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Hot Rods How...does a cam go flat ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Mike VV, Apr 19, 2020.

  1. Mike VV
    Joined: Sep 28, 2010
    Posts: 3,029

    Mike VV
    Member
    from SoCal

    I've seen cam shafts where the lifter and the cam had oiling problems or situations where the oil film between the two have gone to zero. The lifter and cam ended up with some pretty heavy intimate contact and the lifter ended up with a concave surface rather than a convex surface. And the cam ended up with a or more or less..."round" lobe or lobes.

    But...I've never seen a cam with..."flat"...lobes..!

    So...without the use of a grinder or a torch, how...does...a cam go "flat" ?
    Like how a tire goes..."flat", the lobe would be round, except...where it is...flat.
    Again, I've never seen a "flat" lobed cam, has anyone here ?

    Mike
     
  2. henry29
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,873

    henry29
    Member

    I think you might be missing the point.
     
    bobss396, blowby, Hightone111 and 7 others like this.
  3. mkubacak
    Joined: Jun 20, 2005
    Posts: 200

    mkubacak
    Member

    I think it is caused by the freeze plugs.
     
  4. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    If you were small enough a flat cam would be like a lake bed on earth with no mountains in the background.
     
    blowby, b-body-bob, Blue One and 2 others like this.

  5. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    I am certain you know.....but I feel compelled to state*......it is a figure of speech, not a literal description of the cam lobe shape. If the valve motion resulting from that extremely worn lobe was to be viewed on a heart monitor (oscilloscope)......it would be described as “flatlined”

    *post counts matter;)

    Ray
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2020
  6. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    And your engine would have the same diagnosis...
     
    Blue One and Hnstray like this.
  7. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,345

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    Improper hardening?
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  8. 427 sleeper
    Joined: Mar 8, 2017
    Posts: 2,872

    427 sleeper
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Connecting rod hit the cam lobe...
     
    vtx1800, bobss396, deadbeat and 8 others like this.
  9. egads
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 1,419

    egads
    Member

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^ That would do it !!!!!:):):):D
     
  10. Boy , what a tough crowd! LOL.Bruce.
     
  11. sliceddeuce
    Joined: Aug 15, 2017
    Posts: 2,981

    sliceddeuce
    Member

    No,no and no. It is the result of wear caused by the connecting rods contacting the lobes....
     
  12. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    "HOW...DOES A CAM GO FLAT?" It picks up a nail, and the air escapes! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
  13. I always wondered what a "flat tappet" was... o_O
     
    ekimneirbo likes this.
  14. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

  15. J. A. Miller
    Joined: Dec 30, 2010
    Posts: 2,057

    J. A. Miller
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Central NY

    Is this in an engine or a motor?
     
  16. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    The motor is bolted to the outside of engine.
     
    31hotrodguy, 427 sleeper and egads like this.
  17. What the fuck do you want man? :D
    Damn Engines take motor oil
    We drive on parkways and park on driveways!
    Opposite of lumpy is flat, but flat tire is pretty damn lumpy. A cam going flat is actually just loosing its lump making its way towards looking like a good tire. I know, I got it now,
    The cam is tired not flat
     
    deadbeat, Hombre, egads and 2 others like this.
  18. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    ^^^^^ Are you smarter than a camshaft?
     
  19. 270dodge
    Joined: Feb 11, 2012
    Posts: 742

    270dodge
    Member
    from Ohio

    Post count numbers are traditional. I just got one :D.
     
  20. Most of the Artic is flat. No mountain climbers.
    The ocean is flatter yet on a calm day.
    The Bonneville Salt Flat is flat....... but the world is round.
    It's a matter of perspective. If the earth were a polished sphere, anywhere you stood on it would appear flat. There would be no dipsy doodles when you went for a drive, because "flat"........ but round?? :confused:
     
    egads likes this.
  21. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    ^^^^^^ Sure looks a lot like the "end" of a cam shaft?
    [​IMG]
     
  22. MO54Frank
    Joined: Apr 1, 2019
    Posts: 440

    MO54Frank
    Member

    Some of you guys are just mean... o_O
     
  23. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,217

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    Oh you silver tongued devil , you .........
     
  24. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,444

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    Its a Dodge thing.
     
  25. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Mike, you mean a flat spot on a lobe? Lippy.
     
  26. Flat cam is an expression not a description. LOL
     
    Hombre likes this.
  27. Maybe it's tone deaf! :D get it flat, I'm just kidding. HRP
     
  28. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    Your wife is flat, your girlfriend is not, much like a camshaft I suppose. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
    The insect repellant, OFF; You put OFF on, or you put on OFF.
     
    sunbeam, deadbeat and Jokester like this.
  29. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

  30. davidvillajr
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 1,165

    davidvillajr
    Member

    I think you can fix it with dryer sheets.
     

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