535 supercharged first time start up?

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What are your valve springs set up at for pressure and installed height?
 
I always brake in solid flat tappet cams in Without the inner springs in, then install them later.
 
I always brake in solid flat tappet cams in Without the inner springs in, then install them later.
What are your spring pressures ? My last solid flat tappet was broken in with both springs and damper @ 175 on the seat 460 lbs over the nose.
It only has one spring. It has a enter retainer
It sure sounds like the lifter wouldn't spin in the bore. With the single springs if they're correct they shouldn't hinder rotation.
Was that a edm hole I saw in your lifter ?
 
I just wonder why it was only one lifter. Oh well, I need to make a decision on my next course of action
If you want to put another hydraulic cam and lifters I suggest get Howard's/Hughes and get their edm lifters. You can check the lifters for rotation when you install the new stuff. Also I would put one of the lifters you have in that bore and see if it has any resistance that way you can determine it's either a burr in the bore or the lifter had some machining issues.
I know the lifter that went bad probably had burr on it which made it difficult.
The shitty thing is this is very common that one lifter will all the sudden flatten a lobe. Chicken or the egg situation unless you measure taper and crown in those parts.
 
You will need to purchase some other stuff if you go the roller route, adjustable rockers, oil pump drive, and whatever else.
 
What are your spring pressures ? My last solid flat tappet was broken in with both springs and damper @ 175 on the seat 460 lbs over the nose.

It sure sounds like the lifter wouldn't spin in the bore. With the single springs if they're correct they shouldn't hinder rotation.
Was that a edm hole I saw in your lifter ?
Yes
 
There was a little hole in the bottom of the lifter

PXL_20230530_213902655.jpg
 
What are your spring pressures ? My last solid flat tappet was broken in with both springs and damper @ 175 on the seat 460 lbs over the nose.

It sure sounds like the lifter wouldn't spin in the bore. With the single springs if they're correct they shouldn't hinder rotation.
Was that a edm hole I saw in your lifter ?
Sorry I misread. There was no hole in the lifter to start with. That's what I found when I pulled the lifter out a tiny pinhole. It wore down pretty good
 
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Sorry I misread. There was no hoe in the lifter to start with. That's what I found when I pulled the lifter out a tiny pinhole. It wore down pretty good
Oh okay, if you want flat tappets to last definitely think about edm lifters
 
So not 100% sure of all the details, but it looks like you need a new cam and lifters.

I've had good success with new cam run-ins and the following is what I do. I run oil with anti-wear additives, I use VR-1 because it seems to be the least expensive that has the properties, and I break in new flat tappet cams with the lifter faces coated with Moly paste, Isky or Crane brand, and just that oil, or sometimes with pint of additional break-in additive like the JB product, and have good success in both cases.

First I make sure it's static timed to fire with a good amount of advance and use a known good carb with curb idle set to a min of 2k rpm. I fire it and make sure I've got oil pressure, check the timing with a light and set to at least 15deg adv, watch the temp, and work the throttle between 2k and 4k rpm for half an hour, then dump the oil and filter and inspect for debris, check/adjust the valves if adjustable rockers and then install new oil and filter, adjust the carb and take it for it's first drive.

Assuming the motor specs are right, bearing clearances, free lifers in the bores, etc., you can have good success with a flat hyd, or if you are willing the to buy the adjustable valve train, solid lifters and cam, but the initial break-in is essential for any flat tappets, and even if I when I run roller lifters I do the same for an overall health check for a new motor.
 
I checked with my cam guy today. He said that my springs should be a 125 pounds and the ones I have now are 110. So he's going to sell me some inner springs that are 15 pounds. And get me a roller cam and lifters. That doesn't seem like very much. But he said to run the roller lifters it only needs to be 125 lb
 
You will need to purchase some other stuff if you go the roller route, adjustable rockers, oil pump drive, and whatever else.
The cam guy said all I would have to do is add a 15 lb inner spring to make it 125 lb and that would be sufficient for roller lifters using the stock rocker arm assembly with the correct sized push rods.
 
I just went through a lifter scare with my fresh Ford 400 build. I spent a lot of money on Crower Cam Saver lifters and built the engine with those. On startup, everything seemed to go well, but I could hear some light valve train noise. Since I was in the middle of break in, I didn't cut it off, but went ahead with the break in.

As far as cam lobe and lifter face wear, it went well. The lifters though were noisy when the engine got up to temp. I tried different preload settings, to no avail. So I searched around for another set of lifters. I ended up going with the cheapest Melling lifter ($4.99 ea.) from Summit. I installed them and held my breath and started it back up for another break in. Amazingly, I was successful and now the engine has probably close to 1500 miles on it and is quiet as can be cold or hot.

All I can figure is, somehow, the valving in the Crower lifters was defective. Sometimes the newest and shiniest thing ain't the best.
 
It's a punch in the gut feeling....lol so now that I am gonna try the roller hyd lifter route....do you know what my preload I believe it is that I need to add to my push rod measurement. I am running the stock rocker arm assemblies.
 
I just talked to my cam guy again and he said to measure the pushrod length and add 15,000. Does it sound right
If he says it I'm sure he knows what he's talking about and yes that would preload the lifter.
Hes saying .015 thousandths
 
I noticed a couple of maybe issues on my valve stems. Not sure what to make of it. It could have been already like that from the machine shop. Not sure

PXL_20230603_122104908.jpg


PXL_20230603_122120751.jpg


PXL_20230603_122143346.jpg


PXL_20230603_122148472.jpg
 
That's my question. The first pick shows the rocker arm correspond into the valve in question The very top tip is smooth and square, but I have two of those that are beveled like that. For some reason the bevel is smooth as well by the looks of the rocker arms. I don't how it happened or what caused it
 
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