OK guys a question for the engine guys, or hell anyone who knows the answer. Is there a way to tell a solid lifter camshaft just by looking at it? I bought an unknown to me engine a few days ago. It is a early Hemi and I believe it to be a bored 331, however the casting number and the code number on the front of the block by the valley pan are both unreadable. The pistons in it are Brand new Ross forged std bore 354 pistons. While this engine has sat for many years everything inside of it is Brand New. New cam- absolutely has never been run, all new Ross Forged pistons, all the bearings in the engine are new Rod, Mains and Cam bearings, the bore is fresh and the cross hatch pattern is very visible. Everything is new but the 16 solid lifter, lifters. They have been run at some time and do have a small amount of dishing on there cam face, they just were not run on this camshaft. The engine does have a set of Chrysler adjustable rockers, these have gotten very expensive why would they be on the engine if it wasn't to adjust the valves? And then the big question: Why would anyone go to all the trouble to build a engine like this and not use NEW LIFTERS? This has me questioning the camshaft itself. So is there anyway to identify a solid lifter cam by looking at the thing?
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/camshaft-for-dummies.1185252/ 1.03 to 1.30 on the video Oldmics
Unfortunately, The link provided by the previous poster doesn't answer how to identify a hyd lifter cam vs a solid lifter cam. In fact some of the info there is bogus in that a solid lifter am must have gentler acceleration ramps in the lobe in order to more gently take up the slack from valve clearance and a hyd lifter grind doesn't have to contend with valve lash and can start right off with the lift to max. I can't answer how to determine which this cam is ground for, but I sure as hell can safely state that the "dished face" lifters in it now shouldn't be used either way,
If you have the cam out check for numbers on the end (usually on the rear for a reason I don’t know) and start the searching....
saltflats, could you explain that in English for this old country boy? There is a number on the back of the cam as a matter of fact there are two numbers back there one of them being 11461. I have searched everywhere I could and could find nothing from any current cam manufacturer. My wife then takes those numbers and after a few "HOURS" comes up with a match kinda sorta. I was back out in the shop and she calls and wants me to check out the link she sent to my e-mail. Well much to my surprise the link is to an old PAW ad in there catalog. She hadn't heard the PAW story with this motor yet so how in the hell she found that ad I will never know and I'm pretty sure she's not going to tell me. If I am reading this right the ad ( if the ad is for this cam) says Hydraulic Cam. Damn funny to me as there is a complete story about PAW and this engine. I did post that story on the "What Happened To PAW" thread that is running now here on the board.
Thanks for that Old Man-Trust me on this running those lifters was Never an option. To tell you the truth I was hoping that sense the cam is pristine I would be able to just buy a set of solid lifters and call it good. Stuff like this is just to simple for me I guess, looks like I will have to buy a cam and lifters. Trouble is it's a Early Hemi and finding a cam is not an easy thing.
There are a few cam grinders still in business. Maybe you can send the cam to one of them and the might be able to identify it. We could guess all day on the internet. They know what they are doing to measure it correctly. The can give you the specs and if it is for solids or not. Probably take them 20 minutes and cost you less than a new cam.
Just got off the phone with a friend who still runs a shop building hipo engines and he knows there's a cam doctor floating around N GA somewhere that once belonged to John Reid of Reid Cams. Then it went to a guy who wound up in jail for all sorts of crooked dealings and ot sure where the cam doctor went. But he knows people who may know and will try to find ouit for me.. There were all sorts of speed shops and engine builders around Birmingham, AL. Where is Guntersville in relation to B'ham?
You are not far from Comp Cams so give them a call and ask what they will charge for checking the profile. All of the 'big' guys can check a cam and many regrinders will have one of the several programmes to do it. .
You can send it to Mike Jones, Jones Cam Designs, he has a Cam Doctor and can tell you exactly what the cam grind is and if it is solid or hydro, and what the lash spec is also. They are in Denver, North Carolina. http://jonescams.com/ Last I knew, cost was about $20, really low cost as it take just minutes to do. He goes by the handle Camking over at Speed-Talk forum, and he now owns the forum after the forum's originator passed away and he bought the forum to keep it alive. Best engine builder/machinist/enthusiast forum on the web for solid info.
Folks, Once again the HAMB guys come thru. I mean all you have to do is ask a question, any question dealing with old cars, and either the answer comes or resources to find the answer. It's a cool thing. Thanks for all that helped. So here is the deal, I ordered a new cam from Hot Heads just to be on the safe side, I did go with a solid lifter cam and a new set of lifters. I am building this Hemi within a time frame. It will be up and running in 12 days and then is going into my Model A Sedan the next day. I simple did not have the time to find out what this cam is "NOW". I have four other Hemi's so this cam is going to find a home in one of those as soon as I find out what it is. Once again thanks guys
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