Lunati camshaft keyway/woodruff key?

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rumblefish360

rumblefish360

I have escaped the EVIL Empire State!
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OK, getting back into building engines after a way long break, I go and get myself a Lunati Hyd. Roller cam for the wife's new toy. ('67 Cuda)
I started with a non Magnum roller 360 block.

The cam is part number 20200711, grind VDSC-270,
271-279, (@.050 219-227) - .515/.530 on a 112.

Now here is th issue, the standard MP woodruff key is to long. The snout of the cam is shorter than a LA cam I have laying around. I figured my machinist might have the key for the cam, but he did not and couldn't find one via his phone, books and the quick net search.

The key size is .520 long by 3/16 wide (or .1875 wide.) not to sure of the exact height since I had the cam but not the gear.

Anybody have an issue like this?

Would this short snout be a Magnum short snout cam?
Would a Magnum woodruff key work.
(Dealer part number, 6029411 for a 5.9 Magnum engine.)
Dealer told me they can not get them.
(Hate this dealer in particular.)
 
Magnum engines did not have a snout, they had electric fuel pumps and no snout, no fuel pump eccentric...

You can go to a local Ace Hardware in the fastener aisle there is a drawer with "woodruff keys" that you can find them in different widths and lengths. If worse comes to worse, get one the right width and grind it down to the proper length on a bench grinder....
 
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Here's the box from the ones I bought for stock LA cams, if they won't work, they have other lengths or grind one down:

DSC07148 B.jpg


DSC07150 B.jpg


DSC07153 B.jpg
 
I'd contact Lunati. I have their 10200701 hydraulic flat tappet cam in my 318, and I am quite happy with it. I just used the woodruff key out of my old cam, and it fit perfectly... As to your machinist, why the hell can't he mill a little off the end(s) so it would fit? Sounds like he needs an asswhipping!
 
krazykuda said:
Here's the box from the ones I bought for stock LA cams, if they won't work, they have other lengths or grind one down:

View attachment 1714947005

View attachment 1714947006

View attachment 1714947007
Click to expand...

Rob, I used these keys on LA and a 91 360 - the year before magnum, and they work on both cams - the nose is the same.

I don't think that the "magnum keyway" that the dealer looked up and says is no longer available would be any different from the stock keyway that fits from 64 - 91 cams with 'snouts'...

I know this because Hughes sent me a magnum cam without a snout when I told them I wanted a snout. They said that they didn't have the snout one in stock, so they sent me a magnum cam without a snout and then their under-designed, piece-of-****, band-aid "snout extension" for an extra $30 instead of sending me the proper cam. I had to fix their snout extension and grind a custom key way from a longer one to make this set-up work. That is why I won't buy from Hughes any more....
 
Ottmundr said:
I'd contact Lunati.
As to your machinist, why the hell can't he mill a little off the end(s) so it would fit? Sounds like he needs an asswhipping!
Click to expand...
First thing I did was call Lunati and received there typical response they share with so many other places. You know the line.

As to my machinist, why would he need an *** whooping?
As to why he can not kill the key down is he doesn't have the engine, I do. My machinist did the short block and that's it.

Oh, I normally assemble my own stuff. I'm just a bit shy on free space. That's why he got the short block job.
 
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Carl, thanks for the tip. I am a bit rusty since I haven't done an engine in 15 years. Old hat fits a little loose. (LOL!)

I have not had a Lunati cam before nor have I opened up a Magnum engine for a cam change. About 7 or so years ago, I did a timing chain replacement on one but failed to take not of what that cam snout looked like.

The hardware store keys held up under stress OK? I did find stainless steel keys. I'd rather a stronger steel. I don't want to sheer the key. While it isn't under a boat load of stress, it does see a good bit of it.
 
That part # is for a Retro-Fit Hydraulic Roller and should have the long snout for fuel pump eccentric.
 
And here is the comparo pictures. 1 roller, 1 Hyd.
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
Ottmundr said:
I'd contact Lunati. I have their 10200701 hydraulic flat tappet cam in my 318, and I am quite happy with it. I just used the woodruff key out of my old cam, and it fit perfectly... As to your machinist, why the hell can't he mill a little off the end(s) so it would fit? Sounds like he needs an asswhipping!
Click to expand...


Why would the machinist spend shop time to mill down a woodruff key? At $100.00/ hr that would be expensive and stupid. The customer can grind it down himself or get to the hardware store.
 
Lol, exactly. They gave me a few keys to grow me myself. Before I got the chance, they called and told me he found some that should work and ordered them up.
 
I ain't!!!!

Just getting back into things and using new stuff. Teething pains again. Nothing more. My guy has had engines in the winner circle before I was out of junior high. He still has drivers winning with his engines as of last week. I'm good with him. Father and son team.
 
rumblefish360 said:
I ain't!!!!

Just getting back into things and using new stuff. Teething pains again. Nothing more. My guy has had engines in the winner circle before I was out of junior high. He still has drivers winning with his engines as of last week. I'm good with him. Father and son team.
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My posts were for the guy that wanted to whoop some machinist ***. I knew you were good with him.
 
Yep! Knew that but that is for sayin anyway. Just figured I'd throw an additional 2 cents in.
 
We just used a standard steel Dorman key on my son's 340 cam. Nothing special, and being a flat tappet of about the same lift, it sees as much or more stress.
 
So a standard Dormen cam key fits the above smaller key Lunati camshaft?
 
I don't know that point. I was just sayin' that the material strength was adequate. Dorman makes quite a variety of sizes. You can find the HELP kits of Dorman keys a lot of places.
 
OK thanks. I was looking for a key for the Lunati key way which is smaller.
You drag race that vehicle then?
 
No, just street for this engine. Rally is my racing venue. Not sure that it matters.... the engine and key don't know where it is.
 
OK, ummm, do you "Ralley" that car with the Dorman woodruff key?
 
rumblefish360 said:
OK, ummm, do you "Ralley" that car with the Dorman woodruff key?
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No.... Is there a point being made or asked here? If it helps, every rally engine I've run has been 4 cylinders and used stone stock keys in cranks and cams. Running up to 8k RPM regularly on the Opels, and 6.5K RPM on the Mistubishi and Toyota engines. Moderate hi-performance spring pressures (300 lbs open) and .440 to .500+ lifts. Thousands and thousands of full bore racing miles have been run this way, and that puts more total, long term loading that the average street/strip use would ever see. So I don't worry a lot about key strength, BUT I am not running 500-700 lbs open spring pressures either. I would expect rollers to lower the key loading somewhat, if that is a factor.
 
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Honestly it is two fold.

1; Curious about your ride and race effort.

Now, not to be ungrateful...
Or sound like I'm an *** or trying to be an ***....

2; The other thing, the point I'm getting to is, your mentioning parts that you use that I can not use and have said so in the thread in the beginning.

So what's your point to mention that you use stock parts on your stuff that I can not use and also do not fit what I have.

I need some help.

How have you helped? What am I missing?
 
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