TOP 10 CAM FAILURE CULPRITS 1) COIL BIND-when a spring compresses solid before or during full camshaft lift. 2) RETAINER TO SEAL BIND-the distance from the top of the valve seal to the bottom of the retainer must be greater than the valve’s lift. 3) IMPROPER VALVE...

LIFTER BORE STANDARDS To check lifter bores for finish, burrs or obstruction, I made tools by removing the plunger and internal parts from some lifters. I have a set of various “empty” lifters, specific to application. You can stick the lifter on the end of your...

STAMPED STEEL ROCKER ARM BREAK-IN Many classes of racing require the use of stamped steel rocker arms, and many budget crate engines utilize stamped steel rocker arms. Because stamped steel rocker arms do not feature a roller bearing pivot, stamped steel rocker arms...

IN SHOP CAMSHAFT ANALYSIS Our shop has had a cam analyzer for over 28 years, so I had forgotten how we checked and identified cams in the past. Recently I was asked by another shop how to verify which of three customer supplied cams to install in the customer’s...

PULLING PUSHRODS APART We run the valve train geometry on every single engine we build. Every once in a while we get in a time bind and need pushrods ASAP. It is for this reason we keep extra sets of push rods for the popular engines on hand. For emergencies, we keep...

MOCK LIFTERS For hydraulic lifter applications, I speed up the process for checking pushrod length, pre- load and geometry by using “solid” lifters. I disassemble a lifter and load it up with either epoxy or Plaster of Paris to position the plunger in a permanent...