Here is a question for the flat tappet cam guys....

[Kern Dog]

My last cam failure was after a trip to Southern CA and back, a 950 mile run in 4 days. The freeway driving was the majority of it at engine speeds around 2000 rpms. Unfortunately, several months before the trip I switched from Valvoline VR 1 to this....

I was told after the failure that this oil was likely the cause. Synthetic emissions friendly oil with HIGH detergent. I saw the "Extra ZDDP" and thought it would be great. The detergent surely prevented the ZDDP from sticking anywhere, leaving the cam and lifters with no additional protection at all.

 

[70runner]

440-6, Lunati voodoo cam/lifters, stealth heads, using Brad Penn oil/Wix 51515 since breakin (2011). Recently experienced cold startup rattle, suspect one or more lifter bleed down. Starts right up, runs good, pulls hard. The uncertain quality of todays lifters has kept me from pulling the intake to replace them.

 

[Gunner1]

I always used Black Moly Extreme Pressure grease on the lobes and lifters.

 

[Bird 426]

That's good to know Kern Dog. On the RAM 1500 forum, the go to oil to prevent the dreaded Hemi tick, is Redline 5-30 Synthetic. Granted, the 5.7 Hemi is a different engine, but I'm not going to pay for it for my 5.7.

 

[Kern Dog]

Somehow I missed the Hemi Tick with my truck. I’m at 414,000 miles and aside from a slight tick when cold, (broken exhaust manifold studs) the truck is quiet and still idles like new.

 

[lewtot184]

I think people are their own worst enemy with this problem. They want solid lifter performance from a hydraulic tappet, roller lifter performance from a solid flat tappet; what could possibly go wrong? People "live and die" by the .904 lifter hype. Ignore the need for excessive spring pressures to control their choices. Nobody will take a step or two back to get into reality. Let the blame game continue.

 

[1967coronet]

I think its in the numbers. What i mean is years ago when these old cars and engines were late models guys bought them and ran them.
In my part of the world not that many were swapping cams, lifters, springs sets.
Unless you just had bad luck or you were serious about getting the most HP you could.
3/4 and full race were the cam terms you heard.
How many bigger cams got tossed in a engine under oem springs ? ( raising my hand )
Now fast forward to the 2000s , all these old engines are worn out. The ring and bearing rebuild train has left the building.
Our choices in cams , springs, kits are endless. Guys run north of 600 lifts just to sound cool at cars and coffee.
Just like everyday life our supply chain has flew the coop. It's overseas crap no matter if its cams or TVs.
Everyone is forced into full rebuilds and making bad choices on parts.
I do not recall any cam failures on cams with factory specs.

 

[Darter6]

A Mack Truck Dealer once said to me "I just keep on lying till it becomes the truth....."

as if they are programmed to downplay their mistake and shift the blame to the customer.