the place!

Joe has had a lifter or two fail to pump up as well. The engine was built by a good shop and broken in on the dyno. No half assery done there. It figures Comp would back away from their issues. I wouldn't use their cams or lifters. Lots of issues.

 

[JC Boatguy]

This just happened to me! I should have listened to you guys. I checked the bottom of the lifter as mentioned in other posts, flat as a laser, not flattened by the cam, junk quality control. You guys probably will think I am nuts, but I put a set of solid lifters on, yes I still went back to Comp like an idiot, but this time I checked the lifters BEFORE I installed them, they all had a proper convex grind to the bottoms, and checked to see they were rotating while cranking. Also I checked the cam and could still see the machine marks from when it was made so I gambled on it. I went to different good trick flow pushrods and already had adjustable roller tip rockers.
My little 383 now PURRS to 6000rpm! I have to let off the gas because she would keep going! I am now a solid lifter convert, maybe for life. Yes comp told me there was no reason I could not run solids on their hyd cam. So far so good.

 

[GTX JOHN]

That is news to me.
I learn something new every day.
As I understand the ramps on the Solid lifter
camshaft are different and more gradual than
the Hydraulic grinds.
I have never tried to run Solids on a hydraulic
camshaft particularly with the High spring pressure we
run on our race cars.
Comp should certainly know what works.

 

[GTX JOHN]

By the looks of that lifter, I would not be looking forward to
see the Camshaft Lobe!

 

[Geoff 2]

[1] The problem was never the oil, the oil companies just exploited the problem.
[2] If you want trouble free operation, have a set of 25+ yr old lifters re-faced. We have been doing that routinely in this country for decades because of the cost of new lifters.
[3] I would check the lifter OD to make sure it is not oversize & therefore not rotating in the bore. If it checks out, I would get it Rockwell tested & if ok it can be re-faced.
[4] My understanding is that are only 2-3 companies remaining making FT lifters. Comp has more failures because they sell more. None of the cam companies make their own FT lifters.

 

[69a100]

Anyone have the same issue or heard of it happening? I know Comp has had a lot of cam and lifter issues in the past few years.

View attachment 1345127

View attachment 1345128

Come on Mike, if you haven't noticed the amount of traffic on this discussion, and just this year alone here, you haven't been doing your job! Just doing a search here will yield just how shitty Comp cams really is/are!

 

[wagonman]

I know this is after the fact but it’s best with these new cam and lifter problems to put an index mark on the lifters and rotate the engine by hand and make sure they rotate in the bores. Obviously this is before the intake is installed.

You can also do it with the engine assembled, just mark the pushrod with a sharpie. This will take in account the spring pressures also. Should be done after priming. These are real Mopar lifters from a 509 purple shaft I sold. It was a NOS probably 15 years old ? Yeah they are in a Comp that was for the SFT in my 470. Not real accurate but you can see the crown. I think the cam is ground with a taper to work with the crown. The ruler dose rock on the lifter.

 

[GTX JOHN]

I wipe off oil and put the face of one lifter against the side of the other
and hold up to light.

 

[toolmanmike]

Joe has had a lifter or two fail to pump up as well. The engine was built by a good shop and broken in on the dyno. No half assery done there. It figures Comp would back away from their issues. I wouldn't use their cams or lifters. Lots of issues.

Gee why the red X

 

[dadsbee]

Gee why the red X

Scrolling on a phone I bet... I hit that forkin thing and remove one at least twice a week if I'm using my phone.

 

[toolmanmike]

Scrolling on a phone I bet... I hit that forkin thing and remove one at least twice a week if I'm using my phone.

You should be able to take it off.

 

[dadsbee]

You should be able to take it off.

Yep.. if you notice you did it. SO SO easy to hit that forkin red x when scrolling a page.

 

[oldkimmer]

My buddy had 2 Comp cam failures last year. Comp blew him off. He called Summit where he got the cams from and explained what Comp said. Summit said send them back to them and they will take care of it. New cams were on their way from Summit. Kim

 

[BeepBeepRR]

My buddy had 2 Comp cam failures last year. Comp blew him off. He called Summit where he got the cams from and explained what Comp said. Summit said send them back to them and they will take care of it. New cams were on their way from Summit. Kim

Thats nice to know. Hopefully its true because I have one for them too.