New cam...loud clacking lifters. ???

Absolutely......it would just be of some surprise to me to see that type damage done from such a mild cam. Just goes to show how important checking those clearances is to every single application. It should never be taken for granted.


Lift is relevant along with duration. the cam that did the damage you see in the pic I posted was a Lunati 60302. Intake valves hitting. That valve had 265/220 duration with a .475" lift and 112 LSA. The cam in question is a Comp XE268 268/224 duration .477" lift with a 110 LSA. Its not looking good.

I would see if you can pull some plugs and get the piston at or near TDC and take a peak thru the plug hole and see if you can see any marks on the piston tops. You have to remember, when you rolled it over before it ran, the lifters were fully collapsed and you would not have had any binding. This is why you use a shimmed up hydraulic lifter to check Piston to valve issues. You bent 4 P/R running break-in, NOT GOOD.