Roller cam noise

brainsboy · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 07:01 PM

ARGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!, Im tired of all the problems.

Everything was fine today until I was going home, with my lifters now adjusted to the 1/2 turn it runs great but now all the lifters are making alot of noise. Is this normal? Do hyd roller cams and lifters make alot of noise. It sounds like I have a solid cam. What do I do now? Shoot the damn thing and give up race motors! Crap this pisses me off...

Ben

Jack21 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 07:16 PM

No! Hydraulic rollers don't (shouldn't) be making any noise. Sounds like your lash setting has loosened up, or you have low or no oil pressure.

All lifters, or one or two?

vettestr · #3 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 11:07 PM

Ben, Are you running a stud girdle? I am a Firm Believer that any cam running non stock geometry and / or spring pressure should have quality girdles installed.
As a sanity check for the need = slip the girdle down over the rocker studs with bar loose but tight enough to hold its own weight. Now bar the engine over about 180 crank degrees. You will see that the girdle may slip or fall down tp touch the spring caps. If just rolling engine over by hand moves the studs from their position enough to LET Girdle slip down think how much they are dancing around at a whimpy 4 or 5 thousand RPM.
The cheaper girdles with a U bolt for each stud are a pain in the ass to adjust, leave many more nuts to loosen or fail and clamp with less force than split bar design but are still better than nothing.
http://www.dartheads.com/manager/upl...talog%2004.pdf

brainsboy · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 11:33 AM

No I dont have a stud girdle, but I am running chrome-moly 7/16's studs.

I went to my machine shop today. They said that I may be using a newer style large lobe camshaft, and that the 69 windsors need whats called a retro-fit camshaft. He said if the lifter comes out of the bore too far it causes this problem.

I checked my lifters and they are not coming too far out, they have an extra 1/8" before its all the way out.

Anyone heard of this problem with newer style camshafts in older blocks?

392cobra · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 12:12 PM

Ben,
I would highly recommend you NOT run your engine anymore until you get it fixed.

Your machine shop is correct about needing a retro fit to run a roller in your non roller block.

Below is a link that discusses the problem you have.

351W block - retro fit for roller cam

brainsboy · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 12:54 PM

I am using the retro-fit lifters. That artical seems to say I can use both style cams.

Tony Radford · #7 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 01:19 PM

Ben,

Call Bill Parham at Southern Automotive down in McDonough. He'll tell you the skinny.

T

Jack21 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2005, 05:33 PM

There are two approaches I've seen to use roller cams in non roller blocks in SBF's; one from Crane Cams, and one from Competion Cams (CompCams).

Crane uses a standard base circle cam and a custom short lifter supported with a link bar between pairs of lifters. Comp uses a "retrofit" small base circle cam, and stock Ford lifters, spider, and forks between pairs.

Both methods work, but are not interchangable. Roller blocks have taller lifter bores to accomodate taller roller lifters. And shorter pushrods are used.

Sooo, if you're using say, an FMS (which is a standard base circle) cam in a '69 block, you need to be using the correct lifters for a non-roller block. (Or swap the cam for a small base circle for retrofit use). And, you may need a new set of pushrods with correct rocker arm geometry dialed in.

brainsboy · #9 (**permalink**) 03-14-2005, 05:59 AM

I have the crane cams setup.

Crane cam 449601
Crane Link bar lifters 36532-16

I'm going to call them today and see what they say.

brainsboy · #10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2005, 09:15 AM

I called cranecams, they dont know what is causing it. They only said I can send them my lifters and they will check them.