Cam shaft swap and break in 360

[Slantsix64]

Swapping the camshaft out what kind of assembly lube is recommended. Also I heard soaking the lifters in oil the night before helps. Going with the comp cams break in oil. And double roller timing chain. Heads are already off. Also removing the oil pump gear as well. Just going to line up to chain marks to fire it up to 1500 rpm for 15 minutes. Will be priming the oil before start up. Any other tips or suggestions are welcome thanks

 

[Jadaharabi]

Swapping the camshaft out what kind of assembly lube is recommended. Also I heard soaking the lifters in oil the night before helps. Going with the comp cams break in oil. And double roller timing chain. Heads are already off. Also removing the oil pump gear as well. Just going to line up to chain marks to fire it up to 1500 rpm for 15 minutes. Will be priming the oil before start up. Any other tips or suggestions are welcome thanks

I don't think you want to soak the lifters.
When you prime the engine oil it will fill the lifters and preload them against the valve train.
When you prime it be sure to rotate the crank so the rocker arms get lubed also.

 

[nm9stheham]

I have been using moly based cam lubed for about 40 years with always good results. Isky, Crane, and others have this item.

Soaking lifters in oil does not help break-in; it was done in times past for engines to displace the air in the chambers of hydraulic lifters. Some are concerned that it will hold the lifter solidly at start up with the piston in the full up position and could make the valve hit the piston for a high lift cam with limited piston to valve clearance; that may or may not be any issue for your cam/engine. However, it is very likely to make it difficult/ambiguous to see how much lifter preload you have when you torque the rockers down, as it may falsely keep the lifter piston at a higher position than it will be when running.

Higher revs are typically used, up to 2500 RPM. The point is to get the oil pump up to full output and keep it there, to insure the best possible oiling to the cam.

Good deal on the pre-oiling..... be aware that the rockers on each side only receive oil once per crank rotation for about 20 degrees of crank rotation. So you have to find those right spots in the crank rotation if you want to see the pre-oiling getting up to the shafts and rockers.

When you say 'removing the oil pump gear' do you mean the intermediate shaft (that reaches down to the pump)?

 

[318willrun]

Swapping the camshaft out what kind of assembly lube is recommended. Also I heard soaking the lifters in oil the night before helps. Going with the comp cams break in oil. And double roller timing chain. Heads are already off. Also removing the oil pump gear as well. Just going to line up to chain marks to fire it up to 1500 rpm for 15 minutes. Will be priming the oil before start up. Any other tips or suggestions are welcome thanks

I do 1800 rpms, then take it occasionally up to 2800 rpm's and back down, for 20 minutes. Engine assembly lube is good for all the bearings. Make sure you put the cam "break-in" lube on the lobes, and don't be stingy. If your priming the engine, no need to soak the lifters.

• you didn't say the size of cam or spring pressure, so I'll just assume a hydraulic common street cam and springs

 

[prorac1]

Not to thread jack, but perhaps to add to the information in this thread.

What is the total stroke of the plunger in a standard small block Chrysler hydraulic lifter?

What is the preferred lifter preload of above lifter with a mild hydraulic cam?

And how is lifter preload set? Pushrod length?

This is already a very informative thread to those of us who aren't real well versed in Chrysler valve trains.

Thanks. Eric L

 

[Slantsix64]

I have been using moly based cam lubed for about 40 years with always good results. Isky, Crane, and others have this item.

Soaking lifters in oil does not help break-in; it was done in times past for engines to displace the air in the chambers of hydraulic lifters. Some are concerned that it will hold the lifter solidly at start up with the piston in the full up position and could make the valve hit the piston for a high lift cam with limited piston to valve clearance; that may or may not be any issue for your cam/engine. However, it is very likely to make it difficult/ambiguous to see how much lifter preload you have when you torque the rockers down, as it may falsely keep the lifter piston at a higher position than it will be when running.

Higher revs are typically used, up to 2500 RPM. The point is to get the oil pump up to full output and keep it there, to insure the best possible oiling to the cam.

Good deal on the pre-oiling..... be aware that the rockers on each side only receive oil once per crank rotation for about 20 degrees of crank rotation. So you have to find those right spots in the crank rotation if you want to see the pre-oiling getting up to the shafts and rockers.

When you say 'removing the oil pump gear' do you mean the intermediate shaft (that reaches down to the pump)?

Okay cool got it. Yes the intermediate shaft. I will also rotate the crank a could of times as well

 

[318willrun]

Not to thread jack, but perhaps to add to the information in this thread.

What is the total stroke of the plunger in a standard small block Chrysler hydraulic lifter?

What is the preferred lifter preload of above lifter with a mild hydraulic cam?

And how is lifter preload set? Pushrod length?

This is already a very informative thread to those of us who aren't real well versed in Chrysler valve trains.

Thanks. Eric L

I'll let A/J Forms write the book (lol), but the mopar factory hydraulic valve train is pretty forgiving. I've cut heads .040 and never changed a thing, just bolted 'em together. I just make sure the rocker easily wiggles by hand when the valve is closed. Unless you are changing a lot, it's a pretty easy system. Yes, you'd change pushrods to make a change

 

[Plymouth 65]

Molybdenum cam lube and zinc additive in fresh oil. Built lot's of Chrysler small blocks and never had an issue using this combo! 65'

 

[yellow rose]

It's very easy to degree a cam. No way would I install the cam and not degree it.

A little time and effort now will save headaches in the future.

 

[prorac1]

This video by Steve Morris is what taught us how to degree a cam.

Steve makes it very simple and easy to understand. At least for me.

Eric L

 

[70aarcuda]

OH MY GOD...HE BACKED UP THE ENGINE.........LOL

 

[crackedback]

OH MY GOD...HE BACKED UP THE ENGINE.........LOL

LOL... I do that every time I degree a cam... Heresy

Dilly dilly to the pit of misery!

 

[IQ52]

I wouldn't soak the lifters overnight, but I sure would soak the timing chain.

 

[prorac1]

I wouldn't soak the lifters overnight, but I sure would soak the timing chain.

Maybe a stupid question. But why soak the timing chain?

Thanks. Eric L

 

[yellow rose]

I don't like trying to find absolute max lift like he's doing it. Even though the cam turns half of crank speed, I'd rather just subtract .050 off lobe lift and just come to that number and take a reading and then go back to that same number and read the degree wheel again.

 

[yellow rose]

Maybe a stupid question. But why soak the timing chain?

Thanks. Eric L

Because it lets oil soak into the rollers.

 

[IQ52]

Maybe a stupid question. But why soak the timing chain?

Thanks. Eric L

To get oil between all the links and rollers.

 

[Marcohotrod]

why not soak the chain? chains like oil, and they do not receive pressurized oil, only splash. on fire up day - have gas in the carb , leave the radiator cap off, prime the pump, put break in lube on the cam gear, rotate the crank to 15 degrees before top dead center cylinder #1 on the compression stroke, drop distributor in with the rotor pointing to the #1 wire on the cap. pump the carb and hold the throttle at about 1/4 throttle and vary the rpm from about 1800 to 2500 rpm for 20 minutes

 

[IQ52]

I completely cover the timing chain in a break-in oil bath for hours, and stir the chain around in the oil bath every once in a while. If not stirred, I just leave it overnight in the oil bath. About a hour before I time the cam, I pull the chain from the oil bath and let it drain on paper towels.

 

[nm9stheham]

What is the total stroke of the plunger in a standard small block Chrysler hydraulic lifter?

What is the preferred lifter preload of above lifter with a mild hydraulic cam?

.120" is a safe number to use for a lot of common lifters of this era design. They can have more, but you can usually get that, no problem. The whole point is to have a generous range from the nominal position of the lifter piston to allow for variations in production parts. If you mill the heads and don't adjust this, then you are counting on using up some of that extra preload 'range'.

How much is good is somewhat a matter of preferenece. For just street running, anywhere in middle of range is fine... and in reality anywhere in the total range is OK. But, if you milled the heads for example, and one of the lifters ended up right near the bottom of its range, then something like expansion might make it hang the valve open a bit.

One performance reason to try for less is that if you rev it and the valves float, then a smaller preload limits how much the valves will be held open when the float stops and the valves try to sit on the seats again. The valves/springs will push the excess oil out of the lifters and settle back on the seats more quickly with less preload. Preload numbers of .020" to .050" seem common.

Pushrod lengths, rocker shaft position, and adjusters are the typical way to set this.

 

[Slantsix64]

.120" is a safe number to use for a lot of common lifters of this era design. They can have more, but you can usually get that, no problem. The whole point is to have a generous range from the nominal position of the lifter piston to allow for variations in production parts. If you mill the heads and don't adjust this, then you are counting on using up some of that extra preload 'range'.

How much is good is somewhat a matter of preferenece. For just street running, anywhere in middle of range is fine... and in reality anywhere in the total range is OK. But, if you milled the heads for example, and one of the lifters ended up right near the bottom of its range, then something like expansion might make it hang the valve open a bit.

One performance reason to try for less is that if you rev it and the valves float, then a smaller preload limits how much the valves will be held open when the float stops and the valves try to sit on the seats again. The valves/springs will push the excess oil out of the lifters and settle back on the seats more quickly with less preload. Preload numbers of .020" to .050" seem common.

Pushrod lengths, rocker shaft position, and adjusters are the typical way to set this.

So i ran into an issue while pulling out the camshaft i chipped a piece of the camshaft bearing off. Its only one bearing and its the first one towards the timing chain. so there is a special removal tool and installation tool? ill post a picture of it in a bit.

 

[318willrun]

So i ran into an issue while pulling out the camshaft i chipped a piece of the camshaft bearing off. Its only one bearing and its the first one towards the timing chain. so there is a special removal tool and installation tool? ill post a picture of it in a bit.

How in the world did that happen? How big a piece? If that happened to that one, did you nick the rest of the bearings?

 

[Slantsix64]

.

 

[toolmanmike]

So i ran into an issue while pulling out the camshaft i chipped a piece of the camshaft bearing off. Its only one bearing and its the first one towards the timing chain. so there is a special removal tool and installation tool? ill post a picture of it in a bit.

Yes there is a special tool. Pictures of the chip?

 

[Slantsix64]

no just the first one. the chip is next to the bottom bolt