Engine Building Tips - Finding TDC and Camshaft Installation 440 MOPAR 512 Stroker

This cam is a flat tappet cam. Finding top dead center and lubing a flat tappet camshaft is very important for break-in.

[@williamjstayton]

I believe it is correct that the cam sprocket dot needs to be at the 12 o'clock position and not the 6 o'clock position for the engine to be on the firing stroke. Once it's assembled "dot to dot" it needs to be rotated one full turn to be at tdc on firing stroke. Then the distributor/oil pump drive gear is installed with slot parallel to crank, then disributor installed with rotor pointing at number one terminal. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Love watching your Mopar engine builds, you do an excellent job!

[@PetesGarage]

#1 will be at TDC at 12 & 6.

[@TonyLiveTV]

Nice video Pete!

[@PetesGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@adambennett2176]

You the man!!

[@PetesGarage]

Thank you my friend

[@5798Mike]

Great stuff!

[@PetesGarage]

Thanks!

[@petar443]

Golden info😊Thanks

[@PetesGarage]

No problem 😊

[@ventura9513]

Hi Pete, I've been watching your channel for years,, question,, what ever happened to the AC Cobra you were building mate

[@PetesGarage]

I'm still working on it. This is the last engine I'm building. I'm going to focus all my energy on getting that done before I'm too old to push the clutch

[@ventura9513]

@@PetesGarage thats great news,, hah, yeah we aren't getting any younger

[@WalterBarger-io9ck]

You have to have the oil with high zinc in it to properly break in a camshaft

[@PetesGarage]

That is true

[@flinch622]

Here's a silly idea coughed up [by I think Engine Labs?] in the not too distant past inside some piece: "break in" a DLC coated cam & [flat tappet] lifters. My reaction: whuuh? At roughly 2 microns, you better NOT "break in" that investment - protect it. Seems to me 3 things matter [assuming good oil and good hardness]: lifter crown radius/symmetry, complimetary lobe taper, and surface finish on both. Get all those right, and bizarre rituals are not needed. I won't be hopping about on one foot, flinging spoonfuls of hot sauce at a picture of chairman Mao, chanting "yo-yo man: stay in the trees!" I will inspect my cam and lifters instead, and later have a beer.
Remember what break in oils purpose is: increased wear through reduced protection. If there was a computer program to do the physics for picking the right oil I might bite, but all numbers are needed to figure out how much lower oil protection could go [for traditional iron lets say]: spring rate, lifter radius, rocker ratio, cam lift/duration, and weights of all valve train components to the gram. Been a while since I got half as deep, but one little 89g solid lifter at 6000rpm is something over 4 pounds extra force against the lobe [if I even remember right] from 0.500" lift alone. So... right oil? Chew on this simple notion: a spring sitting at 320 pounds [max lift] going back through 1.5 rockers to a proximal tangential [lobe vs lifter] area of 0.008" is... 60,000 psi, and that oil has to beat that in protection for the cam to live. A break in oil that only handles 80% of that load? Maybe time a break in for 2 1/2 minutes or less - inspect the lifters burnish pattern under a 7x lens, re-measure it all, and make the call.

[@peter455sd]

Thanks

[@PetesGarage]

No problem

[@Anthony-nw5zv]

Yeah buddy

[@slams777]

How do you find top dead center on a damper install

[@PetesGarage]

I have a few videos on that

[@regebosman8304]

Very similar to the Peugeot 505 engine.

[@duanedahl8856]

Solid flat tappet???

[@PetesGarage]

Hydraulic

[@lawrencenso7323]

I wish to work mechanic with you Sir.
I'm a mechanic by profession four years (4) experience

[@PetesGarage]

I work by myself