Yup I am an idiot. I didnt mix these up as in side by side or anything. I simply cant be sure which is which. That what happens when projects take to long and/or you forget to mark shìt.

I need to know if this is a newer or older cam from a 302. Thanks!

 

Looks like a heavily worn flat tappet, a roller cam has a highly polished finish on both the lobes and bearing surfaces.

 

Okay cool. One other question, is this cam sprocket on backwards?

 

Yep, that's backwards. That looks like a roller cam to me based on the even wear pattern across the lobes. Flat tappet cams exhibit a much different wear pattern, favoring one side of the lobe, where the lifter rides that side, this imparts the rotation in the lifter. Post the numbers (and letters)stamped into the rear of the cam.

 

Besides whats in this pic, there are no stamps. This may be a mercruiser cam. In fact as I studied it I convinced myself it is. Whatever that means huh?

 

On a side note... Are the cams expected to be snug inside new bearings?

 

Is this right?



# 1 is @ tdc

 

Do I need this?

 

Excellent link...

http://www.compcams.com/Technical/In.../Files/179.pdf

 

Somethings wrong with this cam I think... Its really stiff. All assembled it takes about 90 ft lbs of torque to turn crank and # 8 piston isnt installed yet. (Waiting for replacement rings)

It seems that the cam really tightens with the lifter retension tray installed. Its good n snug regardless. Doesnt make sense its the tray as the lifters slide freely. The bolts for the tray thread into a hole that has a bottom.

I don't know... Seems tight. Might just need broke in?

 

I greased up the cam with a generous amount of moly graphite grease.

 

Now that you've posted that second set of pics, that may be a flat tappet cam. Post pics of both cams. The roller will have lobe peaks that are more rounded than a flat tappet cam. As for "generous amounts of moly grease" on a flat tappet cam, that's exactly what you don't want. Nor on a roller cam. roller cams need no prelube, other than oil. Only thing I use moly grease on there is the distributor gear. The motor will be increasingly harder to rotate as each piston goes in, did you dip them in oil before sticking them in the hole ?

 

I didnt dip but I did put a healthy coat of oil on the pistons and in the cylinder walls...

I will have to pull the roller cam and remove the grease. Will try just using oil and see what happens.

The rotating assembly isnt hard to turn. Its just the cam.

 

Take a look at this pic this is a roller cam, notice the lobe shape and finish on all the cam lobes. What you have is not a roller cam so it cannot be use with roller lifters.

 

Sorry if I mixed up two different issues... I have two cams. The roller cam is currently installed. It is the one that seems to have a tight fit.

For a moment, I was concerned I mixed the two up. When I pull the roller cam to clean and oil, I will post a pic to confirm it is what it is.