83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

What were you using on the cams if you weren't using a moly cam break in lube (I don't know of anything else that will work, but I'm still curious)?

406 S10 Man

iTrader: (1)

I used whatever crap lube came in the boxes. It was red and thin.

CashMunson

iTrader: (1)

maybe the destroyed lifters broke the first cam, sounds to me like you should have used moly lube instead of the red ****. I would say lube error not product error.

406 S10 Man

iTrader: (1)

That is what I think too, but the lube came with the cam! I used some moly from NAPA on the last one and that was successful.

I guess the moral of the story is "Don't us the crap lube that comes with Comp Cams."

Blackroc86

Maybe Comp Cams should stop include the thin red stuff with their cams.

Pony Killer

i've only read the first half of the post here.

Being a mechanic.. and having two cams wipe out in the same block in the last two years. leads me to belive there's an oiling problem in the block with flow to the lifters.. or lifter bores being screwed up. are the cam lobes that were burnt up on both cams the same lobe?

most times when a hydrualic cam wipes out it's the lifter that goes bad, siezes or otherwise fails. comp has a low failure rate.

406 S10 Man

iTrader: (1)

I don't know if you are talking to me, but I had my wife's whole short block checked out by my machinist and he said everything is fine. I had the same thought that you did, but I think it was just a batch of lifters that didn't get heat treated properly. Plus the XE cam ramps are really steep, that has got to be harder on lifters too.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

I'm no expert, nor am I a certified mechanic, but as I stated way earlier in this post, a Comp XE274 cam was installed in my engine not by me, but the builder and it wiped two lobes on the dyno.

Builder claimed that "they sold me a soft cam, and they know it"....well, maybe they didn't, but they sent a new cam and lifters anyway. All valve train parts used were Comp recommended for the cam.

I've installed a few cams myself on other builds I've done (Crane, Crower) and didn't have any problems whatsoever.

Anyways, the Comp replacement cam was installed, and I drove the car for a year after that, and it wouldn't quit smoking and burning oil. Ended up tearing it down myself to find scored cylinder walls that prevented the oil control rings from doing there job - caused by metal shavings from the 1st Comp cam. Oh but the second cam works and looks fine.

But - I've now spent close to 400 bucks having the cylinders re-honed, buying new rings, all new gaskets, bearings etc...to put it back together.

Figure the odds that I'm buying any more Comp products.

pskel350

i wasnt going to post to this topic but......


you dont wanna know how many comp cams i have personnaly used, and how many comp cams friends/ family have used, with no problems at all

fwiw

Blackroc86

I am really glad your family and friends have had such good luck. I am not happy my engine is out and needs a bunch of machining because the cam failed during break in.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

The funny thing about pinion depth is, if you talk to richmond on the phone they tell you its the "starting point" and to always go by pattern. If the pattern doesn't look right, change the shims regardless of what they wrote on it.

But. whatever.

-- Joe

HP Brakes

New to this forum, but not new to auto parts and racing. I have worked with Comp Cams for 20 years in my own machine shop and in the race teams that I have worked with. Scooter Brothers is the head of development at Comp Cams and a good friend. I had a customers cam go bad, I call Comp's tech line and told the guy what I think happened (not saying anthing about me and Scooter), he said take the cam to the local warehouse and pick-up a new one. He gave me a RGA number to give to the warehouse, they gave me a new cam. I installed this one and that was 15 years ago. The motor has been in 3 cars since then, no cam problems. Oh, by the way, the problem with the cam was a flat lobe, caused by a bad oil filter by pass.
Anyone that has worked in machine shop for more that 2 years can find what the problem is with any engine. If not, they need to change jobs. Not good business to bad mouth a product line without being able to tell what the cause of a problem was.

Good luck
Mark

HP Brakes

New to this forum, but not new to auto parts and racing. I have worked with Comp Cams for 20 years in my own machine shop and in the race teams that I have worked with. Scooter Brothers is the head of development at Comp Cams and a good friend. I had a customers cam go bad, I call Comp's tech line and told the guy what I think happened (not saying anthing about me and Scooter), he said take the cam to the local warehouse and pick-up a new one. He gave me a RGA number to give to the warehouse, they gave me a new cam. I installed this one and that was 15 years ago. The motor has been in 3 cars since then, no cam problems. Oh, by the way, the problem with the cam was a flat lobe, caused by a bad oil filter by pass.
Anyone that has worked in machine shop for more that 2 years can find what the problem is with any engine. If not, they need to change jobs. Not good business to bad mouth a product line without being able to tell what the cause of a problem was.

Good luck
Mark

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

So I guess your response just might be a little biased, considering..

And I'm not referring to any cam failures due to engine problems. I'm simply stating the engine wiped 2 lobes with a Comp cam installed with the recommended springs, guide plates etc...

I've been told by a few machine shops, that sometimes there's a batch that gets out that might not get sufficiently heat treated and will result in a "soft cam" that will munch right up upon startup. Nothing was changed on my engine when the second cam was installed along with lifters. And it's just fine. Guess how I know.

I have it torn down at the moment due to scored cylinders from metal shavings. My guess is it came from the cam lobes.

I'd assume since you work/own a machine shop you looked over that customers engine that wiped that cam real well before you put the new cam in. If 12 years is any indication!

The machine shop that did my engine apparently didn't look over things real well...

But in all fairness, there are other possibiliites like a lifter not rotating in the bore or something. Never had a problem with cams/lifters from other makers.

HP Brakes

I have it torn down at the moment due to scored cylinders from metal shavings. My guess is it came from the cam lobes.


Soft cams are about a rare as HEN'S TEETH. The heat treating process is performed in a manner that every cam would be done at the same temp. Two bad in the same batch is just about impossible.

A wiped lobe would, more often that not, come in the form of power in the oil pan as it would not flake off, but grind. These particles would be in the pan, if a magnetic drain plug was used, or caught in the oil filter, assuming the oil filter by-pass was working properly.

As for as bais, I have used every brand of cam, some off the shelf and alot of custom grinds. I have not seen but one cam wiped in 20 years that my machine shop has installed. That one was a Crane and it was a mistake by a former member of my staff that did not break in the cam correct. We run an engine breakin stand, that every engine is run on before it leaves the shop.

Just a side note about the "red stuff" included in the cam, it is just fine if the cam is installed and the engine run within about 4 hours. I use both moly and the red stuff on all cams installed. Moly on the bottom of each lifter and the red stuff on the cam it self. But we do run a drill to prelube EVERY engine. We run the drill for 5 minutes after the oil pressure is above 25 PSI. This process is recommended by ALL cam manufacturer's.

Thanks
Mark

Blackroc86

Comp Cams called me today and they are replacing my cam and lifters. Didn't ask me any questions so "maybe" they do have the odd one fail.

ljnowell

Any company will replace a cam when it fails upon break-in, or soon after. There are just too many variables that can cause failure for them to start asking to many questions, its easier, and better for service to just replace the damn thing and be done.

B4Ctom1

which is why complaining about the #1 company whether it is AFR or Comp or whomever is kind of moot unless they jerk you around. Hello Scat are you listening?

burnout88

Blackroc86, How long did it take for them to decide to replace your parts, 2 months? Interesting that the guy who used to work for Comp see's this post with 118 replies and over 3000 views and suddenly there is no hassle in getting the bad cam replaced.

And personally, I would not put that thing back in your motor, even if they are free parts. I am sure they did not offer to pay for the machining and repair of engine.

Blackroc86

It is winter here now so I didn't get around to sending the cam back right away. I sent it down FedEx ground so I could track it. About a week after they recieved it they called me and went over what happened and said they were sending replacements. The sent the replacements the same day we talked on the phone.

No they didn't offer to do anything other than replace the cam and lifters and I didn't expect them to. Not sure what I am going to do for a cam now. I have some time to think as spring is 4 months away.