Who has NEVER had a cam or lifter go bad?

[Ceedawg]

If you’re referring to the flat spot on the outer lifter body, from what I can tell, it is just a minor flat spot below the oil band. This allows some oil to leak past and go down to the lobe. I can’t find an off the shelf Big Block lifter with that, I figure a machinist that does lifter refacing may also be able to do it.
If I were to switch to a different solid flat tappet, I could use my current lifters after resurfacing or my set of OEM Mopar solid lifters that came with the ‘528 cam I bought in 2014. I’d have a machinist put a flat groove in those. I’m only guessing but it seems that any measure of increased oiling to the lobes is a good thing.

No, the face looks flat, I couldn’t see any oscillation of lifter. I would think it would rock back and forth to make a curved crown. The lifter holder tied together to the grinder

 

[Kern Dog]

I don't understand any of what you wrote there.
I was focused on this:

That flat spot is machined into the area below the oil band/recesses in the lifter body. The EDM solid lifters have the hole in the foot of the lifter but the hydraulics can't have that or they would not build pressure. The workaround is to mill a small flat spot on the outer body. This won't affect the internal pressure of the lifter yet still increase oil supply to the cam lobes.

 

[Ceedawg]

I don't understand any of what you wrote there.
I was focused on this:

View attachment 1802254

That flat spot is machined into the area below the oil band/recesses in the lifter body. The EDM solid lifters have the hole in the foot of the lifter but the hydraulics can't have that or they would not build pressure. The workaround is to mill a small flat spot on the outer body. This won't affect the internal pressure of the lifter yet still increase oil supply to the cam lobes.

In the 3 vidios the company that was grinding the lifters.

 

[Geoff 2]

I would not use the lifters in post #102. The chamfer on the base is huge & with a cam that is designed to use the full lifter diam, the lifter could dig into the lobe. The machined flat. I have been doing that for 30 yrs using a Dremel with a cut off wheel, no need to pay 'extra'.

 

[Kern Dog]

I sure don't trust myself to "Dremel" a flat spot in a lifter!
The Southern guy that makes the videos for Powell had one video discussing the chamfer at the outer edge of the lifters and how some are beveled a LOT more than others. Interesting stuff...

 

[Geoff 2]

With the Dremel, you grind a slot, not a flat. Same thing is achieved: a small supply of positive oil to the lifter base.

 

[Kern Dog]

What about the edge of that groove? Do you smooth it out with some Emery cloth or something to chamfer the edges?

 

[moparx]

definitely.

 

[Black_Sheep]

Digging around the shop for some fittings, I came across this souvenir from a wiped cam lobe…

 

[Gunner1]

I would think those slots would work but maybe load the oil wrapped around the crank assembly even more. With a crank scraper it would be fine. All I did was chuck the pushrod cup end in a lathe and use a v shaped bit on its side and cut a .005 deep groove from the oil groove to the face of the lifter. That gave a small constant spray to add to the oil wedge. Both would work.

 

[Geoff 2]

I have been grinding an oiling groove down the side of the lifter body for over 30 yrs.

 

[ckessel]

I've been reading the tech book by Billy Godbold recently. Lots of interesting info in it plus quite a bit over my head. I'm close to being done with it but I came across one portion I'm tempted to call b/s on. He states that in the 80's, GM and Ford had many issues with cams/lifters going bad, even with the high ZDDP oils back then. This warranty issue was the reason why the manufactures went to roller's. The first dealer I worked at, 86, was a Chevy, Mercedes and Bounder RV dealer. I never saw any cam/lifter issues happening when I worked parts. Was there for about a year and a half. We did do quite a few 454's under warranty on the RV's. Enough to where there were usually 6+ short and long blocks on hand. The RV's, due to the owners, would kill quite a few from being overloaded. Some even wiped out the thrust mains in the blocks. But no cam/lifter issues. Prior to that I worked at a speed shop and did move a decent amount of cams/lifter's but just as upgrades generally. Around 92, I got back to another GM dealer, Buick/Pontiac/GMC plus Subaru and Isuzu. No cams/lifters. From there Mopar and GM dealers for another 12 years. No cams/lifter issues. I never worked at a Ford dealer, so I have no knowledge of said issues there. Maybe some of you fellow gents who wrenched at dealers in your past have knowledge of this issue. If it actually happened.

 

[ykf7b0]

I've never had a cam fail, but I did go retro hydraulic roller with my last 2 builds just because I didn't want to go through the tedious break in procedure associated with a flat tappet set-up.