Absolutely Tony. I work for a reputable parts company and the amount of defective parts that come back in a week is disturbing. A week not a month. Bad enough I don’t want to buy parts from my own company. Sad world we live in.
I do electrical and mechanical inspections on purchased parts for, well, let's say a worldwide company on things that might impact lives, and I can't even get suppliers to put a HOLE in a PIPE. Forget about GDandT, a five year old can look at the drawing and see that the hole is on the LEFT side of the pipe, an inch from the top end. Or, if you're just an anarchist, on the RIGHT side, an inch from the BOTTOM. Not through BOTH sides for fuck's sake. Take pipe. Clamp in vice. Orient pipe any old way, Find center. Don't allow the Bridgeport to plunge through both walls (AKA don't be a moron). Drill half inch hole one inch from end and TAKE THE MONEY! The apprentice's crack addict grade school dropout cousin could do this if it meant Rock money. But we need that Cert that says X Y and Z. Don't even get me started on Suppliers that substitute weathering steel for a different spec and get indignant when I tell them it's wrong, tensile isn't good enough, read the print. Or hey you didn't test for dielectric withstand voltage and you can't test the ones you sent, it's a destructive test per IPC (they should know this). Send us replacements that you actually *did* batch testing on....and I'm the bad guy for it. Like I got a pair of balls to tell them it doesn't meet print or spec, when they charge US for their expertise! Anyway. It's not just your company. Suppliers suck today, have to watch them closely.
Friend of mine owned auto parts supply store, they don’t even bother returning to manufacturer. They have a dumpster full of returns in back of the shop. It’s normal business. So now I understand my mechanic when I ask him to replace parts that have age on them and he doesn’t want to replace anything that still works, because there’s no guarantee that a new part will work out of the box..
The problem started around 20 years ago when manufacturing started adopting the "Lean Manufacturing" principle. Mechanical inspection became a " non value added" operation. Only about 10% of machined parts are actually checked. We can all thank corporate greed! 😡
Yes that's about when all the bean counters really started running the companies. They were or are more concerned about stock price then quality of product. Their philosophy was or is " get all the money now".
Yeah, it seems like the cam companies just went "Well, the flat tappet cams are being ground like crap so even if they wipe them out we can just tell them to buy our super expensive roller cam conversion."
@@michaelmurphy6869 It’s not even really their fault it’s the fault of people, that but everything name brand and think quality second like the name means everything
It's been around for a few years. I've seen it on a few cars over the years. And he hasn't negatively spoke on any cam manufacturers name. As a matter of fact he has mentioned that it seems to be affecting most main camshaft grinders. And that we should check on them all because he has tried different brands, with the same results.
Well said, Im one of those 66 year old farts who has been a life time mechanic and built a ton of engines. I also managed the warranty department of a engine rebuilder. There wasnt a problem at all with cam failures. Recently I built a 350 for my son inlaw using all the good old well known part we used years ago and in 10 minutes the cam failed.
i watch a lot of chennels,vids, that play with 350 chevs.. ill never ever, touch one. theres too many design things wrong with them. basically, everything has to be replaced. unless you leave it stock std. i like clevo. just fit a good cam, thats it, never touch it..even the inlet is good.. thermoquads were used in stead of holley as they were easier, better. flow more std. who, in right cotton pikin mind, would build an engine, with hydraulic lifters, & ADJUSTABLE ROCKERS, madness..then you have a choice of 3 rockers, depending on yr of engine.. you can keep your chev.. ausie.. we flogged your ass with clevo at the u.s. drags, then you wanted the clevo back.. our xy. gt. ho. has a top speed over 160 mph. 1971. factory..
Me and my brother put a 350 tbi long block from big box store in his 93 Silverado,)when we fired it they had left#7 rockers loose fired her up instantly ticking. I tightened them up and adjusted, then he puts 1000 miles on it and all it's well. He strikes out from Alabama to Louisiana gets down there and motor locked and those 2 lifters went to heaven. That motor has nothing but Royal purple in it
Thanks Tony, im an old head getting back into my 54 merc. Project… recapping on my 390 fe has a bad lobe on cam… not sure what kind of cam to use with all the issues going on
The small block chevy has seen more checkered flags than all the other moters combined. Not bad for something with "too many design flaws" @harrywalker968
This man is an absolute National Treasure. The experience and honesty is apparent and appreciated. All I can say is, young mechanics, PAY ATTENTION to what this man says!!!! It’s a travesty what’s become of new parts in the automotive sector. I could could order cheap JC Whitney parts for my 400 Firebird back in the day, and on the weekend do the work. Break in? If it started and ran, you did it right. Todays parts , God help us.
This comment is relevant and not at the sametime. Even new cars off the lot are over priced low quality. They don't build'em like they use to, even houses. It's sickening, poor quality at maximum greed profits. Oh they say be concerned for the environment and but produce more through ways to trash the environment takes presidents. The stupidity of human greed.
And just another thing to mention in regard to your statement of "check things out before stuffing them in". If you watch "Nick's Garage" on yt, he recently did an episode where he rebuilt an older hemi, and while running on the dyno it started having lots of blowby. After finding low compression in one cylinder, he pulled that head and found an odd shaped hole in the piston at one of the valve reliefs. Upon further inspection, it seems that the piston head is thicker at the area where the intake valve flycut is in order to allow for the larger/deeper cut. Someone had put the piston in the machine 180° out and cut the thinner side of the piston, causing it to blow through with very short run time on the dyno !! Would anyone ordinarily check for this mistake before assembly ? Hell no ! All of the other 7 pistons were machined correctly. So that was a very costly ordeal for Nick, having to tear it all down again. I hope the manufacturer took responsibility for it and compensated him for his time !!
Yeah, I saw that, too. Nick got screwed by faulty manufacturing on that one piston alright, and I'm sure that was what Uncle Tony was referring to. Yeah, we live in different times, and the problem with quality control these days is very obvious.
@@Riverdeepnwide Some of the current reproduction stuff coming out of China is so bad that it doesn't even work when it's brand new straight out of the box.
I always catch the boat late on cars. Old enough to not get OEM replacement parts at the dealer,but young enough that nobody cares about it yet in the restoration world. That's a Mk4 VW for ya here in the states. Mines a 99.5 model,and for the NLA parts I've had great luck off eBay with some guy out of Bulgaria. If I Google the part number ,he's always popping up as the first few useful choices. And I see Porsche and merc parts from him too. Prices are fair,typical dealer pricing. I made an order on the 24th, it's already here in the states on the 28th. For my older mk1 and mk2 vws ,theres another guy out of Greece that ships with a lot the same speed and pricing. Heck I'm just glad I can find some stupid metal coolant pipe that has welded on brackets and correct hose stubs. "Ah just make one" Sure ,I could,I've got the skills and the tools. I don't have the time. I've got a buck or 2,that's not an issue. It also fits correct the first time. I hate dealing with maintenance type of crap when it gets silly and you find that pipe leaking. Took 3hrs of messing around to install it too, but it's done. I guess I can say the first one lasted 25 years, maybe this one will too since it's nos 🤷♂️
One thing that sucks about getting a defective part is, even if you catch it before you install it, trying to convince the seller or manufacture that you need to return the part they will say there is nothing wrong with the parts, and if something goes wrong using it, then it is your fault.
Back in '87 I ordered a pair of Blackjack headers for my 70 Challenger. When they showed up, they didn't fit flush with the driver's side of the block - and of course would bolt up. The speed shop I bought them from told me they were "a non-returnable item." Needless to say, both companies lost all my business. Not everything back in the day was golden.
Measure everything when building a engine. I just built my first 455 for my own car. Took the time and effort to confirm every single thing and all worked out fantastic. Be smart and take your time or you'll be doing it over and over.
You really think Uncle Tony (or the majority of his followers) don't pay attention to detail? I'm happy you never experienced a problem due to poor parts quality. But how many engines have you built over the last five years? That may be a partial factor in your good luck. I'm a professional mechanic working exclusively on 40-60 year old cars. The struggle with parts quality is real. It was not an issue just 20 years ago
Ok, listen especially Mopar guys. RACER BROWN CAMS, they are in Baltimore, Jim dowell specs the cams grinds the cams. They were the major cam supplier to Chrysler. Call After 2 pm when he answers the phone.
I installed my first 19.95 Chet Herbert regrind in my 340 with the old lifters. As long as they werent wiped out, they went back in. Never had any problem. I was thrilled that i got it from California in less than 4 weeks!
Back in the day, parts manufacturers (both OEM and aftermarket) stuck to the American standard of universal fit. Now, manufacturers are making everything to unique proprietary standards in order to force customers and end users to rely solely on them for replacement parts or service. As you’ve pointed out previously, obsolescence is built into just about everything these days. This is done to ensure a continuous profit return for investors. This pursuit of investor profit is destroying our industrial capacity.
You're right on those factors, things were a lot simplier then as well. Planned obsolescence basically came into play after WW2 the intent was keep the masses employed. Granted it did what it was meant to do for awhile. Nowadays it's off the scale.
Your rant about getting older made me think back to the mid '60s. I was just helping some neighbors put together an engine and all we had was oil for the rings, bearings and STP for assembly lube. Anything with a gasket got a thin coat of gasket shellac. Times have changed. LOL Thanks for the entertaining videos
@UncleTony I see Steve Magnante is going back to doing the junkyard crawl👏😊 Thank you for keeping us up to date as much as you could at the beginning of his medical issues. It meant a lot that you cared about what was happening to him. Thank you for that, Uncle Tony. That's why I stay with your channel.
I agree. Back in the 90's building 2t's snow/street/dirt with a piston company with a Wis in the name. I found that just warming the piston in the oven would grow .004, but some could grow even more 15-30. They had a bad batch of aluminum in the mix. . 10-15 motors came back blow/sized before I learned to measure cold vs hot and cycle them in the oven 3-4x before boring or send them back. Everyone pointing fingers at" you didn't use the right oil , your mixture was wrong, you didn't bore it right, you failed to break it in right before I looked hard at the blow up's everyone of them had skirt rub below the exhaust transfer port. The bottom of the pistons were growing so fast the cylinders were still cold and stick to the fresh hone. Everything has been made now to be as quick as possible with no human's involved or as few as possible that Quality is the last thing anyone checks. Pump it out the door as fast as possible at the least cost, 10 in a 1k fails who cares we don't have to rebuild the whole motor just warranty our part." It's like they all work for the government," close enough, we can fix it later if it fails again" I would just rather use used parts over new now. They lasted this long so why worry the new crap might not make it around the block.
This is where I've been for almost a year now, I got two Comp cam kits for my gm projects, then I started finding these cam failure videos. Do I roll the dice, do I turn back and go for roller sets, ugh. Happy Thanksgiving UTG!
Measure the cam lobes, make sure they have taper, set the lifter face on glass and make sure you have crown. Clean the lifter bores, clean them again, clean them yet again. Put oil on the lifter and put every one in every hole and make sure it turns easily and freely. Clean the lifter bores again. Isky lube the cam lobes and lifter faces. Engine oil the lifter sides and break it in with super soft break in springs. And PRAY!
Fun fact 👉 my neighbor has uncontrollable down the leg diarrhea blowouts from worrying about his new comp cam in his 305. He broke it in, now it is starting to tick a little
@MVPisME383 I wish it was, he don't even have headers, it's more than likely a bad cam. Seems to be an epidemic. Who makes quality ones? I probably didn't help, I sent him a package of adult diapers with a Comp Cams sticker on them. He is really mad, doesn't know who sent them. I told him that it was F..ked up that someone sent him that
Comp gave us two cams for a 3rd gen hemi and we had ordered a ford firing order. We got a ford firing order but they forgot that the ford cyl.numbers are not in the same place. So what we got was a cam that on cyl#6 the intake valve opened near bdc. We never made it to EMC that year. Custom cam no refund , Thank you comp...
The quality of MOST parts made today is non-existent and it's not just cams and lifters. They are total garbage....and the manufacturers know it but they don't care enough to correct the problems.
Built engines professionally for 20 years, averaged 50 engines a year. Won't build any today for anybody and I get still asked, too many junk parts and way high liabilities. The horror stories I could tell . . . . .
I don’t know how companies like Jasper build so many engines and transmission with good warranties. Even though they’re mainly stock replacements I would expect them to have to still get remain parts.
@@NBSV1 Mostly hearsay but I suspect the issues heard recently makes me think it's a big problem for them (and others) also. One thing to remember is that today you hear of people's issues that wouldn't have made it past the local area, now Internet makes it a worldwide issue.
It is sad. There was a nice machine shop/engine builder where I live that survived dancing around most parts quality problems, but got finished off by covid circus/Great Shutdown, the stupid lead time on parts it caused, and the spike in prices that the war on cheap energy produced. Normally a customer might bear 4-8 weeks in the prior decade, but that became like 4-10 months. Everything from cam blanks to cylinder head castings in supply chain became a question mark, and the price followed - quoting was insane, and completion times became "dunno". Owner closed up and retired.
@@yurimodin7333 I got to thinking... I better get my parts in hand [long block] next build rather than clog up a machine shop and give them a storage headache.
I had the exact same problem about 3 years ago with a 429 Ford cam. I bought a flat tappet cam and lifter kit from Melling and installed it as always and added a bottle of zinc addative, and during the breakin period it did the same thing ! So after reading a LOT of blogs I learned it was a common problem due to parts shortages and reputable companies were getting crap parts from foreign countries in an attempt to keep up with demand.
That’s interesting I did the exact thing 5 years ago. 429 with melling flat tappet, zinc additive. Everything went good with mine even without a proper “break in”
@Thunderbird1968 Well, 5 years ago was very early on in the covid era, so maybe they hadn't felt the supply shortages yet ? I'm a 75 yr. old lifelong Ford guy who's done FE's mosly, but a couple 289's and a 351W. Hell I even built an 8BA flathead back in the mid 80's and I never had a cam failure ever. A '79 GMC with a 350 had that problem, but hey, it was GM junk and that's what they do ! So for whatever reason, you lucked out !!
@Haffschlappe Hmm.. Austin Princess--that sounds like an old one ? I'm 75 now, but when I was 12 my older brother gave me his '48 Austin Cambridge 4 dr. sedan that had seized up from sitting. My friend and I pulled the engine, got it freed up, put it back in, and we raced it around the 6 acres we had. Good memories.
I made a video about a year ago about the same and I took it down because people just didn't believe me, I think I'll put it back up now lol thanks Tony 👍👍👍👍👍
I run QuakerState full synthetic European blend 5W 40 in my Dodge truck with a 360 LA engine. It has over 1000 ppm of zinc in it. @ $22 for a 5 quart jug you can’t go wrong.
UT.. I remember when buying aftermarket parts was higher quality then factory parts. Nowadays, I find myself hunting the wrecking yards for parts hoping to find good factory stuff.
this was even true in the 2000's for german parts. you either $$$ for dealer parts which still were meh, or $ for meyle or other aftermarket crap, or found good parts from original manufacture runs in the junkyard. calipers, bushings, lower / upper control arms, heck even distributor caps. saw this coming back then, and you know what, all the aftermarket german car parts were from china back then, so the writing was on the wall. it just took 1-2 decades for it saturate all markets now.
I hear ya, I found an old Delco Remy point distributor in a 1968 Pontiac Beaumont with a 327 Chevy and powerglide transmission at a local wrecking yard. I only wanted the distributor but ended up taking the whole powertrain. Did I need it, no.
I learned the hard way. After repairing a 'crank no start' w/ a new fuel pump & regulator, it came back. I don't throw parts at a problem and was in denial that a new part could be bad, so I refered the car else where. How bad you think it sucked to have someone come back to hand you the new pump that you swore wasn't the problem. I had never seen a new part bad out of the box before. Will never forget that day but still catch myself giving a Napa or Carquest part preference when the truth is... they are all junk.
So True man! Comp use to be THE BRAND back in the day......nothing but things you here now/even there Roller stuff.............It is a TRUE labor of Love working on the older engines or parts nowandays....makes me think how I took parts for granted knowing they would be good back in the day compared to now.....bought a Delphi fuel pump for a 77 350 from autozone awhile back and had to drill the mounting holes out to 3/8,s to get the bolts to go through....SAD days we are living in being and ol gearhead.
We are working with engines that were manufactured half a century ago. Source inspection and quality control can spin out of control when Engineering "hand" drawings with notes are updated to CAD drawings & models. Attention to detail on a part drawing is paramount and must have traceability. Things really go bad when parts are outsourced and the units go to metric and notes get misinterpreted. Metal vendors must provide documentation and certification that verifies the quality and origin of their metals. Profits over quality seems to be the the norm.
I have been working for 30 years as a mechanic lifters in one valve cover rockets and push rods in the another wash in varsol cover in regular 10 w 30 and send it. This was standard practice. The good old days 😊
Okay, I have made a decision as of right now and because of watching this I am now convinced that I am going to take a 283 to a scrap yard as soon as possible... A few years ago I bought the engine that needs a rebuild complete with a set of new 60 over pistons and rings and reconditioned rods and a carb and manifold and excetera. How about it knowing someday that I would build a nice smooth running 283 Street motor. I am now retired and was about to take on that project and because of all of this talk about not being able to rebuild an engine without problems now has me non willing to even take the time and money to build an engine. Thank you for helping me make the decision... You saved me all that time money and hassle and I will go to the scrap iron place and sell it all for about 50 bucks... It's sad but true!
If you happen to be around Oklahoma I will be happy to give you 50 bucks for that stuff! I wouldn’t be scared to put it together and try it though. I have started using a couple of saw horses as a test stand to start my motors on and break them in. That way its easy to access everything if it needs to come back apart.
Lost a cam in a 351 about 6 years ago due to this garbage. Terrified to use them now...the problem is i cant afford to keep rebuilding them after this happens.
Just makes me sad! I'm even older than you, Tony and I remembr the good old days when quality control was a given. Even British Leyland in the 70s, a company NOTORIOUS for poor QC was better than what we have now. I rarely build engines these days, but it so happens I was doing a refresh on a little 1968 1300cc Triumph Spitfire motor this summer. A genuine survivor with all standard size bores and bearings and little appreciable wear. But amongst the most tired bits was just one of the (flat of course) tappets, which we in the UK call cam followers, where the case hardening on the cam face had started to fail. It wasn't bad enough to have damaged the cam, but I ordered a fresh set of tappets from a reputable supplier. I got the feeling they are NOS from the way they were packed, but, mindful of your experiences, I found myself checking them all for crown on a sheet of glass. No horror story here, they were all fine but the peace of mind is there now! The guy who owns it is a 30 year buddy of mine who is also a first rate trimmer, I don't want to upset him with a failure!
Hey Tony, Tim here, tryin to build a 400 Pontiac. Just a driver, shud be simple enuf.......like u, I chk'd and re chk'd .....cam won't fit.....get to journal #4.......won't fit......long story short, my machine shop put it on a set of V blocks, with an indicator....... .008 thou of runout on journal # 4............008 of runout!!.....HOLY CRAP!!...NO WONDER IT DONT FIT!!......Comp dude can't believe it, and convinced me to try another......Crower has none, Howards can but it's 12-15 weeks.....Crane doesn't exist.....HOLY CRAP, ITS A SIMPLE 400 PONTIAC!!....MILD CAM, not some huge race dude...NO, regular, NOT EVEN AS BIG AS A RAIV.... holy crap.......yep.....Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and we now have to chk EVERYTHING......I just wanna build a mild, driver 400.... I'm in camshaft hell.....PEACE my brother!!
Most of the cams I installed was back in the 1970s. Put several "Hemi-grind" cams for 318s and 383s. It wasn't really done for performance as much as the lumpy idle. I would check the cams, once in a while, especially if it was aftermarket. Never had any cam problems. Biggest difference between yesteryear and today, they didn't use computers. All measurements were done by hand not laser lights, and computer software programs.
lol I know what your saying about the old days and cams! I put my first high lift Isky cam in my 49 Ford Flathead back in 1961....63 years ago! Lift and duration and in the flathead some adjustable lifters. Simple times back then and for the next 25 years that I built engines.I am older than dirt now and don't twist wrenches anymore but I never stopped increasing my knowledge on all subjects. So I listen and learn perhaps can pass this knowledge on to someone else. Great informative video, loved it!
It isn’t just car parts that are junk today. Take a look at lumber and try to find a straight 2x4. Look at any home appliance and try to get one that lasts past the warranty period. Electronics, forget about it.
I bought the last mechanically timed Speed Queen washing machine. One year in, it’s good. My mom’s Maytag had to have replacement shocks put in and they’re going out again. This machine is her third unit in ten years. Junk
Dana "60" Glass. I checked both Kendall, and Pennzoil a few years back, checking what the minimum amount of zinc is needed to maintain a flat tappet cam. Both company techs told me 1200-1250 ppm. Break in 1800 or higher ppm zinc. Shell Rotella only has 850 ppm. Kendall GT1 has 1250 ppm, Valvoline VR 1800 ppm, Lucas Hot Rod oil 2100 ppm. I just felt better running Kendall GT1, or Lucas Hot Rod oil. Personal preference.
I was thinking though the whole video about the hemi piston failure on Nick's Garage and 17 minutes in..... there it is lol. Yup. We're in a new world alright. Good luck everyone. Great video 👍
I went from "Machine Shops" building engines to "Speed Shops" in 1982, that is when i learned how to build one "properly" measured EVERYTHING - multiple mockups - and everything in between was checked and checked again, that is why at that time, getting an engine from a "Machine Shop" was roughly half the cost of one from a "Speed Shop" New Parts failure was very rare but, once in a blue moon one would show up, like 1 in every 20 to 25 engines... since the late 90s parts have gotten MUCH worse. ZINC and OIL - specifically for the Cam, while the additives that we all loved for flat tappet cam life have been being removed from the oils over the last 25 years, stock - LOW lift profiles are the least effected, " not much spring pressure open, and not much seat pressure, however - once in the MEDIUM lift range ie (above .550") you start getting into some pretty stout open pressures, along with double springs, (not a single with a damper) this is where the Zinc starts making a bigger difference on the longevity of the cam and lifter. Nitriding, since 2000, we have seen many more issues with the hardening process, Nitriding a Cam or Crank is great, if the process is done correctly, it is literally only a few thousandths deep into the surface, so if you regrind a Cam or turn a Crank .010 - .010 the nitriding is gone, not to mention "NEW" parts with soft spots - then there is the actual metallurgy itself, we won't go there... Lets just say in the early 2000s, I could not comprehend some of the garbage i was seeing. Personal Case Study: In 1999 I spent several months designing a build for my street 440, to make good horsepower on California 91 octane at the pump, the end result in the solid flat tappet cam was a nice medium lift of I.656/E.662 - with double springs, I had an open pressure of about 425# (which isn't too bad) I ran and abused the engine for seven years, and decided to pull the heads and do some port work while looking for wear (refresh if needed) bearings, caps, rods and cam all specs were great, buttoned up but, instead of using VR1 with Zinc that i had been using since i built it - I used something without Zinc, roughly several street races and about the same amount of track bashings later - as part of my oil change routine on my 640hp engine, i always cut the filter open and inspect it, i started to see material, damn... soon after, i tore it apart and found 4 cam lobes missing several thousandths each, Took the Engine apart - cleaned - freshened - rebuilt and replaced the cam with a slightly larger one - using VR1 and Zinc - that was 2009 - no problems since... when ya do it every day for a living and build your own, there are a lot of things we see, that don't necessarily make it to the public - i'm trying to make this short and quick, but between my personal cars and Pro stock - Funny Cars I have worked on, along with nascar style engines over the years, I could write a small book on Oiling and Fuel alone...
True. We pay big prices and yet for example, my second aftermarket rack and pinion is starting to leak within a total of a year and a half total on both of them.
You are 100% correct Tony! I was there and I was a professional mechanic... We use to change out cams constantly in the 70's and 80's....Never any problems installing new cams and lifters. One instance I took a used hp cam from a 454 and put it and its Hydraulic lifters in my 2 bolt 427 390hp big block....never had any problems and never gave it a 2nd thought. The golden rule was just what you stated....oil rub the cam and insert ....and soak the lifters in a Chock Full of Nuts tin can full of motor oil overnight! BTW...99% of the time a can of Marvel Mystery Oil would solve any Hydraulic lifter ticking in any car! I laugh my ass off when I watch these so called RUclips master engine builders convincing these kids that there is nothing wrong with the new flat tappet cams and lifters because they are just installing them and breaking them in wrong!
Tony, I was also born in 62. Built my first engine in 1979. I remember the articles, machine shop, books, etc. telling me to break in the cam by running it over 2000 rpm for 20 minutes. I also remember getting info from these sources about keeping the lifters on the same lobes if swapping out the cam and lifters.
Vizard threw out a random nugget in a video talking about camshafts that he uses Comp Cams because he can have them harden the cams. That blew my mind that camshafts were not hardened out of the box. I think that is the real difference between now and 20-40 years ago. Not to mention QC issues.
Was watching this on my tv and had to make a comment. My first experience with shitty modern cams was a summit cam in my goodwrench 350. Did everything right and it flattened a lobe.. summit and comp have had bad issues with cams and lifters with case hardening. I will say myself and everyone I know have never had an issue with Elgin and howards cams.. I’ll never own another comp cam ever.. great video Tony
They reduced Zinc because it would clog catalytic converters, thus they went to roller cams. Just the same, I have been using modern synthetic (low Zinc) oil in my flat tappet cam engine for ten years. Once it is broke in, it doesn't matter what you use. Even bad oil now is better than what was available when that engine was built 58 years ago.
I think zinc after break in is more important when valve spring pressures are increased. If it’s a near stock lift cam, it’s probably pretty safe. But, if it’s a high lift cam with an aggressive ramp profile, the extra load on the cam/lifter surfaces needs the zinc.
Back in the days before zinc additives were common in oil (early 1950's and prior) flat tappet cams lasted just fine, though MOST of those old camshafts were actually case hardened steel forgings running against chilled cast iron lifters. When hardened cast iron camshafts became the norm during the 50's, zinc additives became common in oils, peaking during the 1970's Back in the 1920's, most everything but the cheap cars like Ford and Chevrolet, ran roller cams !! Yes, my 1927 Hudson Super Six has a factory roller cam.....And insert bearings, too. The 1930's depression was the first wave of major cost cutting throughout the US auto industry, so roller cams disappeared during the 1930's, even on expensive cars.
Salute to Old Guys who have experience and give good advice ….things happens, occasionally there’s a bad ‘Friday’ part…. Always a good video… thank you
In 1968, GM made a bunch of changes to their manufacturing processes. We had several "soft" cams in 307s and one in a 396. That was when I learned to atleast put calipers on lobes. In those days we used STP oil treatment on bearing surfaces(including cams) during assembly. Companies don't bother with quality control anymore. That seems to be true in the construction industries too. Good Luck, Rick
100% I got something out of this!! In the very near future I will be building 2 flat tappet engines. One is a bone stock straight 6 for a 65 Mustang and the other is stock appearing performance Pontiac 455 intended for drag racing with the occasional street driving. I haven’t built an engine in nearly 30 years so this subject hits home. Thank you, you likely saved my bacon!!
Outstanding video. I am also an "old timer," having been in the auto repair sector since the early 70s. You are right, other than making certain we had the cam and lifters properly lubed (and pistins, bearingsm ec,) and doing our break-ins properly, we never, ever worried about having a cam lobe(s) getting wiped out, or a lifter getting its face worn into a crown (or worse) within a few minutes ofthe engine being run for the first time. I have a friend with a 68 Road Runner with a 383 that was punched out to 512 cubic inches, and built with some good equipment by the prior owner. The builder made a few bad choices, like with aluminum racing heads not studding the rocker arm shaft retaining bolts - which caused some grief that required us to drill out, helicoil, and stud the thread in the heads for proper securing the rocker shaft mounts. He had aome lifter noise, which is how I got into the rocker shaft issue to begin with. Some of the mounting bolts had backed out (!), one of he Comp Cam high end push rodds had actually jumped out because of how loose the valve train was getting with the bolts backing out and in one case one of the rocker arm shafts actually bent due to the way the rocker shaft was not being properly secured. We got all that fixed up, and I showed him how to adjust hydraulic roller lifters with going to Zero Lash, then going 1/2 - 3/4 turn tighter, slowly to let the lifters bleed off. All was looking good, but a little while leter he began to get some lifter noise again - nit as bad as before, but noticeable. Unfortunately he needed to get his clutch and related work done (he has no tranny jack), so he drove it to a shop to do the clutch work. I am now thinking that once he gets the car back I better take another listen to the valve train and see if perhaps we are getting excessive bleed down also with the Comp Cam hydraulic roller lifters. What you shared was terrifying to hear, but hear it I must. I never would have believed that a newer set of high end roller hydraulic lifters could begin to fail, but now I am no longer that confident. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on that matter. I enjoy your presentations, and nu B.S. approach with auto repair - along with your twisted sense of left handed humor tossed in once in a while. Rock on!
Had a engine guy work on my 468..... Went flat tappet because of $. Dude did everything to spec and the cam failed. They wouldn't stand behind the parts and so we went roller cam and lifters . She runs awesome
Agreed. I am an old tool and die maker with 50+ years. I quit counting on quality long ago and not just the aftermarket. I had a set of main bearings come mixed in size recently. Mixed during packaging from a leading manufacturer. Luckily I noticed. Heat treatment of many cams isn't what it used to be either. Improperly clocked is insane. Watch those valve retainers also.
You and I have lived parallel lives, Tony. Back in the 70’s & 80’s, a cam swap a simple process. Never an issue. Had a friend who was a few years older than me, out of high school, with a real job, who was trying out new cams all the time. (Called it “the cam of the month club”) He’d give me his old cams and I throw them in my engines. Never ever a problem.
G'day Tony, I was an apprentice in the 80's, and I have to say, in my case, it's yes & no. Most times, I would check parts before I installed them, and other times, the checking wasn't too good. It was tough scraping together $2500 to build an engine, so I checked things. Ring gaps - checked. Striaght pushrods - checked. Cam timing - checked. Does the new Holley carb open up fully - checked, links bent, stops filed, & new gaskets fitted. And yes, running an engine on its initial start was 2500 RPM, for 15 minutes. But, not every time. I did change lifters in an engine once, and I soaked the lifters overnight, before I put them in. When I took them out, I lined up the timing marks, made sure the distributor was pointing to #1, and the points were starting to open, and took the dizzy out. When I changed the lifters, & put it all back together, it wouldn't start. I had pointed the distributor to #1, but was timing it on #5 (it was a Valiant 265 6cyl). I found the problem, fixed it up, & asked my mate to fire it up for me. The starter spins over, the engine fires right up, then I hear it absolutly screaming. I shouted to my friend; "What are you doing?" He shouts back; "Seven grand!!!" LOL As for what I look out for these days.... Well, it's been years since I've built an engine, but the one lesson I learned about a dozen years ago is this - Never ever, under any circumstances, do you put any Shell product in a motorcycle. I had used 2 tanks of Shell V-Power in my Laverda, and the fuel fouled the spark plugs. All I can think is that there's something in that fuel which absorbs oxygen, to trick the O2 sensor, so the ECU leans out the fuel map. My bike doesn't have an O2 sensor, so the plugs fouled. It was at that time that my 7,000 RPM friend told me the Shell rule. Anyhow, thanks for a great video. Keep up the good work Andrew BTW, something did fail on the engine in the first paragraph... The flywheel bolts came loose during a 5,500 RPM dash around a pylon at the car club's gymkhana. Now that was a notorious racing event... LOL
🔔😎 #1) I guess the thing to do is spring for the extra $100 to get the stick nitrided. #2) Having been a machinist in a race shop there are some lifter bores that are worn enough that the lifter doesnt contact the cam correctly. The lifters probably need more convex. 👍 We always bronze bushed lifter bores in stock Chevy race blocks. Even for roller lifters. Note: Some engines like BBC and some mopars etc have lifters offset to pushrod centerline causing cockeyed wear.
ahhhhh taking me back to the old days for sure.... never had to 1/2 the stuff we did and never had any problems. people would have looked at you for "checking" a cam.... now-a-days you might as well get the cam custom cut and blueprinted, it actually saves you in the long run... Now you need to check almost everything you buy, car parts or not, you need to check. also, i truly believe you get what you pay for... if you go with super cheap parts expect to need to do some extra checking (again car parts or not)....
In early 80's teen age ,young men went to junk yards buy a heavy truck engine, go to machine shop, buy off the shelf parts, making low wages, had good street engines
Built my first engine in 1972, even back then found cams not indexed correctly. No where near as bad as today, but it did happen so i learned early, alwsys degree the cam.
When I was in my early 20s , many years ago , didn't know to lube cam lobes during installation , I put the cam and lifters in dry , no lube at all😮 , didn't have a single lifter go bad , although I didn't change the springs , they were stock ink pen springs , possibly saved the cam ? But most likely good metal , nowadays most metal comes from China "Recycled" multi blended cast iron crap
Tony: The day I try to assemble everything correctly similar to the "old timers" is for sure, gone! I envy the mechanic that can install engine parts and build an engine without any mistakes. It's good advice to check everything, such as, engine blueprinting. With out a doubt, I'm down with that, and I don't have the flu! LOL.
Diesel engine oil is superior in zinc concentration, but also in detergents, it will certainly help clean up old engine internals. But diesel's value is limited in motors requiring a super thin oil and can harm catalytic converters.
Yeah! I’ve been there. I could go on about my experience, but I’m not gonna tell you anything that you don’t know already. I’ve had great successes before, but a few recent failures that have left me questioning whether I wanna keep on rebuilding engines
I retired from an auto parts DC after 32 years, mostly as head of the returns/core/warranty dept. 4 years ago. The percentage of defective parts kept increasing so much that I was of the opinion that most of them were either used to diagnose a problem or the mechanic didn't know what he was doing. NOPE, the stuff we were selling was made cheaper and cheaper, mostly from China or Mexico (Spanish China). Fast forward to this fall. I was replacing the clutch in my 84 S-10. I bought a LUK clutch and an ATP fork from Rock Auto. I got the clutch mostly bolted in when I spied a crack in the clutch cover adjacent to rivet for a pressure applying spring I looked closer and all 3 places by the rivets were cracked. I uninstalled it and returned it for another one. That one was returned later the same day as it was delivered. It had the same problem. It appeared on both of them that the person that either assembled or inspected them knew they were cracked, as there were buff marks to blend the crack at all 3 places on both. I then ordered a Sachs clutch and all was well, or so I thought. The clutch kit was fine. I installed the kit and the new clutch fork and tried for over an hour, with a helper to install the transmission, but the throw out bearing kept slipping from the fork. I had to pull the bell housing again (not an easy job due to firewall interference with the top 2 bolts) and I found that the new ATP clutch fork was 1/4 inch too short. Wonderful quality control! I used the original fork and all is well. Rock Auto customer service is to be commended, no problems with returns or credits, but are they buying seconds from the factory, or is it just the luck of the draw?
I'm young, 28. I bought a project car 71 LTD Convertible for $1500. I'm going through the process of rebuilding the engine and yes, I had to decide if I wanted to go roller or flat tappet. I decided to stick with flat tappet because I didn't want to spend the value of the car on a roller cam and lifters. That money would be better spent elsewhere.
Remember working night shift extrusion shop. Changed cam had to weld bolt to remove lifter. Got it done +put out quality production for Vinyl Therm 82nd and Grand Bloomington Minnesota. You bring memories to my mind kid.
Just went through this with a 350 build. I'm about the same age as you and totally relate to what your saying about how we used to do things. First I am a retired ASE mechanic. and while doing a refresh on a early 90's GM 350 I put a set of bearings (rods and mains) from a long time respected manufacturer in the block. I did not mic or Plastigauge as the bearings that came out were fine and I just wanted to do a quick freshen up. Well less then 5000 miles and I have a slight knock when the oil thins out. My fault for not checking but did this hundreds of times 30 years ago. Now I'm replacing the crank and you can bet everything is being checked...
You're absolutely correct on all points, especially the AMC 4.0L. I was young, had a 2001 Jeep TJ that had intermittent lifter tick,( a lot of it at times) . I just bought 12 Federal Mogal lifters and tossed em in. Didn't measure a thing. Reused the factory cam too. But, I did leave the valve cover off while breaking in the cam and had to wait longer than 20 minutes until they all began to spin in the lifter bore. If I didn't watch and just threw it together and followed the directions, at least 4 lobes would have been wiped out. Never had a tick after though, just got lucky, I guess....
I've not installed a fresh cam since 2018. My buddy however wiped out two comp XE line cams with solid lifters before finally ending with the third that lived. His poor 305 saw so much metal run through it. It had just chunked a rod before he threw the first cam in.
My brother bought a comp cams cam & lifters for his Ford 460. He's 19, he was building his first engine, trying to do something cool. Installed the engine in the truck, had moly break in lube on the lobes and lifter faces, fired it right up, halfway through break in, it ate 3 lifters. It turned him off, he won't open an engine anymore.
I went to put a fuel pump on a simple old small block Chevy last week. The threads on the hard line had garbage in them. I caught that and cleaned them out. I installed it and the hard line leaked like crazy. Threads were not machined far enough for the flare to seat. Junk outta the box. Removed it. Returned it. Checked another pump at the parts store before taking it. Same issue. Crazy. Bought a different brand. Had a string of issues like this in the last 5/10 years.
Great video, a lot of us are probably wish we would’ve saw this 20 some years ago. Most of the things that you mentioned I’ve had happened to me in my building processes like you said it was very confused when it first started happening. It is truly amazing to me with the modern technology why this is even happening. Anyway, thank you.
i like the light-weight of the flats , i had some crain anti-pump up hyds back in 90 that would make really run hard-- i that was the last flat tappet screamer and that was back in the 90s , it would get quite crazy RPM-- never had any problems with that mill--
Absolutely Tony. I work for a reputable parts company and the amount of defective parts that come back in a week is disturbing. A week not a month. Bad enough I don’t want to buy parts from my own company. Sad world we live in.
Wow, good to know - Thx 😮
I do electrical and mechanical inspections on purchased parts for, well, let's say a worldwide company on things that might impact lives, and I can't even get suppliers to put a HOLE in a PIPE. Forget about GDandT, a five year old can look at the drawing and see that the hole is on the LEFT side of the pipe, an inch from the top end. Or, if you're just an anarchist, on the RIGHT side, an inch from the BOTTOM. Not through BOTH sides for fuck's sake. Take pipe. Clamp in vice. Orient pipe any old way, Find center. Don't allow the Bridgeport to plunge through both walls (AKA don't be a moron). Drill half inch hole one inch from end and TAKE THE MONEY! The apprentice's crack addict grade school dropout cousin could do this if it meant Rock money. But we need that Cert that says X Y and Z. Don't even get me started on Suppliers that substitute weathering steel for a different spec and get indignant when I tell them it's wrong, tensile isn't good enough, read the print. Or hey you didn't test for dielectric withstand voltage and you can't test the ones you sent, it's a destructive test per IPC (they should know this). Send us replacements that you actually *did* batch testing on....and I'm the bad guy for it. Like I got a pair of balls to tell them it doesn't meet print or spec, when they charge US for their expertise! Anyway. It's not just your company. Suppliers suck today, have to watch them closely.
Friend of mine owned auto parts supply store, they don’t even bother returning to manufacturer.
They have a dumpster full of returns in back of the shop.
It’s normal business.
So now I understand my mechanic when I ask him to replace parts that have age on them and he doesn’t want to replace anything that still works, because there’s no guarantee that a new part will work out of the box..
@@peterparsons7141
I get junk yard Motorcraft parts for pennies.
Hey, the car was running when it crashed !!!
Better than chinesium crapp.
Are they Chinese parts or American?
The problem started around 20 years ago when manufacturing started adopting the "Lean Manufacturing" principle. Mechanical inspection became a " non value added" operation. Only about 10% of machined parts are actually checked. We can all thank corporate greed! 😡
Yes that's about when all the bean counters really started running the companies. They were or are more concerned about stock price then quality of product. Their philosophy was or is " get all the money now".
Yeah, it seems like the cam companies just went "Well, the flat tappet cams are being ground like crap so even if they wipe them out we can just tell them to buy our super expensive roller cam conversion."
@@michaelmurphy6869 It’s not even really their fault it’s the fault of people, that but everything name brand and think quality second like the name means everything
sonny boy
yes they take a sample . 1 from 1.000.
the probabilitty of you have a defective part is--- just make the maths
Uncle I am And Engine Builder ASE Master Machinist .You are dead on .Put your eye ball on everything . Been doing for 24 Years.
Anyone else catch the Comp Cams fender protector hanging off the orange scaffold?😂😂
I did once you mentioned it. heh heh...
Because all the major manufacturers were still using flat tappet cams. Now it's all garbage. Gotta go roller conversion 😔
Yeah , no publicity Eh!😉
They can still make good fender protectors at least
It's been around for a few years. I've seen it on a few cars over the years. And he hasn't negatively spoke on any cam manufacturers name. As a matter of fact he has mentioned that it seems to be affecting most main camshaft grinders. And that we should check on them all because he has tried different brands, with the same results.
What a coincidence, I happen to live in East Bongo Squeegee! Thanks for the shout-out!
Grew up in West Bongo Squeegee! Tough neighborhood-- the gangs used to manually insert the bullets in their victims!😆
My uncle invented the Bongo drum there in 1932
Coincidentally my aunt (his sister) invented the squeegee there 10 years later, true story
Evidently The Tube Nazi's removed my comment on how tough my neighborhood was in West Bongo Squeegee... Let's go 2 for 2!😆
My uncle Krzysztof was involved in an awful squeegee accident there while eating a hot bowl of borscht, he hasn't been the same since.
Well said, Im one of those 66 year old farts who has been a life time mechanic and built a ton of engines. I also managed the warranty department of a engine rebuilder. There wasnt a problem at all with cam failures. Recently I built a 350 for my son inlaw using all the good old well known part we used years ago and in 10 minutes the cam failed.
i watch a lot of chennels,vids, that play with 350 chevs.. ill never ever, touch one. theres too many design things wrong with them. basically, everything has to be replaced. unless you leave it stock std. i like clevo. just fit a good cam, thats it, never touch it..even the inlet is good.. thermoquads were used in stead of holley as they were easier, better. flow more std. who, in right cotton pikin mind, would build an engine, with hydraulic lifters, & ADJUSTABLE ROCKERS, madness..then you have a choice of 3 rockers, depending on yr of engine.. you can keep your chev.. ausie.. we flogged your ass with clevo at the u.s. drags, then you wanted the clevo back.. our xy. gt. ho. has a top speed over 160 mph. 1971. factory..
Me and my brother put a 350 tbi long block from big box store in his 93 Silverado,)when we fired it they had left#7 rockers loose fired her up instantly ticking. I tightened them up and adjusted, then he puts 1000 miles on it and all it's well. He strikes out from Alabama to Louisiana gets down there and motor locked and those 2 lifters went to heaven. That motor has nothing but Royal purple in it
@@harrywalker968 Good grief. Here we go again.
Thanks Tony, im an old head getting back into my 54 merc. Project… recapping on my 390 fe has a bad lobe on cam… not sure what kind of cam to use with all the issues going on
The small block chevy has seen more checkered flags than all the other moters combined. Not bad for something with "too many design flaws" @harrywalker968
This man is an absolute National Treasure. The experience and honesty is apparent and appreciated. All I can say is, young mechanics, PAY ATTENTION to what this man says!!!! It’s a travesty what’s become of new parts in the automotive sector. I could could order cheap JC Whitney parts for my 400 Firebird back in the day, and on the weekend do the work. Break in? If it started and ran, you did it right. Todays parts , God help us.
This comment is relevant and not at the sametime.
Even new cars off the lot are over priced low quality. They don't build'em like they use to, even houses. It's sickening, poor quality at maximum greed profits. Oh they say be concerned for the environment and but produce more through ways to trash the environment takes presidents. The stupidity of human greed.
And just another thing to mention in regard to your statement of "check things out before stuffing them in". If you watch "Nick's Garage" on yt, he recently did an episode where he rebuilt an older hemi, and while running on the dyno it started having lots of blowby. After finding low compression in one cylinder, he pulled that head and found an odd shaped hole in the piston at one of the valve reliefs. Upon further inspection, it seems that the piston head is thicker at the area where the intake valve flycut is in order to allow for the larger/deeper cut. Someone had put the piston in the machine 180° out and cut the thinner side of the piston, causing it to blow through with very short run time on the dyno !! Would anyone ordinarily check for this mistake before assembly ? Hell no ! All of the other 7 pistons were machined correctly. So that was a very costly ordeal for Nick, having to tear it all down again. I hope the manufacturer took responsibility for it and compensated him for his time !!
Yeah, I saw that, too. Nick got screwed by faulty manufacturing on that one piston alright, and I'm sure that was what Uncle Tony was referring to. Yeah, we live in different times, and the problem with quality control these days is very obvious.
@JohnnieDorman77 Yup. Pretty much the same with most anything today, even the average people on the street have a different attitude.
I saw that ep from Nick to, for the sake of the piston machined the way around.
LOL...I saw this episode...We all need to boycott and sue these companies for all time lost making repairs on their Chinese garbage.
I'm in the UK and we now seek out NOS Lucas electrical parts as the old Prince of Darkness is now considered a hallmark of quality.
As an American that loved classic Triumphs. I find this comment a huge statement on how bad modern parts have become.
You mean 😮 it has gotten worse?
My '69 Cortina GT is long gone and for the most part, is missed. Except for that fuse box.
@@Riverdeepnwide Some of the current reproduction stuff coming out of China is so bad that it doesn't even work when it's brand new straight out of the box.
Who would have ever thought that could happen 😉
I always catch the boat late on cars.
Old enough to not get OEM replacement parts at the dealer,but young enough that nobody cares about it yet in the restoration world.
That's a Mk4 VW for ya here in the states.
Mines a 99.5 model,and for the NLA parts I've had great luck off eBay with some guy out of Bulgaria.
If I Google the part number ,he's always popping up as the first few useful choices. And I see Porsche and merc parts from him too.
Prices are fair,typical dealer pricing.
I made an order on the 24th, it's already here in the states on the 28th.
For my older mk1 and mk2 vws ,theres another guy out of Greece that ships with a lot the same speed and pricing.
Heck I'm just glad I can find some stupid metal coolant pipe that has welded on brackets and correct hose stubs.
"Ah just make one"
Sure ,I could,I've got the skills and the tools.
I don't have the time.
I've got a buck or 2,that's not an issue.
It also fits correct the first time.
I hate dealing with maintenance type of crap when it gets silly and you find that pipe leaking.
Took 3hrs of messing around to install it too, but it's done.
I guess I can say the first one lasted 25 years, maybe this one will too since it's nos 🤷♂️
One thing that sucks about getting a defective part is, even if you catch it before you install it, trying to convince the seller or manufacture that you need to return the part they will say there is nothing wrong with the parts, and if something goes wrong using it, then it is your fault.
Exactly.
Back in '87 I ordered a pair of Blackjack headers for my 70 Challenger. When they showed up, they didn't fit flush with the driver's side of the block - and of course would bolt up. The speed shop I bought them from told me they were "a non-returnable item." Needless to say, both companies lost all my business. Not everything back in the day was golden.
Measure everything when building a engine. I just built my first 455 for my own car. Took the time and effort to confirm every single thing and all worked out fantastic.
Be smart and take your time or you'll be doing it over and over.
No amount of measuring and weighing will tell you that the cam is made of soft metal.
You really think Uncle Tony (or the majority of his followers) don't pay attention to detail?
I'm happy you never experienced a problem due to poor parts quality.
But how many engines have you built over the last five years?
That may be a partial factor in your good luck.
I'm a professional mechanic working exclusively on 40-60 year old cars.
The struggle with parts quality is real.
It was not an issue just 20 years ago
Ok, listen especially Mopar guys. RACER BROWN CAMS, they are in Baltimore, Jim dowell specs the cams grinds the cams. They were the major cam supplier to Chrysler. Call After 2 pm when he answers the phone.
Outstanding information 👍
DEMA ELGIN is fine too
New guy here, im 25. Thanks, Uncle Tony for all you do! Keeping hotrodding alive!
I installed my first 19.95 Chet Herbert regrind in my 340 with the old lifters. As long as they werent wiped out, they went back in. Never had any problem. I was thrilled that i got it from California in less than 4 weeks!
I bought my first Chet Herbert cam in 1972!
Ordered a cam from Chet back in 82 for a 354 Hemi, 290 duration 550 lift soild lift.
Back in the day, parts manufacturers (both OEM and aftermarket) stuck to the American standard of universal fit. Now, manufacturers are making everything to unique proprietary standards in order to force customers and end users to rely solely on them for replacement parts or service. As you’ve pointed out previously, obsolescence is built into just about everything these days. This is done to ensure a continuous profit return for investors. This pursuit of investor profit is destroying our industrial capacity.
You're right on those factors, things were a lot simplier then as well. Planned obsolescence basically came into play after WW2 the intent was keep the masses employed. Granted it did what it was meant to do for awhile. Nowadays it's off the scale.
Your rant about getting older made me think back to the mid '60s. I was just helping some neighbors put together an engine and all we had was oil for the rings, bearings and STP for assembly lube. Anything with a gasket got a thin coat of gasket shellac. Times have changed. LOL Thanks for the entertaining videos
Good info Tony, thanks. At 71 years old, this is sad to hear. New stuff is garbage, makes me sick. 😊
@UncleTony
I see Steve Magnante is going back to doing the junkyard crawl👏😊 Thank you for keeping us up to date as much as you could at the beginning of his medical issues.
It meant a lot that you cared about what was happening to him. Thank you for that, Uncle Tony.
That's why I stay with your channel.
"It's not necessarily coming from Ohio it's coming from East Bongo Squeegee" 😂😂😂😂
Thank you for that statement regarding sponsorship and the truth. Rarely have they ever gone hand in hand.
Happy thanksgiving everyone 👋 🦃🦃🦃
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Jay. Save me some turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving
I agree. Back in the 90's building 2t's snow/street/dirt with a piston company with a Wis in the name. I found that just warming the piston in the oven would grow .004, but some could grow even more 15-30. They had a bad batch of aluminum in the mix. . 10-15 motors came back blow/sized before I learned to measure cold vs hot and cycle them in the oven 3-4x before boring or send them back. Everyone pointing fingers at" you didn't use the right oil , your mixture was wrong, you didn't bore it right, you failed to break it in right before I looked hard at the blow up's everyone of them had skirt rub below the exhaust transfer port. The bottom of the pistons were growing so fast the cylinders were still cold and stick to the fresh hone.
Everything has been made now to be as quick as possible with no human's involved or as few as possible that Quality is the last thing anyone checks. Pump it out the door as fast as possible at the least cost, 10 in a 1k fails who cares we don't have to rebuild the whole motor just warranty our part." It's like they all work for the government," close enough, we can fix it later if it fails again"
I would just rather use used parts over new now. They lasted this long so why worry the new crap might not make it around the block.
I use Wiseco in all my engines. I've had good luck with them. Fingers crossed! 🤞🏻
This is where I've been for almost a year now, I got two Comp cam kits for my gm projects, then I started finding these cam failure videos. Do I roll the dice, do I turn back and go for roller sets, ugh. Happy Thanksgiving UTG!
Measure the cam lobes, make sure they have taper, set the lifter face on glass and make sure you have crown. Clean the lifter bores, clean them again, clean them yet again. Put oil on the lifter and put every one in every hole and make sure it turns easily and freely. Clean the lifter bores again. Isky lube the cam lobes and lifter faces. Engine oil the lifter sides and break it in with super soft break in springs. And PRAY!
Pump up again, not bleed up again@@Hillbillygarage1215
Fun fact 👉 my neighbor has uncontrollable down the leg diarrhea blowouts from worrying about his new comp cam in his 305. He broke it in, now it is starting to tick a little
😂
Tell him it's just the header gasket 😂😂
@MVPisME383 I wish it was, he don't even have headers, it's more than likely a bad cam. Seems to be an epidemic. Who makes quality ones? I probably didn't help, I sent him a package of adult diapers with a Comp Cams sticker on them. He is really mad, doesn't know who sent them. I told him that it was F..ked up that someone sent him that
@@bighank796😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
@@MVPisME383 🤣heh heh, well played...
"Just give it some time to deal itself with all the heat."
Comp gave us two cams for a 3rd gen hemi and we had ordered a ford firing order. We got a ford firing order but they forgot that the ford cyl.numbers are not in the same place. So what we got was a cam that on cyl#6 the intake valve opened near bdc. We never made it to EMC that year. Custom cam no refund , Thank you comp...
failed to provide proper info. your fault
The quality of MOST parts made today is non-existent and it's not just cams and lifters. They are total garbage....and the manufacturers know it but they don't care enough to correct the problems.
Thanks Tony, interesting point about a light load on the tappets. Just a backyard butcher myself. From Australia thanks again.
Built engines professionally for 20 years, averaged 50 engines a year. Won't build any today for anybody and I get still asked, too many junk parts and way high liabilities. The horror stories I could tell . . . . .
I don’t know how companies like Jasper build so many engines and transmission with good warranties. Even though they’re mainly stock replacements I would expect them to have to still get remain parts.
@@NBSV1
Mostly hearsay but I suspect the issues heard recently makes me think it's a big problem for them (and others) also.
One thing to remember is that today you hear of people's issues that wouldn't have made it past the local area, now Internet makes it a worldwide issue.
It is sad. There was a nice machine shop/engine builder where I live that survived dancing around most parts quality problems, but got finished off by covid circus/Great Shutdown, the stupid lead time on parts it caused, and the spike in prices that the war on cheap energy produced. Normally a customer might bear 4-8 weeks in the prior decade, but that became like 4-10 months. Everything from cam blanks to cylinder head castings in supply chain became a question mark, and the price followed - quoting was insane, and completion times became "dunno". Owner closed up and retired.
@@flinch622 yup, I have a 350 block still at my machinist going on 18 months. Should have just bought a crate engine.
@@yurimodin7333 I got to thinking... I better get my parts in hand [long block] next build rather than clog up a machine shop and give them a storage headache.
So you caught the episode of Nick's garage and the pistons good job on both your sides 😮😮❤❤
Yeah man that hole in the piston.... make a grown man wince!
Yep. That piston video was crazy.
I had the exact same problem about 3 years ago with a 429 Ford cam. I bought a flat tappet cam and lifter kit from Melling and installed it as always and added a bottle of zinc addative, and during the breakin period it did the same thing ! So after reading a LOT of blogs I learned it was a common problem due to parts shortages and reputable companies were getting crap parts from foreign countries in an attempt to keep up with demand.
That’s interesting I did the exact thing 5 years ago. 429 with melling flat tappet, zinc additive. Everything went good with mine even without a proper “break in”
@Thunderbird1968 Well, 5 years ago was very early on in the covid era, so maybe they hadn't felt the supply shortages yet ? I'm a 75 yr. old lifelong Ford guy who's done FE's mosly, but a couple 289's and a 351W. Hell I even built an 8BA flathead back in the mid 80's and I never had a cam failure ever. A '79 GMC with a 350 had that problem, but hey, it was GM junk and that's what they do ! So for whatever reason, you lucked out !!
@ yeah that was summer of 2020 so I may have missed that
I only buy NOS BL PARTS OR UNIPART FOR MY Austin Princess 2200 HLS
@Haffschlappe Hmm.. Austin Princess--that sounds like an old one ? I'm 75 now, but when I was 12 my older brother gave me his '48 Austin Cambridge 4 dr. sedan that had seized up from sitting. My friend and I pulled the engine, got it freed up, put it back in, and we raced it around the 6 acres we had. Good memories.
I made a video about a year ago about the same and I took it down because people just didn't believe me, I think I'll put it back up now lol thanks Tony 👍👍👍👍👍
I run QuakerState full synthetic European blend 5W 40 in my Dodge truck with a 360 LA engine. It has over 1000 ppm of zinc in it. @ $22 for a 5 quart jug you can’t go wrong.
UT.. I remember when buying aftermarket parts was higher quality then factory parts. Nowadays, I find myself hunting the wrecking yards for parts hoping to find good factory stuff.
this was even true in the 2000's for german parts. you either $$$ for dealer parts which still were meh, or $ for meyle or other aftermarket crap, or found good parts from original manufacture runs in the junkyard. calipers, bushings, lower / upper control arms, heck even distributor caps.
saw this coming back then, and you know what, all the aftermarket german car parts were from china back then, so the writing was on the wall. it just took 1-2 decades for it saturate all markets now.
I hear ya, I found an old Delco Remy point distributor in a 1968 Pontiac Beaumont with a 327 Chevy and powerglide transmission at a local wrecking yard. I only wanted the distributor but ended up taking the whole powertrain. Did I need it, no.
I was just th8nking the same. Maybe the best practice is use old stuff
@@gordonborsboom7460 everything was so much better then and I mean everything
I have a stash of used oem parts from various junkyards
I learned the hard way. After repairing a 'crank no start' w/ a new fuel pump & regulator, it came back. I don't throw parts at a problem and was in denial that a new part could be bad, so I refered the car else where. How bad you think it sucked to have someone come back to hand you the new pump that you swore wasn't the problem. I had never seen a new part bad out of the box before. Will never forget that day but still catch myself giving a Napa or Carquest part preference when the truth is... they are all junk.
That must be a good cam Tony. You are giving it a hug.
So True man! Comp use to be THE BRAND back in the day......nothing but things you here now/even there Roller stuff.............It is a TRUE labor of Love working on the older engines or parts nowandays....makes me think how I took parts for granted knowing they would be good back in the day compared to now.....bought a Delphi fuel pump for a 77 350 from autozone awhile back and had to drill the mounting holes out to 3/8,s to get the bolts to go through....SAD days we are living in being and ol gearhead.
This man is a well of knowledge id love to meet him and hear about any random stuff that crosses his mind
We are working with engines that were manufactured half a century ago. Source inspection and quality control can spin out of control when Engineering "hand" drawings with notes are updated to CAD drawings & models. Attention to detail on a part drawing is paramount and must have traceability. Things really go bad when parts are outsourced and the units go to metric and notes get misinterpreted. Metal vendors must provide documentation and certification that verifies the quality and origin of their metals. Profits over quality seems to be the the norm.
I have been working for 30 years as a mechanic lifters in one valve cover rockets and push rods in the another wash in varsol cover in regular 10 w 30 and send it. This was standard practice. The good old days 😊
Okay, I have made a decision as of right now and because of watching this I am now convinced that I am going to take a 283 to a scrap yard as soon as possible... A few years ago I bought the engine that needs a rebuild complete with a set of new 60 over pistons and rings and reconditioned rods and a carb and manifold and excetera. How about it knowing someday that I would build a nice smooth running 283 Street motor. I am now retired and was about to take on that project and because of all of this talk about not being able to rebuild an engine without problems now has me non willing to even take the time and money to build an engine. Thank you for helping me make the decision... You saved me all that time money and hassle and I will go to the scrap iron place and sell it all for about 50 bucks... It's sad but true!
If you happen to be around Oklahoma I will be happy to give you 50 bucks for that stuff! I wouldn’t be scared to put it together and try it though. I have started using a couple of saw horses as a test stand to start my motors on and break them in. That way its easy to access everything if it needs to come back apart.
Lost a cam in a 351 about 6 years ago due to this garbage. Terrified to use them now...the problem is i cant afford to keep rebuilding them after this happens.
Thanks, I've heard from way too many people that todays auto parts are not what they used to be. Thanks for sharing.
Just makes me sad! I'm even older than you, Tony and I remembr the good old days when quality control was a given. Even British Leyland in the 70s, a company NOTORIOUS for poor QC was better than what we have now.
I rarely build engines these days, but it so happens I was doing a refresh on a little 1968 1300cc Triumph Spitfire motor this summer. A genuine survivor with all standard size bores and bearings and little appreciable wear.
But amongst the most tired bits was just one of the (flat of course) tappets, which we in the UK call cam followers, where the case hardening on the cam face had started to fail. It wasn't bad enough to have damaged the cam, but I ordered a fresh set of tappets from a reputable supplier. I got the feeling they are NOS from the way they were packed, but, mindful of your experiences, I found myself checking them all for crown on a sheet of glass.
No horror story here, they were all fine but the peace of mind is there now! The guy who owns it is a 30 year buddy of mine who is also a first rate trimmer, I don't want to upset him with a failure!
Understand....I have a 3.5 from my TR-8 all over my bench and I'm afraid to buy lifters...no one seems to make a quality product today
Hey Tony,
Tim here, tryin to build a 400 Pontiac. Just a driver, shud be simple enuf.......like u, I chk'd and re chk'd .....cam won't fit.....get to journal #4.......won't fit......long story short, my machine shop put it on a set of V blocks, with an indicator....... .008 thou of runout on journal # 4............008 of runout!!.....HOLY CRAP!!...NO WONDER IT DONT FIT!!......Comp dude can't believe it, and convinced me to try another......Crower has none, Howards can but it's 12-15 weeks.....Crane doesn't exist.....HOLY CRAP, ITS A SIMPLE 400 PONTIAC!!....MILD CAM, not some huge race dude...NO, regular, NOT EVEN AS BIG AS A RAIV.... holy crap.......yep.....Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and we now have to chk EVERYTHING......I just wanna build a mild, driver 400.... I'm in camshaft hell.....PEACE my brother!!
Just stick a RAIV stock cam in there and send it. There isn’t much that’s better on the aftermarket for the avg guy besides rods.
Most of the cams I installed was back in the 1970s. Put several "Hemi-grind" cams for 318s and 383s. It wasn't really done for performance as much as the lumpy idle.
I would check the cams, once in a while, especially if it was aftermarket.
Never had any cam problems. Biggest difference between yesteryear and today, they didn't use computers. All measurements were done by hand not laser lights, and computer software programs.
@toejam503 I dunno. I think it may be more where those computer laser lights are located and who’s operating the machine.
@@therealR.D.that's really it. The computers and lasers were used for the past 30ish years with reasonable success.
lol I know what your saying about the old days and cams! I put my first high lift Isky cam in my 49 Ford Flathead back in 1961....63 years ago! Lift and duration and in the flathead some adjustable lifters. Simple times back then and for the next 25 years that I built engines.I am older than dirt now and don't twist wrenches anymore but I never stopped increasing my knowledge on all subjects. So I listen and learn perhaps can pass this knowledge on to someone else. Great informative video, loved it!
It isn’t just car parts that are junk today. Take a look at lumber and try to find a straight 2x4. Look at any home appliance and try to get one that lasts past the warranty period. Electronics, forget about it.
Ahh yes and where is everything manufactured - China. There is no quality control. Maybe this is all part of the NWO master plan...
I bought the last mechanically timed Speed Queen washing machine. One year in, it’s good.
My mom’s Maytag had to have replacement shocks put in and they’re going out again. This machine is her third unit in ten years. Junk
Dana "60" Glass. I checked both Kendall, and Pennzoil a few years back, checking what the minimum amount of zinc is needed to maintain a flat tappet cam. Both company techs told me 1200-1250 ppm. Break in 1800 or higher ppm zinc. Shell Rotella only has 850 ppm. Kendall GT1 has 1250 ppm, Valvoline VR 1800 ppm, Lucas Hot Rod oil 2100 ppm. I just felt better running Kendall GT1, or Lucas Hot Rod oil. Personal preference.
I was thinking though the whole video about the hemi piston failure on Nick's Garage and 17 minutes in..... there it is lol.
Yup. We're in a new world alright. Good luck everyone.
Great video 👍
I went from "Machine Shops" building engines to "Speed Shops" in 1982, that is when i learned how to build one "properly" measured EVERYTHING - multiple mockups - and everything in between was checked and checked again, that is why at that time, getting an engine from a "Machine Shop" was roughly half the cost of one from a "Speed Shop"
New Parts failure was very rare but, once in a blue moon one would show up, like 1 in every 20 to 25 engines... since the late 90s parts have gotten MUCH worse.
ZINC and OIL - specifically for the Cam, while the additives that we all loved for flat tappet cam life have been being removed from the oils over the last 25 years, stock - LOW lift profiles are the least effected, " not much spring pressure open, and not much seat pressure, however - once in the MEDIUM lift range ie (above .550") you start getting into some pretty stout open pressures, along with double springs, (not a single with a damper) this is where the Zinc starts making a bigger difference on the longevity of the cam and lifter. Nitriding, since 2000, we have seen many more issues with the hardening process, Nitriding a Cam or Crank is great, if the process is done correctly, it is literally only a few thousandths deep into the surface, so if you regrind a Cam or turn a Crank .010 - .010 the nitriding is gone, not to mention "NEW" parts with soft spots - then there is the actual metallurgy itself, we won't go there... Lets just say in the early 2000s, I could not comprehend some of the garbage i was seeing.
Personal Case Study: In 1999 I spent several months designing a build for my street 440, to make good horsepower on California 91 octane at the pump, the end result in the solid flat tappet cam was a nice medium lift of I.656/E.662 - with double springs, I had an open pressure of about 425# (which isn't too bad) I ran and abused the engine for seven years, and decided to pull the heads and do some port work while looking for wear (refresh if needed) bearings, caps, rods and cam all specs were great, buttoned up but, instead of using VR1 with Zinc that i had been using since i built it - I used something without Zinc, roughly several street races and about the same amount of track bashings later - as part of my oil change routine on my 640hp engine, i always cut the filter open and inspect it, i started to see material, damn... soon after, i tore it apart and found 4 cam lobes missing several thousandths each, Took the Engine apart - cleaned - freshened - rebuilt and replaced the cam with a slightly larger one - using VR1 and Zinc - that was 2009 - no problems since... when ya do it every day for a living and build your own, there are a lot of things we see, that don't necessarily make it to the public - i'm trying to make this short and quick, but between my personal cars and Pro stock - Funny Cars I have worked on, along with nascar style engines over the years, I could write a small book on Oiling and Fuel alone...
True. We pay big prices and yet for example, my second aftermarket rack and pinion is starting to leak within a total of a year and a half total on both of them.
I haven't screamed at cams but I have screamed at my control arm ball joint.
You are 100% correct Tony!
I was there and I was a professional mechanic...
We use to change out cams constantly in the 70's and 80's....Never any problems installing new cams and lifters.
One instance I took a used hp cam from a 454 and put it and its Hydraulic lifters in my 2 bolt 427 390hp big block....never had any problems and never gave it a 2nd thought.
The golden rule was just what you stated....oil rub the cam and insert ....and soak the lifters in a Chock Full of Nuts tin can full of motor oil overnight!
BTW...99% of the time a can of Marvel Mystery Oil would solve any Hydraulic lifter ticking in any car!
I laugh my ass off when I watch these so called RUclips master engine builders convincing these kids that there is nothing wrong with the new flat tappet cams and lifters because they are just installing them and breaking them in wrong!
why did you change them consistantly in the first place ?
Upgrades to HP Cams
Tony, I was also born in 62. Built my first engine in 1979. I remember the articles, machine shop, books, etc. telling me to break in the cam by running it over 2000 rpm for 20 minutes. I also remember getting info from these sources about keeping the lifters on the same lobes if swapping out the cam and lifters.
Vizard threw out a random nugget in a video talking about camshafts that he uses Comp Cams because he can have them harden the cams. That blew my mind that camshafts were not hardened out of the box. I think that is the real difference between now and 20-40 years ago. Not to mention QC issues.
Was watching this on my tv and had to make a comment. My first experience with shitty modern cams was a summit cam in my goodwrench 350. Did everything right and it flattened a lobe.. summit and comp have had bad issues with cams and lifters with case hardening. I will say myself and everyone I know have never had an issue with Elgin and howards cams.. I’ll never own another comp cam ever.. great video Tony
They reduced Zinc because it would clog catalytic converters, thus they went to roller cams. Just the same, I have been using modern synthetic (low Zinc) oil in my flat tappet cam engine for ten years. Once it is broke in, it doesn't matter what you use. Even bad oil now is better than what was available when that engine was built 58 years ago.
I think zinc after break in is more important when valve spring pressures are increased. If it’s a near stock lift cam, it’s probably pretty safe. But, if it’s a high lift cam with an aggressive ramp profile, the extra load on the cam/lifter surfaces needs the zinc.
UT, thanks for understanding that the budget is always a factor!
Thanks Uncle Tony. Always come away from your videos a little bit smarter than before.
Back in the days before zinc additives were common in oil (early 1950's and prior) flat tappet cams lasted just fine, though MOST of those old camshafts were actually case hardened steel forgings running against chilled cast iron lifters. When hardened cast iron camshafts became the norm during the 50's, zinc additives became common in oils, peaking during the 1970's
Back in the 1920's, most everything but the cheap cars like Ford and Chevrolet, ran roller cams !! Yes, my 1927 Hudson Super Six has a factory roller cam.....And insert bearings, too.
The 1930's depression was the first wave of major cost cutting throughout the US auto industry, so roller cams disappeared during the 1930's, even on expensive cars.
Thanks for the shout out, Tony!!!
Eye opener! Wow!
Salute to Old Guys who have experience and give good advice ….things happens, occasionally there’s a bad ‘Friday’ part….
Always a good video… thank you
In 1968, GM made a bunch of changes to their manufacturing processes. We had several "soft" cams in 307s and one in a 396. That was when I learned to atleast put calipers on lobes. In those days we used STP oil treatment on bearing surfaces(including cams) during assembly. Companies don't bother with quality control anymore. That seems to be true in the construction industries too. Good Luck, Rick
STP is 100% pure base oil. It has zero zddp in it. Ask Lake Speed.
100% I got something out of this!! In the very near future I will be building 2 flat tappet engines. One is a bone stock straight 6 for a 65 Mustang and the other is stock appearing performance Pontiac 455 intended for drag racing with the occasional street driving. I haven’t built an engine in nearly 30 years so this subject hits home. Thank you, you likely saved my bacon!!
I have a 455 with about 27,000 miles on it
Hasn't been in a car in 40 years
Outstanding video. I am also an "old timer," having been in the auto repair sector since the early 70s. You are right, other than making certain we had the cam and lifters properly lubed (and pistins, bearingsm ec,) and doing our break-ins properly, we never, ever worried about having a cam lobe(s) getting wiped out, or a lifter getting its face worn into a crown (or worse) within a few minutes ofthe engine being run for the first time. I have a friend with a 68 Road Runner with a 383 that was punched out to 512 cubic inches, and built with some good equipment by the prior owner. The builder made a few bad choices, like with aluminum racing heads not studding the rocker arm shaft retaining bolts - which caused some grief that required us to drill out, helicoil, and stud the thread in the heads for proper securing the rocker shaft mounts. He had aome lifter noise, which is how I got into the rocker shaft issue to begin with. Some of the mounting bolts had backed out (!), one of he Comp Cam high end push rodds had actually jumped out because of how loose the valve train was getting with the bolts backing out and in one case one of the rocker arm shafts actually bent due to the way the rocker shaft was not being properly secured. We got all that fixed up, and I showed him how to adjust hydraulic roller lifters with going to Zero Lash, then going 1/2 - 3/4 turn tighter, slowly to let the lifters bleed off. All was looking good, but a little while leter he began to get some lifter noise again - nit as bad as before, but noticeable. Unfortunately he needed to get his clutch and related work done (he has no tranny jack), so he drove it to a shop to do the clutch work. I am now thinking that once he gets the car back I better take another listen to the valve train and see if perhaps we are getting excessive bleed down also with the Comp Cam hydraulic roller lifters. What you shared was terrifying to hear, but hear it I must. I never would have believed that a newer set of high end roller hydraulic lifters could begin to fail, but now I am no longer that confident.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on that matter. I enjoy your presentations, and nu B.S. approach with auto repair - along with your twisted sense of left handed humor tossed in once in a while. Rock on!
Had a engine guy work on my 468..... Went flat tappet because of $. Dude did everything to spec and the cam failed. They wouldn't stand behind the parts and so we went roller cam and lifters . She runs awesome
Agreed. I am an old tool and die maker with 50+ years. I quit counting on quality long ago and not just the aftermarket. I had a set of main bearings come mixed in size recently. Mixed during packaging from a leading manufacturer. Luckily I noticed. Heat treatment of many cams isn't what it used to be either. Improperly clocked is insane. Watch those valve retainers also.
I remember collecting parts over a couple of years. And then just tossing them in and it worked.
You and I have lived parallel lives, Tony.
Back in the 70’s & 80’s, a cam swap a simple process. Never an issue.
Had a friend who was a few years older than me, out of high school, with a real job, who was trying out new cams all the time. (Called it “the cam of the month club”)
He’d give me his old cams and I throw them in my engines.
Never ever a problem.
G'day Tony,
I was an apprentice in the 80's, and I have to say, in my case, it's yes & no. Most times, I would check parts before I installed them, and other times, the checking wasn't too good. It was tough scraping together $2500 to build an engine, so I checked things. Ring gaps - checked. Striaght pushrods - checked. Cam timing - checked. Does the new Holley carb open up fully - checked, links bent, stops filed, & new gaskets fitted. And yes, running an engine on its initial start was 2500 RPM, for 15 minutes. But, not every time.
I did change lifters in an engine once, and I soaked the lifters overnight, before I put them in. When I took them out, I lined up the timing marks, made sure the distributor was pointing to #1, and the points were starting to open, and took the dizzy out. When I changed the lifters, & put it all back together, it wouldn't start. I had pointed the distributor to #1, but was timing it on #5 (it was a Valiant 265 6cyl). I found the problem, fixed it up, & asked my mate to fire it up for me. The starter spins over, the engine fires right up, then I hear it absolutly screaming. I shouted to my friend; "What are you doing?" He shouts back; "Seven grand!!!" LOL
As for what I look out for these days.... Well, it's been years since I've built an engine, but the one lesson I learned about a dozen years ago is this - Never ever, under any circumstances, do you put any Shell product in a motorcycle. I had used 2 tanks of Shell V-Power in my Laverda, and the fuel fouled the spark plugs. All I can think is that there's something in that fuel which absorbs oxygen, to trick the O2 sensor, so the ECU leans out the fuel map. My bike doesn't have an O2 sensor, so the plugs fouled. It was at that time that my 7,000 RPM friend told me the Shell rule.
Anyhow, thanks for a great video.
Keep up the good work
Andrew
BTW, something did fail on the engine in the first paragraph... The flywheel bolts came loose during a 5,500 RPM dash around a pylon at the car club's gymkhana. Now that was a notorious racing event... LOL
🔔😎
#1) I guess the thing to do is spring for the extra $100 to get the stick nitrided.
#2) Having been a machinist in a race shop there are some lifter bores that are worn enough that the lifter doesnt contact the cam correctly. The lifters probably need more convex. 👍
We always bronze bushed lifter bores in stock Chevy race blocks. Even for roller lifters.
Note: Some engines like BBC and some mopars etc have lifters offset to pushrod centerline causing cockeyed wear.
Pride is gone.
Made in China
ahhhhh taking me back to the old days for sure.... never had to 1/2 the stuff we did and never had any problems. people would have looked at you for "checking" a cam.... now-a-days you might as well get the cam custom cut and blueprinted, it actually saves you in the long run... Now you need to check almost everything you buy, car parts or not, you need to check.
also, i truly believe you get what you pay for... if you go with super cheap parts expect to need to do some extra checking (again car parts or not)....
In early 80's teen age ,young men went to junk yards buy a heavy truck engine, go to machine shop, buy off the shelf parts, making low wages, had good street engines
You can still buy HQ speed parts NOS
Built my first engine in 1972, even back then found cams not indexed correctly. No where near as bad as today, but it did happen so i learned early, alwsys degree the cam.
Tony.. Thank You for helping me ESCAPE Reality.....May you ENJOY the holiday season
When I was in my early 20s , many years ago , didn't know to lube cam lobes during installation , I put the cam and lifters in dry , no lube at all😮 , didn't have a single lifter go bad , although I didn't change the springs , they were stock ink pen springs , possibly saved the cam ? But most likely good metal , nowadays most metal comes from China "Recycled" multi blended cast iron crap
Tony: The day I try to assemble everything correctly similar to the "old timers" is for sure, gone! I envy the mechanic that can install engine parts and build an engine without any mistakes. It's good advice to check everything, such as, engine blueprinting. With out a doubt, I'm down with that, and I don't have the flu! LOL.
Tony! You have a big heart for us poor car guys❤
Shoutout to NICKS GARAGE IN CANADA I watched that bad piston video which proves that quality control is not in effect anymore it costs too much.
Diesel engine oil is superior in zinc concentration, but also in detergents, it will certainly help clean up old engine internals. But diesel's value is limited in motors requiring a super thin oil and can harm catalytic converters.
Quality control is out the window these days .
Made in China
It takes a big man to admit when he doesn't know. It takes honesty to double check and look for your own mistakes.
Yeah! I’ve been there. I could go on about my experience, but I’m not gonna tell you anything that you don’t know already. I’ve had great successes before, but a few recent failures that have left me questioning whether I wanna keep on rebuilding engines
I retired from an auto parts DC after 32 years, mostly as head of the returns/core/warranty dept. 4 years ago. The percentage of defective parts kept increasing so much that I was of the opinion that most of them were either used to diagnose a problem or the mechanic didn't know what he was doing. NOPE, the stuff we were selling was made cheaper and cheaper, mostly from China or Mexico (Spanish China). Fast forward to this fall. I was replacing the clutch in my 84 S-10. I bought a LUK clutch and an ATP fork from Rock Auto. I got the clutch mostly bolted in when I spied a crack in the clutch cover adjacent to rivet for a pressure applying spring I looked closer and all 3 places by the rivets were cracked. I uninstalled it and returned it for another one. That one was returned later the same day as it was delivered. It had the same problem. It appeared on both of them that the person that either assembled or inspected them knew they were cracked, as there were buff marks to blend the crack at all 3 places on both. I then ordered a Sachs clutch and all was well, or so I thought. The clutch kit was fine. I installed the kit and the new clutch fork and tried for over an hour, with a helper to install the transmission, but the throw out bearing kept slipping from the fork. I had to pull the bell housing again (not an easy job due to firewall interference with the top 2 bolts) and I found that the new ATP clutch fork was 1/4 inch too short. Wonderful quality control! I used the original fork and all is well. Rock Auto customer service is to be commended, no problems with returns or credits, but are they buying seconds from the factory, or is it just the luck of the draw?
I'm young, 28. I bought a project car 71 LTD Convertible for $1500. I'm going through the process of rebuilding the engine and yes, I had to decide if I wanted to go roller or flat tappet. I decided to stick with flat tappet because I didn't want to spend the value of the car on a roller cam and lifters. That money would be better spent elsewhere.
From the late 50s till late 70s the only cam we had trouble with was Isky. Known for flat cams back then. The seemed to step up their work since then.
Remember working night shift extrusion shop.
Changed cam had to weld bolt to remove lifter.
Got it done +put out quality production for Vinyl Therm 82nd and Grand Bloomington Minnesota.
You bring memories to my mind kid.
Thank you!!! Just bought an 86 350. Have been out of it since the 90s. Planning on teaching my son
Just went through this with a 350 build. I'm about the same age as you and totally relate to what your saying about how we used to do things. First I am a retired ASE mechanic. and while doing a refresh on a early 90's GM 350 I put a set of bearings (rods and mains) from a long time respected manufacturer in the block. I did not mic or Plastigauge as the bearings that came out were fine and I just wanted to do a quick freshen up. Well less then 5000 miles and I have a slight knock when the oil thins out. My fault for not checking but did this hundreds of times 30 years ago. Now I'm replacing the crank and you can bet everything is being checked...
I'm a mechanic and I go through the same thing Tony I understand brother
You're absolutely correct on all points, especially the AMC 4.0L. I was young, had a 2001 Jeep TJ that had intermittent lifter tick,( a lot of it at times) . I just bought 12 Federal Mogal lifters and tossed em in. Didn't measure a thing. Reused the factory cam too. But, I did leave the valve cover off while breaking in the cam and had to wait longer than 20 minutes until they all began to spin in the lifter bore. If I didn't watch and just threw it together and followed the directions, at least 4 lobes would have been wiped out. Never had a tick after though, just got lucky, I guess....
Totally true! The amount of new parts that are junk right out of the box nowadays is astounding!
I've not installed a fresh cam since 2018. My buddy however wiped out two comp XE line cams with solid lifters before finally ending with the third that lived. His poor 305 saw so much metal run through it. It had just chunked a rod before he threw the first cam in.
My brother bought a comp cams cam & lifters for his Ford 460. He's 19, he was building his first engine, trying to do something cool. Installed the engine in the truck, had moly break in lube on the lobes and lifter faces, fired it right up, halfway through break in, it ate 3 lifters. It turned him off, he won't open an engine anymore.
I went to put a fuel pump on a simple old small block Chevy last week.
The threads on the hard line had garbage in them. I caught that and cleaned them out.
I installed it and the hard line leaked like crazy.
Threads were not machined far enough for the flare to seat.
Junk outta the box.
Removed it. Returned it. Checked another pump at the parts store before taking it. Same issue.
Crazy.
Bought a different brand.
Had a string of issues like this in the last 5/10 years.
Great video, a lot of us are probably wish we would’ve saw this 20 some years ago. Most of the things that you mentioned I’ve had happened to me in my building processes like you said it was very confused when it first started happening. It is truly amazing to me with the modern technology why this is even happening. Anyway, thank you.
Uncle Tony mentioning Nick from nicks garage about the failed piston.tabernac!
i like the light-weight of the flats , i had some crain anti-pump up hyds back in 90 that would make really run hard-- i that was the last flat tappet screamer and that was back in the 90s , it would get quite crazy RPM-- never had any problems with that mill--