Comp Cam/lifter failure

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toolmanmike

toolmanmike

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A buddy developed a tick in his low mile 440 and found this. Obviously the lifter wasn't turning in it's bore but he was able to remove it easily with a magnet. He read on the net that others have had the same issue possibly caused by the cam not being ground with the proper bevel to make the lifter spin. Anyone have the same issue or heard of it happening? I know Comp has had a lot of cam and lifter issues in the past few years. I don't have a photo of the cam lobe but I can't imagine it isn't damaged as well.

View attachment 1715987415

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toolmanmike said:
A buddy developed a tick in his low mile 440 and found this. Obviously the lifter wasn't turning in it's bore but he was able to remove it easily with a magnet. He read on the net that others have had the same issue possibly caused by the cam not being ground with the proper bevel to make the lifter spin. Anyone have the same issue or heard of it happening? I know Comp has had a lot of cam and lifter issues in the past few years. I don't have a photo of the cam lobe but I can't imagine it isn't damaged as well.

View attachment 1715987415

View attachment 1715987416

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Sure looks to me like there's a pattern of the cam lobe wearing on the outside more, no spinning of lifter. But I can't say if that's the cause or the effects
 
I have a Crane lifter worn just like that and about 3/16" deep. Cause was too much lift, retainer hit the guide, bent the push rod. It only takes one to ruin things. Better look it all over and check clearances, push rod length, correct lifter load, rocker geometry, etc.
 
Seen too many like that, Comp had a real problem a few years ago .
I won't use anything Comp anymore, not for near a decade .
I've had the opportunity to freshen some of the engines from years ago, and I was shocked at the near terminal wear on some valve train parts .
 
It's unfortunately very evident that this type thing is due not only to operator error, but also inferior parts. It's a real shame. I remember when you could get a Melling cam and lifter kit from NAPA for 69 bucks and it said right on the box MADE IN USA.
 
QuickDart360 said:
Go with racer brown or Howard's cams. Comp cam are not good.
Click to expand...
What some people may not know is that Comp Cams has a little more than HALF of the Mopar camshaft and lifter market. They alone sell more cams than all other competitors combined.
This means that since they sell in greater numbers, they will have more failures simply due to the sale numbers they have.
This is not excusing them. They make quality parts but some junk does slip through.
I bought a cam in 2018 that had jagged edges on several lobes like it was ground to spec but not checked for quality control.
In 2006 I had 2 of their XE285HL cams crap out.
The absolute best insurance you can have is GOOD oil. NO additives, just dedicated high performance oil. It has been reported that pour-in additives add nothing of value and can conflict with the additive components in the oil you're using.
Brad Penn.
Joe Gibbs.
Valvoline VR 1.
NO detergents either...I made the mistake of using this oil:

37 R.JPG
38 R.JPG


Synthetics are good, right? ZDDP too? It must be great oil.

39 R.JPG


Uhh, what is this?

40 R.JPG


The SN, SM and SL designation are HIGH detergent specs.
The oil had ZDDP but the detergent scrubbed it off the parts instead of letting it stay in place and protect the metal. This oil led to this:

87 R (2).JPG


85 R_LI.jpg



10 lobes all failing at slightly different rates. No change in valve lash settings led to this. I ran VR 1 for years but switched to this oil in March 2021. I've driven about 1600 miles in that time and this happened.
 
Kern Dog said:
What some people may not know is that Comp Cams has a little more than HALF of the Mopar camshaft and lifter market. They alone sell more cams than all other competitors combined.
This means that since they sell in greater numbers, they will have more failures simply due to the sale numbers they have.
This is not excusing them. They make quality parts but some junk does slip through.
I bought a cam in 2018 that had jagged edges on several lobes like it was ground to spec but not checked for quality control.
In 2006 I had 2 of their XE285HL cams crap out.
The absolute best insurance you can have is GOOD oil. NO additives, just dedicated high performance oil. It has been reported that pour-in additives add nothing of value and can conflict with the additive components in the oil you're using.
Brad Penn.
Joe Gibbs.
Valvoline VR 1.
NO detergents either...I made the mistake of using this oil:

View attachment 1715987520 View attachment 1715987521

Synthetics are good, right? ZDDP too? It must be great oil.

View attachment 1715987522

Uhh, what is this?

View attachment 1715987523

The SN, SM and SL designation are HIGH detergent specs.
The oil had ZDDP but the detergent scrubbed it off the parts instead of letting it stay in place and protect the metal. This oil led to this:

View attachment 1715987524

View attachment 1715987525


10 lobes all failing at slightly different rates. No change in valve lash settings led to this. I ran VR 1 for years but switched to this oil in March 2021. I've driven about 1600 miles in that time and this happened.
Click to expand...
Wow. Good observation.
 
I’ve removed two cams from motors that had lifters that looked like that.
One was an Edelbrock cam from a SBC that only had one lifter like that.
The other was a “white box special”(no name/no numbers on it) that had a few like that, that I took out of a 360.
I never checked the one out of the SBC, but the one from the 360 had almost no lobe taper.

The lifter in the OP looks like it never rotated........ which should have been picked up during the valve train assembly process.
There’s obviously no problem with the hardness of the cam or lifters, or the oil being used.
If there were, there’d be a hole in the lifter.

The amount of lobe taper for a typical performance cam is .0015-.0020.

A couple years ago I had a customer with a 455 Pontiac who had a rod bearing issue on a rebuild at about 50 miles.
Pulled the motor apart and discovered a lobe going away on the new summit cam.
He brought it over and I mounted it up in the lathe and checked the lobe taper. None of the lobes had more than .0010”.

I had a Comp ground for it, and had it nitrided.
It had .0020” lobe taper....... and I had him verify lifter rotation during assy(all rotated), no problems with that one.

4BD013E2-FF59-4495-97B8-D77F1285DE8A.jpeg
 
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I was taught to make a few strokes of the lifter bores with a brake hone, after checking size, to help insure rotation .
Hope it helps someone .
 
Kern Dog said:
What some people may not know is that Comp Cams has a little more than HALF of the Mopar camshaft and lifter market. They alone sell more cams than all other competitors combined.
This means that since they sell in greater numbers, they will have more failures simply due to the sale numbers they have.
This is not excusing them. They make quality parts but some junk does slip through.
Click to expand...


:bs_flag:


Every operator that runs a machine has to do their proper check parts to ensure quality... If they do their proper check parts and react accordingly to the data, they will have 99.96% good parts, or .04% defective parts...

It's simple SPC (Statistical Process Control)...

Plus if they DO find any defective parts, they can quarantine that batch and 100% inspect them on their gauges to find any bad parts and keep them from getting out the door...

Either the operators are lazy and not doing their proper check parts at the designated intervals and reacting to the data, or their management is not allowing them to shut down the machine to make the proper adjustments to keep the process in control...

Sometimes management pushes output vs quality and this is what you get... They want to keep their production numbers up vs trying to put out a quality part... Numbers become more important than quality to make them look better on paper to the executives and stock holders...
 
inertia said:
I was taught to make a few strokes of the lifter bores with a brake hone, after checking size, to help insure rotation .
Hope it helps someone .
Click to expand...
Yep, that was done by the machine shop.
 
I have only used the mopar performance cams. 1st was a 280 then went straight to the 292 purple cam. Never any cam or lifter related issues. Funny how in the past people here would say how bad mopar cams were. If only they were still readily affordable!
 
Hey Mike, I had a Comp lifter to that exact thing awhile back. Thought for sure I posted some pictures here on the site but unable to find them. I believe it was around 2019. I caught it a little earlier by the looks of that pic. After inspecting the cam real good I decided to throw another set of lifters in and run a complete break in cycle. Have had zero issues since.
 
inertia said:
I was taught to make a few strokes of the lifter bores with a brake hone, after checking size, to help insure rotation .
Hope it helps someone .
Click to expand...
Yes sir. I always do it.
 
QuickDart360 said:
I have only used the mopar performance cams. 1st was a 280 then went straight to the 292 purple cam. Never any cam or lifter related issues. Funny how in the past people here would say how bad mopar cams were. If only they were still readily affordable!
Click to expand...
I've always liked them. They've never been as affordable as anything else, but I've never had one go bad. I'd LOVE to find a .528 cam for my next slant 6 build. FAT chance. lol
 
QuickDart360 said:
I have only used the mopar performance cams. 1st was a 280 then went straight to the 292 purple cam. Never any cam or lifter related issues. Funny how in the past people here would say how bad mopar cams were. If only they were still readily affordable!
Click to expand...

I’m pretty sure the cam pictured in post 13 is a MP528 cam.
 
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