Sorry to need assistance like this but i have been working on my 400 for about 8 months now(slowly) with my experienced machinest friend helping me along the way.
Finally started it broke the cam in for 20mins at 2k, then set all the timing, fuel mixtures, and etc. Well took it down the road seemed to have real good power with my setup. Well it seemed to have a very slight valvetrain noise after this ride but everything was loud(exhaust etc.) and figured that is how it may sound. Even though i went through all the rockers and shimed them perfectly and the base circle of the cam expecially since i shaved the heads.
Well started it up the next day seemed to have got a alot louder. I switched my edelbroch 600cfm with a 650 holly double pumper which made a huge difference. With about a total of an hour running time the was getting louder so i parked to let it cool to tear the valve covers off. Well i found after rotating the motor over by hand like 6 rockers were real lose but everthing was tight. Sol i pulled the intake to inspect.
This is were my problem is. The cam and lifters are junk. But it is only two lobes on the cam and three pushrodes in various holes. Now i put the oil restrictor kit in that the guy that ran 4x4 extreme works recommended and sold me along with a high volume oil pump. So has anyone here run that restrictor kit for the top end in any of their motors with a hydraulic flat tappit cam. Trying to determine if it is junk cam or this restrictor kit limiting oil to the cam. All the cam bearings look fine, all the other lobes look good, and it looks like there is sufficent oil on top of the heads. I would think that if it was the kit that there would be more damage to the cam along with a specific damage area. I also would think that if it was the kit that the valve train would have been alot louder from not getting enough oil to pump up the lifters especially to cause damage this fast. Sorry for the long post but very worried about my project any help would be appreciated.

 

There has been a lot of discussion here on cams coming apart soon after break-in. The first question I sure we have is who is the cam manufacturer? Do a search for comp cams here on the forum and get ready to read.

 

It is a crane cam and lifters.

 

Well i guess i am going to try to put my comp xe262 i think in my new motor from my old 351m that has no damage on it to see if it gets ruined. If it does then i will tear the motor down remove the restrictor kit check the bearings on the crank, rods replace accordingly and go from there. Till i see what some of the bigger guys on here have to say about my problem.

 

Define your restrictor kit. Restricting oil to the cam journals is just fine, but you never restrict oil to the lifters on a hyd. set-up.

 

I installed the moroso oil restrictor kit just the way the directions say. I beleive that it was 3 individual restrictors that i tapped for and installed. Should i take that out. By the way i wont be putting the cam in from my other motor because it has two wiped lobes.

 

As said, there has been much discussion on this issue. You can search and read all of the opinions. Here is my .02 worth.
After building several 400’s both wild and moderate I believe the following.
1.There is no need to restrict the oil or use a Hi Volume pump. Simply make sure the bearing tolerances are correct. The cam bearings MUST be correct otherwise you will have low oil pressure.
2.The possibility of after market Cam failure is increased significantly by using factory new or used rocker arms with a cam kit that includes after market springs. The additional pressure of the springs simply is too much for the stock design. You Need Roller Rockers Period. It makes no difference who the cam manufacture is. I have seen three major manufactures cams fail with stock rockers.
There is a significant difference using roller rockers. Assemble an engine with aftermarket cam, springs & stock rockers without the pistons and rods. See how hard it is to turn over by hand. Then remove the stock rockers and replace with roller rockers. You can easily feel the difference.

If I were you I would STOP right there and tear it all down. Clean up the parts and power wash the block and especially the Oil Passages. Spend the $30 and have new cam bearing put it if you don’t have the tool. If you are lucky and the oil filter has not gone on bypass (assuming it has a bypass and didn’t simply blow up inside) then Re-assemble with new cam and lifters. Purchase Full roller rockers and the stud conversion kit from Crane. You will need taller valve covers too. A new oil pump will be a good idea also.

If the oil filter got plugged up and went to bypass then you more than likely have metal in the rods, mains & Cam bearings. The cylinder walls may already have grooves. If so, then this is usually game over and time to start all over again.

If you Don’t tear it down now and determine how bad it is then you risk another cam and more disappointment.

What ever you do don’t let it get you down.

 

If you go to the following web site, Moroso states not to use with Hyd. lifters. http://www.moroso.com/catalog/catego...?catcode=13020

The 4 that goes in the main to cam bearing area is no big deal. But where are they putting that 5th one??

Also what exact cam number and springs are you using??

 

I think mine only had three in it. Man this sucks i put all that stuff together like 6 months ago and it has been sitting on the engine stand ever since. Plus i cant find my paper work on this stuff. From what i can remember i put the big one in the center of the very rear main (#5) and one other one two the driver side of the motor. Then i put one i think in the center (#3) main. That is the only ones i put in. I have the crane 23942 kit. With comp springs good to 540 lift. Where would some one put them? Like the five pack one. I know the only ones i put in went in the top of the main bearings. TMI on the 400 you built you put a single restrictor plug in yours correct. I beleive you put yours in the very front one(#1) if i am not correct. Or am i wrong. Plus is it nessecary to run rollor lifters i know it would free up some power but ruin stuff?

 

Ttt, Where you at TMeyer

 

Fairmont, MN 56031
507-238-4141

Is that what you mean?

 

No i was waiting for you to reply about my oil kit after i tried to explain where i installed the restrictors. Like if i installed one where i shouldnt have or not.