I'm considering a budget build for my 1980 Corvette engine and ran across your excellent videos. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to make them and I'm learning a lot and look forward to the rest of the build. Cheers!
i really liked the tip on the valve springs , that very well might be the reason for so many destroyed cams , every one is quick to blame bad lifters , that tip alone would solve 90 percent of cam failures
Thanks for the comment Aint. Valve spring pressure is definitely one of the major factors. If we want our flat tappet cam to live, we have to do everything possible to give it the best chance at start up. I will be making an update on this subject soon. AG
Good info. Speaking of the press in oil hole plugs, there's one under the rear main cap that sometimes gets overlooked when cleaning. There can be quite a bit of "trash" collected in there if the engine ever had problems before. That hole goes up to where the gauge/sending unit is threaded in. One time I had somebody that broke an EZ out in that gauge hole, and I got it out by going from below with the rear main cap removed and was able to knock it out wit ha long piece of rod.
Great video. Some may appreciate seeing the honing process for at least one cylinder. The amount of honing time per grit used. Thanks for these videos. I always learn something.
That is good info on clocking cam bearings! My last engine I built was a 390 for my pickup & I bought a cam bearing installer & was going to install my own. But I was so confused on how to clock them becouse everyone I asked or when I read about it nobody specified whether the block should be up right or as installing the bearings, upsidown! But I got it figured out & did the way you said. Engine still running great as of today.
i am really glad you could knock that out of your budget and re use the forged pistons, nice. i got cast rebuilder pistons that i am have to replace.. and the number 7 cylinder is really really tight. LoL. The tooling must have worn out just before it was done. hahah
Thanks Dennis. Just putting the pistons in today. We are making clips along the way and will publish the next video soon. The clearances worked out nicely with the forged pistons. We will publish a spreadsheet with all the dimensions. AG
I build a lot of engines made 2 soak tanks 1 with degreaser 2nd with atf and solvent then wash by hand with hot water pressure washer , then brush again clean threads back in atf solvent power wash after and had great success doing that .
I love the 041s second set of sbc heads i ever owned yrs ago, not really a post double hump. They had 70 double humps with accessory holes. The predecessor to the 041 was the 040 without accessory holes. In reality these heads are identical to the small valve dbl hump/fuely heads just produced at a different plant. The 040s are pretty rare, I've only seen a couple sets, same as the 370s only seen a couple sets.
@@goldsgarage8236 a lot of these old heads if you look on the bottom or deck side they have the predecessors casting number. I've seen it on the 993s on the bottom of the intake runners and they had 487x, others I've actually seen it down in a water jacket. My 462s had 461 and mightve been in the water jacket. I wonder why they did this, I'm sure the casting plant had a good reason. A lot of those old guys are dead and gone and they didn't leave much behind to tell us why or what some of those numbers mean. The 010, 020 , nickel content comes to mind.
Gr8 video, cheers. Have you seen "Driven"s new assembly gel...... better than grease and lube. Gr8 product. Fantastic for camshafts. Never drips off, good for motors they may sit around for a while before starting.
Thanks rjd. I will watch for the Driven product. This engine is not going to sit around very long. Dyno day is July 22. I will have a video of it running this week sometime. AG
Those GM lifters with the hardened bottom are bulletproof for sure. I think comp cams has a hardening process that works well, I don't know what they would cost
It does't hurt to drill .040" hole in the two oil gallery that feeds the lifters at the front of the block, this helps bleed air out of the system... I believe you install the cam bearings at 7:00 when block is upside down and at 2:00 as you have said upright...
Great information. However, always use Diamond Like Coated (DLC) lifters. I went through 3 cams in a row during this cam failure madness. Then I saw a video on DLC lifters and their tests. Summit had just gotten them and I paid extra for the 4th cam to try to finally stop failed lifters and a cam within several minutes every time. As soon as I put in the DLC lifters and new cam then set up the clearance as Steve Morris and Comp Cams states and I have never had another problem with the cam and lifters. In fact, I have had it apart enough to look at the lifters and each time I have looked they look like they came out of the box and never run as does the cam. The reason is that DLC coating is almost as hard as a diamond and since made from carbon is also slippery. Diamonds cut steel all day long and could care less so the lifters cannot wear as long as the DLC plasma coating is there and they just slip over the cam from low friction, no grinding. I told Summit of this success and they started promoting DLC lifters as an inexpensive solution. Thank You Summit for your support during this former nightmare.
I love your videos. You explain things on a level that I can understand. I have another question for you if you don't mind. I hate to ask this, because I think I know what the answer is going to be. I recently put a re-ring kit in a 350. While I had it apart, I also upgraded the cam, replaced timing chain, lifters, push rods. and rocker arms. I put it back in the car, and with a little playing with the timing, it fired right up, and sounded pretty good. After a while I noticed what I thought was excessive lifter noise. I removed the valve cover from the drivers side. On number 3 cylinder, exhaust valve, the rocker arm was completely sloppy. I couldn't even tighten it down far enough to take the slop out. Although the lifters are new, do I have a bad lifter, or something worse? The push rod moves up and down the same distance as the #1 exhaust. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Thanks for the question Wayne and sorry for the late reply. If you are you sure the lifter and push rod is moving full trave then the problem is somewhere else? First you have to be sure. To be accurate the best way is a dial indicator directly on the push rod to measure the full travel as the cam rotates. The lift at the lobe for most street cams is .300" or so, but check your cam card for the exact number, or check it against another push rod. If that checks out ok, the next question is do you have pressed in rocker arm studs? OEM rocker arm studs are just pressed into the head and they can pull out, especially if you now that you have a higher lift cam and more valve spring pressure. Check the height of the top of the stud against the others, then inspect where the stud enters the head. If it is as much as you describe it will be obvious. If the studs are screwed into the head, check t see if it is tight, or has it unscrewed? The last, least likely is that the threads on the stud or adjustor nut are stripped. Let me know what you find out, or if you have any more questions. I hope this helps. AG
I removed the intake. The bottom of the lifter is seriously cupped. I have never seen anything like this before. Now I am worried about the cam itself. I really don't have time to replace a cam right now. What are the chances that it is OK? Did I do something to cause this? Thanks for your help.@@goldsgarage8236
Thanks Wayne. Unfortunately your cam is most likely destroyed also. Also the debris from the cam and lifter will likely be distributed in your oil to all the bearings. To fix it right, the engine should be completely disassembled, inspected and cleaned. This is a very widespread problem in the industry. Flat tappet camshaft failures on start up are very common. There are videos on my channel on this subject. More detail than I can fit into a comment for now. DO some research on it and come back to me if you have more questions. AG
I would like to see you find an LS 6 liter, the correct Year and play with it and see what power it would easily make. People say 560 or above with only Cam and springs. That would be a lot if that is possible
Easily achievable with the square/rec port l92/ls3 style heads that flow 300+ cfm in stock form. Cam an spring upgrade, maybe intake and they are stout.
I bought a set of Speedpro pistons last year. They are labeled as forged, but the clearance on the box says .0015 . Im thinking they are really hypereutectic.
the big issue with flat cams is the taper on the crown or even the cam is incorrect. Might go through a couple boxes of lifters to get a complete proper set. Dont use assy lube or grease in the lifter bore. Just oil make sure they spin Shame GM stopped making theri lifters. Have used cheap PAW regrinds with GM lifters never a problem.
For sure Joel. Your 1991 c1500 I think will have an 880 casting number block, fuel injection, a passenger side dipstick, one piece rear main seal but I am pretty sure it will still have a flat tappet cam. GM phased out their inventory of flat tappet cams in the trucks. Check if it has provision for a mechanical fuel pump if you are thinking about converting to a carburetor. The electric pump in your fuel tank will have too much fuel pressure for a carburetor. Essentially we used all the original rotating assembly, just cleaned and hand honed it, new rings and bearings, a better flat tappet cam and intake manifold. Mike ported the heads himself. We used a .015" head gasket to increase compression. Mikes original engine had flat top pistons so your compression may be a little lower. If you have a flat tappet engine, even an L79 (327-350HP) cam from the 64-67 Corvette, Nova or Chevelle will work well. I think Melling or Elgin make knock offs which are inexpensive. If you do have a roller engine, you should be able to use the original roller lifters. Do some investigation, research and homework (planning) yourself. Let me know if you have any questions. AG
Nice build. Regarding flat tappets I think the new dismond coated lifters from comp cam might be the best alternative. Itll be my choice just a little ease of mind. After listening to Godbold it does sound like a good lifter. Interesting interview all in all. ua-cam.com/video/z9Ui5AEIwNs/v-deo.html
@@stevenbelue5496 yeah. I guess its wrong saying theyre diamond coated. But anyway.. Godbold said that if he were to build a very longlived engine hed probably go with a flat tappet and dlc lifters over roller cam. So it does seem like a good thing to have.
@@stevenbelue5496 not too expensive. A set of high energy lifters are $109.95 while the dlc is $123.95. The pro magnums are $134.95. One advantage with the dlc lifter is that a very good finish is needed before dlc is added. To me this make me think those lifters might have gone through a more rigorous selection screening as a result.
I'm considering a budget build for my 1980 Corvette engine and ran across your excellent videos. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to make them and I'm learning a lot and look forward to the rest of the build. Cheers!
Thanks for watching and commenting. We are making clips along the way and will publish another video soon. Watch for it. AG
Great information. Thx. Please keep the videos coming.
Thanks David more to come, please watch for it. AG
i really liked the tip on the valve springs , that very well might be the reason for so many destroyed cams , every one is quick to blame bad lifters , that tip alone would solve 90 percent of cam failures
Thanks for the comment Aint. Valve spring pressure is definitely one of the major factors. If we want our flat tappet cam to live, we have to do everything possible to give it the best chance at start up. I will be making an update on this subject soon. AG
Been looking for a good 350 build so I can build one for my 92 Chevy. Thanks for the help
Thanks for the nice comment and good luck with your build. More content coming soon. AG
Loving this series!!!
Praying you show the FTH cam break in down the road! Since that’s such a big issue for everyone!!!
Thanks Dave, we plan to video the first start up on my test stand and describe the procedure. AG
Thanks for posting alot of good info.
Thank you twin Cam. AG
Good info.
Speaking of the press in oil hole plugs, there's one under the rear main cap that sometimes gets overlooked when cleaning. There can be quite a bit of "trash" collected in there if the engine ever had problems before. That hole goes up to where the gauge/sending unit is threaded in.
One time I had somebody that broke an EZ out in that gauge hole, and I got it out by going from below with the rear main cap removed and was able to knock it out wit ha long piece of rod.
Thanks for the tip John. Sounds like you have had some real life experience. AG
Great video. Some may appreciate seeing the honing process for at least one cylinder. The amount of honing time per grit used. Thanks for these videos. I always learn something.
Thanks dinoa9608, We didn't get to video that. I will have Mike to talk about it on a future video. AG
I like how you're thinking in regards to breaking in the cam with soft springs then install the right springs.
Thanks Robert, That is standard practice for me, no failures so far. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 What are your thoughts on using a break in 1.3 rocker instead of removing the outer spring?
That is good info on clocking cam bearings! My last engine I built was a 390 for my pickup & I bought a cam bearing installer & was going to install my own. But I was so confused on how to clock them becouse everyone I asked or when I read about it nobody specified whether the block should be up right or as installing the bearings, upsidown! But I got it figured out & did the way you said. Engine still running great as of today.
Thanks for your comment Jesse. AG
“upright”; “upside down”. End of triggered correction. 😂
i am really glad you could knock that out of your budget and re use the forged pistons, nice.
i got cast rebuilder pistons that i am have to replace.. and the number 7 cylinder is really really tight. LoL. The tooling must have worn out just before it was done. hahah
Thanks Dennis. Just putting the pistons in today. We are making clips along the way and will publish the next video soon. The clearances worked out nicely with the forged pistons. We will publish a spreadsheet with all the dimensions. AG
I build a lot of engines made 2 soak tanks 1 with degreaser 2nd with atf and solvent then wash by hand with hot water pressure washer , then brush again clean threads back in atf solvent power wash after and had great success doing that .
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience Larry. We are always learning. AG
I love the 041s second set of sbc heads i ever owned yrs ago, not really a post double hump. They had 70 double humps with accessory holes. The predecessor to the 041 was the 040 without accessory holes. In reality these heads are identical to the small valve dbl hump/fuely heads just produced at a different plant. The 040s are pretty rare, I've only seen a couple sets, same as the 370s only seen a couple sets.
Thanks for the info Steve. We are always learning. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 a lot of these old heads if you look on the bottom or deck side they have the predecessors casting number. I've seen it on the 993s on the bottom of the intake runners and they had 487x, others I've actually seen it down in a water jacket. My 462s had 461 and mightve been in the water jacket. I wonder why they did this, I'm sure the casting plant had a good reason. A lot of those old guys are dead and gone and they didn't leave much behind to tell us why or what some of those numbers mean. The 010, 020 , nickel content comes to mind.
Gr8 video, cheers. Have you seen "Driven"s new assembly gel...... better than grease and lube. Gr8 product. Fantastic for camshafts. Never drips off, good for motors they may sit around for a while before starting.
Thanks rjd. I will watch for the Driven product. This engine is not going to sit around very long. Dyno day is July 22. I will have a video of it running this week sometime. AG
I can’t wait to see what the actual HP/TQ it has on the engine Dyno.
Thanks HeadFlow, we are looking forward to it. Getting pistons in today. AG
Those GM lifters with the hardened bottom are bulletproof for sure. I think comp cams has a hardening process that works well, I don't know what they would cost
Thanks David, Mike did the research and sourced them. We feel pretty comfortable about the start up. AG
It does't hurt to drill .040" hole in the two oil gallery that feeds the lifters at the front of the block, this helps bleed air out of the system... I believe you install the cam bearings at 7:00 when block is upside down and at 2:00 as you have said upright...
Thanks for your comment Leonard. I aim for 8.00 with the block upside down but It's not that critical. AG
2 ticks past twelve is 2 oclock, 2 ticks past 6 is 8 o'clock
Great information. However, always use Diamond Like Coated (DLC) lifters. I went through 3 cams in a row during this cam failure madness. Then I saw a video on DLC lifters and their tests. Summit had just gotten them and I paid extra for the 4th cam to try to finally stop failed lifters and a cam within several minutes every time. As soon as I put in the DLC lifters and new cam then set up the clearance as Steve Morris and Comp Cams states and I have never had another problem with the cam and lifters. In fact, I have had it apart enough to look at the lifters and each time I have looked they look like they came out of the box and never run as does the cam. The reason is that DLC coating is almost as hard as a diamond and since made from carbon is also slippery. Diamonds cut steel all day long and could care less so the lifters cannot wear as long as the DLC plasma coating is there and they just slip over the cam from low friction, no grinding. I told Summit of this success and they started promoting DLC lifters as an inexpensive solution. Thank You Summit for your support during this former nightmare.
Thanks for sharing your experience George. AG
Are you planning on running 1.60 ratio rocker arms? I’m curious because you stated head flow +- 235 cfm @.500” lift yet the cam is only .453”/.450”
We are going to use roller tip 1.6 so lift will be .481/.483 they flow around 230 right there.
Excellent video👨🏽🔧✊🏽
Thanks Paul, Just published another one on this subject today. Glad you enjoyed it. AG
As far as cleaning the block, nothing beats oven cleaner lol
Good point Roger, thanks for the tip. AG
Was recommended Grez Off recently, I now recommend it
Acid vat done correctly
I love your videos. You explain things on a level that I can understand. I have another question for you if you don't mind. I hate to ask this, because I think I know what the answer is going to be. I recently put a re-ring kit in a 350. While I had it apart, I also upgraded the cam, replaced timing chain, lifters, push rods. and rocker arms. I put it back in the car, and with a little playing with the timing, it fired right up, and sounded pretty good. After a while I noticed what I thought was excessive lifter noise. I removed the valve cover from the drivers side. On number 3 cylinder, exhaust valve, the rocker arm was completely sloppy. I couldn't even tighten it down far enough to take the slop out. Although the lifters are new, do I have a bad lifter, or something worse? The push rod moves up and down the same distance as the #1 exhaust. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Thanks for the question Wayne and sorry for the late reply. If you are you sure the lifter and push rod is moving full trave then the problem is somewhere else?
First you have to be sure. To be accurate the best way is a dial indicator directly on the push rod to measure the full travel as the cam rotates. The lift at the lobe for most street cams is .300" or so, but check your cam card for the exact number, or check it against another push rod.
If that checks out ok, the next question is do you have pressed in rocker arm studs? OEM rocker arm studs are just pressed into the head and they can pull out, especially if you now that you have a higher lift cam and more valve spring pressure.
Check the height of the top of the stud against the others, then inspect where the stud enters the head. If it is as much as you describe it will be obvious.
If the studs are screwed into the head, check t see if it is tight, or has it unscrewed?
The last, least likely is that the threads on the stud or adjustor nut are stripped.
Let me know what you find out, or if you have any more questions.
I hope this helps. AG
I removed the intake. The bottom of the lifter is seriously cupped. I have never seen anything like this before. Now I am worried about the cam itself. I really don't have time to replace a cam right now. What are the chances that it is OK? Did I do something to cause this? Thanks for your help.@@goldsgarage8236
Thanks Wayne.
Unfortunately your cam is most likely destroyed also. Also the debris from the cam and lifter will likely be distributed in your oil to all the bearings. To fix it right, the engine should be completely disassembled, inspected and cleaned.
This is a very widespread problem in the industry. Flat tappet camshaft failures on start up are very common. There are videos on my channel on this subject. More detail than I can fit into a comment for now.
DO some research on it and come back to me if you have more questions. AG
235 cfm is someone who knows what they're doing!
Thanks Robert. The dyno will tell the truth. Watch for it. AG
Will you be sharing a build list for this engine? I’d like one if you do!
Thanks Jesse. Yes, we will provide a final build list and budget reconciliation in a future video. Watch for it. AG
I mean basically 10.5 to one 500 lift and a decent exhaust And intake carb is all it takes maybe some porting depending on head’s you have
Thanks Scott. We will be closer to 10:1 and a little less than .500" with 1.6 rockers. We will see. AG
I would like to see you find an LS 6 liter, the correct Year and play with it and see what power it would easily make. People say 560 or above with only Cam and springs. That would be a lot if that is possible
Thanks David. They are great engines. I would like to give it a try eventually. Thanks for the suggestion. AG
Easily achievable with the square/rec port l92/ls3 style heads that flow 300+ cfm in stock form. Cam an spring upgrade, maybe intake and they are stout.
@@stevenbelue5496 yeah I have one in a mustang. It was an l96 flex fuel. I didn't have to replace the injectors. It is very stout
❤sbc350
Thanks Quenton. AG
I bought a set of Speedpro pistons last year. They are labeled as forged, but the clearance on the box says .0015 . Im thinking they are really hypereutectic.
Thanks Glenn. .015" sounds right for Hypereutectic pistons. Are there any other numbers on the pistons to identify them? You need to know. AG
Brass core plugs don't corrode like steel ones do.
You are correct Shooter. At my age, its not that important!!
@@goldsgarage8236 Haha I heard that. one of the bennies of aging. Not much matters that we thought were so important.
Do you have a more detailed list of the parts you used that include the specific ones you bought?
Thanks Nathan, we will work on that for you. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 thank you I really appreciate.
Hey Allan would you be kind enough to tell me what colour paint you used to paint the engine with.
The paint is called "Chevrolet Orange." You can find it at most auto parts stores. AG
Thank you, Allan
the big issue with flat cams is the taper on the crown or even the cam is incorrect. Might go through a couple boxes of lifters to get a complete proper set.
Dont use assy lube or grease in the lifter bore. Just oil make sure they spin
Shame GM stopped making theri lifters. Have used cheap PAW regrinds with GM lifters never a problem.
Thanks for your comment Gord. I missed this point on my latest camshaft video but I will cover it in the follow up soon. AG
Would a 383 Stroker be compatible with my TBI and ECM in my '88 Chevy truck? Thank You.
Thanks Wayne. Not sure, I don't have expertise on ECM's. I think you would be ok but I suggest you check with an expert. AG
Does this build work for my 1991 c1500 350 or for the older versions of the 350?
For sure Joel. Your 1991 c1500 I think will have an 880 casting number block, fuel injection, a passenger side dipstick, one piece rear main seal but I am pretty sure it will still have a flat tappet cam. GM phased out their inventory of flat tappet cams in the trucks.
Check if it has provision for a mechanical fuel pump if you are thinking about converting to a carburetor. The electric pump in your fuel tank will have too much fuel pressure for a carburetor.
Essentially we used all the original rotating assembly, just cleaned and hand honed it, new rings and bearings, a better flat tappet cam and intake manifold. Mike ported the heads himself. We used a .015" head gasket to increase compression.
Mikes original engine had flat top pistons so your compression may be a little lower.
If you have a flat tappet engine, even an L79 (327-350HP) cam from the 64-67 Corvette, Nova or Chevelle will work well. I think Melling or Elgin make knock offs which are inexpensive.
If you do have a roller engine, you should be able to use the original roller lifters.
Do some investigation, research and homework (planning) yourself.
Let me know if you have any questions.
AG
Any parts list for the top end? I just wanna build the top end
Thanks for the question Jnancelvr. Mike Kimble, can you weight in on this question for me please? AG
👍👍👍👍
Thanks for the comment medium. More to come. AG
How did you keep the engine from flash rusting after washing?
Thanks Teabag. Just spray some WD40 or similar on the bores and machine surfaces. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 heard!
Can you throw in the parts list on here somewhere? 😂
Thanks Jnancelvr, I will ask Mike to post this for me. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 you also posted one for $1,600
Nice build.
Regarding flat tappets I think the new dismond coated lifters from comp cam might be the best alternative. Itll be my choice just a little ease of mind.
After listening to Godbold it does sound like a good lifter. Interesting interview all in all.
ua-cam.com/video/z9Ui5AEIwNs/v-deo.html
Thanks for the tip and the link Magnus, I will look into this. AG
DLC?
@@stevenbelue5496 yeah. I guess its wrong saying theyre diamond coated. But anyway..
Godbold said that if he were to build a very longlived engine hed probably go with a flat tappet and dlc lifters over roller cam. So it does seem like a good thing to have.
@@magnusdanielsson2749 DLC is great, but expensive. Only bad thing is I heard if it does come off it'll destroy an engine.
@@stevenbelue5496 not too expensive. A set of high energy lifters are $109.95 while the dlc is $123.95. The pro magnums are $134.95.
One advantage with the dlc lifter is that a very good finish is needed before dlc is added. To me this make me think those lifters might have gone through a more rigorous selection screening as a result.
I noticed you didn't check the Lifters with a straight edge to insure a crown.
Thanks Mike. Haven't got that far yet. Another way is to put 2 lifters together in the light. AG
1 hp per cub is easy theses days
Easy with a small block and hard not to beat with an LS, those things make power
Thanks for your comment Scott. AG
Id jus buy a 454 stock for 2500$
Thanks for watching and commenting Jo.AG
Please only use HQ NOS parts when bildung a reliable small Block, you just can not trust Chinese crap parts, even when reboxed by expensive Brands.
Great information buuut talk a lot and repeat a lot. Like to get to the work quicker.
Do you ever stop talking??
He might be an Ai bot
It’s like the whole job, he’s also just a small time UA-camr, give the guy a break
O.m.g you talk to much and don't do anything..
You need to yap less and build more.