Lunati Cam Noise

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bobscuda67

bobscuda67

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I changed out my cam to a Lunati VooDoo 702 cam kit last winter and it seems to have a lot of valve train noise.
Its a 340 with magnum heads on it so the rockers are 1.6 ratio. And I'm using small block Chevy style Crane aluminum rockers with Comps guide plates. The intake valve's lift is .525 and the exhaust is around .510. I have adjusted the rockers a few times but there still noisy.
Is it something I should be looking into or is it considered normal and I need to get use to it?
I'm also using 10w30 Mobil 1 oil and have good pressure.
 
I have the 703 cam in my 340 Duster with stock X head and rockers.
It is quiet.
 
I've got the 704 Lunati cam in the 340 in my Duster with Crane ductile iron adjustable rockers, 1.5 ratio. That puts the lift as advertised at .513/.533. It's definitely not the quietest running valve train I've heard, although I wouldn't say it's crazy noisy either. I've adjusted the valves a few times, doesn't seem to make a big difference as long as I'm in the typical range. It's not as loud as a solid lifter set up, but I definitely adjusted the valves a couple times shortly after break-in "just to make sure" I had them right because of the amount of noise it was making. I run aluminum valve covers too and I think that amplifies the sound a bit.

The lunati's have a pretty fast ramp, I think that makes for a bit more noise than a slower ramp cam just because of how fast everything is opening and closing. I also think how much noise they make is pretty subjective, what I think is noisy someone else might think is quiet and somebody else might think is normal.

Does the Mobil 1 oil have enough zinc? I use Brad Penn 10-40 in mine, runs about 60 psi for pressure when warm but I've got a high volume pump.
 
I have a lot of oil at the rockers and I have 45 psi at a hot idle in gear with a standard pump. Everytime I removed a valve cover there is oil dripping off the retainers.
As far as Mobil1 having enough ZDDP, does anyone know for sure. I've heard arguments on both sides. I broke the cam in on VR1 10w30 and it didn't change when I switched to the Mobil1 synthetic.
The springs are Hughes 1110 with 120 on the seat and 300 at lift. I emailed there tech and they said they would be fine.
I'm thinking that the 1.6 ratio and the guide plate setup is most of the noise generator.
I also have Lunati's standard lifters that came with the kit so they might be a little noisy too.
 
I have run Mobil 1 synthetics for well over a million miles since the mid 70's and raced on it a lot. I am sold on it, and it has indeed saved 2 race engines for me. BUT I have not found it to be particularly good for quiet lifter operation or to lower valvetrain wear in any significant way. (It SLASHES bore and piston wear like crazy however!) I doubt that oiling is the problem based on your description and the way synthetics typically work.

However, that 10W30 weight of Mobil 1 does not have the desired level of ZDDP, which would be above 1100 or 1200 PPM. It is in the 900 PPM range. See here:
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/us/pvl/files/pdfs/mobil-1-oil-product-specs-guide.pdf

So you might want to change that oil.
 
BTW, my son has a 340 a Crane Z-268-2 cam, and it it quiet as can be with Mobil1 15W50, and Brad Penn 10W30, in it. We have had PRW 1.6 AL needle rockers and now Hughes 1.6 rockers in it with no difference in noise. Lift is in the .485/.505 range IIRC. His 340 has about the same hot idle pressure as you report.

That cam is a slower ramp. But, I am not sure why the ramp rate would make a difference as long as the lifters are not being collapsed during the uplift (seems improbable).

His 340 uses the LA style rocker shaft system. So you may be right on the guide plates; I have to wonder if the pushrods are just flexing and whacking the guide plates. Any signs of contact on the pushrods? Or maybe the rockers studs are flexing and allowing contact. Or the valves are hitting the seats faster....
 
bobscuda67 said:
I changed out my cam to a Lunati VooDoo 702 cam kit last winter and it seems to have a lot of valve train noise.
Its a 340 with magnum heads on it so the rockers are 1.6 ratio. And I'm using small block Chevy style Crane aluminum rockers with Comps guide plates. The intake valve's lift is .525 and the exhaust is around .510. I have adjusted the rockers a few times but there still noisy.
Is it something I should be looking into or is it considered normal and I need to get use to it?
I'm also using 10w30 Mobil 1 oil and have good pressure.
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Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you most likely wiped a lobe or two. I did it last year with one of these cams and it ran fine but was very noisy. I adjusted the valvetrain a few times to no avail. When it started idling weird I knew what it was. 2 wiped lobes. Oil pressure doesn't really tell you jack in most cases. I hope for your sake I'm wrong. J.Rob
 
RAMM said:
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you most likely wiped a lobe or two. I did it last year with one of these cams and it ran fine but was very noisy. I adjusted the valvetrain a few times to no avail. When it started idling weird I knew what it was. 2 wiped lobes. Oil pressure doesn't really tell you jack in most cases. I hope for your sake I'm wrong. J.Rob
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I doubt it. With no other symptoms? Sorry. A little noisy and wiped lobes are two different things. Mine's been "kinda loud" for like 12k miles now.

This is a totally subjective thing. Like I said before, what I consider noisy and what you consider noisy are probably two completely different things. If there's no sign of damage, if there's no metal, rough idle or issues, it's probably just a little noisy.

I have the Lunati lifters too. Not a big fan of them.
 
72bluNblu said:
I doubt it. With no other symptoms? Sorry. A little noisy and wiped lobes are two different things. Mine's been "kinda loud" for like 12k miles now.

This is a totally subjective thing. Like I said before, what I consider noisy and what you consider noisy are probably two completely different things. If there's no sign of damage, if there's no metal, rough idle or issues, it's probably just a little noisy.

I have the Lunati lifters too. Not a big fan of them.
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Naw, the scenario I just described --the cam was whisper quiet and progressively became louder. It didn't fart, miss, pop or give any indication of a cam failure. These Lunati grinds are quiet not like the COMP garbage. If yours has been loud for 12k miles then you either don't have a cam problem (more like pushrods hitting the heads?) or you don't know what a dead cylinder or 2 or 3 sound like. Furthermore maybe you don't know what it "should feel like-power wise" I have had many customers that didn't know when 1 or 2 spark plug wires were off and asking me why it was down on power. Its not that uncommon. J.Rob
 
ITs a hydro, it should not make any cam noise? Do you have your preload correct, contact plus 1/2 turn or whatever your rockers take? Guide plates should not touch either when sitting on a stand or rotating by hand , close but no contact. Are you running hardened pushrods with your hardened plates?
 
Did you do a proper valve tip sweep? And what pushrod length?
Did you actually assemble it, watching lifter preload.....?.....
 
RAMM said:
Naw, the scenario I just described --the cam was whisper quiet and progressively became louder. It didn't fart, miss, pop or give any indication of a cam failure. These Lunati grinds are quiet not like the COMP garbage. If yours has been loud for 12k miles then you either don't have a cam problem (more like pushrods hitting the heads?) or you don't know what a dead cylinder or 2 or 3 sound like. Furthermore maybe you don't know what it "should feel like-power wise" I have had many customers that didn't know when 1 or 2 spark plug wires were off and asking me why it was down on power. Its not that uncommon. J.Rob
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Ok buddy. You want to debate how noisy is noisy with strangers on the internet go right ahead. :realcrazy:

You're right, I don't have a cam problem. There's nothing wrong with my engine at all. And I'm pretty sure, even if I hadn't been driving and working on classics my entire natural life, that my A/F gauge would probably tell me if I was carrying a couple of dead cylinders, or 3. Maybe. Like that might change if I dropped a couple lobes? And if I hadn't assembled the 340 in question and checked all the clearances before I fired it maybe I might worry about the pushrods, but pushrods hitting the heads wouldn't last 12k miles either, they'd bend or they'd make enough clearance not to hit anymore in that time. Or maybe you don't know that. I just thought I'd offer my opinion about the engine in question, knowing damn right well that there's nothing wrong with my engine, and that from a subjective standpoint some people might think it's a little noisy. But that's because it's a 400 hp 340 that's a little high strung, not a Honda.

But by all means, keep arguing about how noisy "noisy" actually is. Have fun.
 
RAMM said:
Naw, the scenario I just described --the cam was whisper quiet and progressively became louder. It didn't fart, miss, pop or give any indication of a cam failure. These Lunati grinds are quiet not like the COMP garbage. If yours has been loud for 12k miles then you either don't have a cam problem (more like pushrods hitting the heads?) or you don't know what a dead cylinder or 2 or 3 sound like. Furthermore maybe you don't know what it "should feel like-power wise" I have had many customers that didn't know when 1 or 2 spark plug wires were off and asking me why it was down on power. Its not that uncommon. J.Rob
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I had a customer change a flywheel from an external to internal at the track, never mention it, ran it probably 100 passes or so and brings it in for a freshen up. The mains are shot and the FW end is like 85 grams out. I call the joker to find out what happened. I asked...didn't the damn thing shake? He says....nope...smoooooooooth as butter.

We all know damn good and well that thing was shaking like a dog pooping peach seeds. He's says its smoooooooth as butter. It hate to see what he calls a shaker.
 
72bluNblu said:
Ok buddy. You want to debate how noisy is noisy with strangers on the internet go right ahead. :realcrazy:

You're right, I don't have a cam problem. There's nothing wrong with my engine at all. And I'm pretty sure, even if I hadn't been driving and working on classics my entire natural life, that my A/F gauge would probably tell me if I was carrying a couple of dead cylinders, or 3. Maybe. Like that might change if I dropped a couple lobes? And if I hadn't assembled the 340 in question and checked all the clearances before I fired it maybe I might worry about the pushrods, but pushrods hitting the heads wouldn't last 12k miles either, they'd bend or they'd make enough clearance not to hit anymore in that time. Or maybe you don't know that. I just thought I'd offer my opinion about the engine in question, knowing damn right well that there's nothing wrong with my engine, and that from a subjective standpoint some people might think it's a little noisy. But that's because it's a 400 hp 340 that's a little high strung, not a Honda.

But by all means, keep arguing about how noisy "noisy" actually is. Have fun.
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Noisy is a fairly subjective term but what I am comfortable with is that these cams are whisper quiet. The Comp cams XE **** is NOT whisper quiet. I know what quiet is and it is certainly my wifes Mitsu and my stepsons Acura--which oddly aren't that quiet by my ear. The Lunati cam line is not the problem--something else is is all I'm saying. Again--the cam profile aint the problem. J.Rob
 
I have those same springs and mine are pretty noisy for a hydraulic setup. Not obnoxiously loud though
 
A couple pics of my valvetrain showing the scrub across the valves lash cap. The wear pattern is ideal across the center of the valve.
The rocker has a left to right movement of a 1/4 inch at the valve and the pushrod has a wear pattern on it.
I just though it would be quieter than what it is.
DSCN0774.JPG
DSCN0777.JPG
 
bobscuda67 said:
A couple pics of my valvetrain showing the scrub across the valves lash cap. The wear pattern is ideal across the center of the valve.
The rocker has a left to right movement of a 1/4 inch at the valve and the pushrod has a wear pattern on it.
I just though it would be quieter than what it is. View attachment 1715082390 View attachment 1715082403
Click to expand...
Not familiar with those but I know on a rail mount set up side to side movement can make for lots of noise and you're saying 1/4 inch. That's a ton of movement.
 
You've probably gotten this sorted out already but thought I'd throw something out. Event though they are magnums and aftermarket, pull a couple of rockers and look at the undersides. It's not unusual for the bottom of the rockers to tap the retainers on the outer edge. (The springs move around more than you'd think at rpm, watch some YouTube videos on this.) You'll notice some shiny in the upper curved section of the rocker. A little grinding on the bottom of the rocker takes care of it. Often it sounds like lifter tick or a minor exhaust leak when it's only one or two. This is really common on LA's when swapping 318, 340, 360 rockers around because we all know "they are the same, right!!!" dan...
 
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