So what would you do?

[dave 62 pb]

That's a good explanation to the lack of oiling to the cam Neil , only heard of these issues now I `me getting into building a V8 and it was causing me concern , when I get around to putting my 351 Windsor together I am going to build a test bed so I can do the running in outside the car,
TBH 2500 revs for 20 mins on a fresh engine is something I have never done before always took it easy until everything settles in

[68roadrunner]

2500rpm is way too high, 1500 is enough to break a cam in.

[30psi]

When I've got involved in breaking in a cam I do a fluctuation between 1500 and 2000 rpm, but yeh 1500rpm feels fast enough. It's a long old 20 mins though.

Only thing I'd add to the points noted above is to check that each lifter moves up and down in it's bore as silky smooth as possible. I've felt bores that are a bit snaggy and would restrict the lifter freely moving and importantly free to rotate. If the lifter doesn't rotate, then you're going to lose a lobe.

[blackpopracing]

A follow up to this so far.

Sump is off, we took some mains & big ends off, and pulled the oil pump. Everything is spotless, the shells looked like they had only done about 5 miles!! Crank looks perfect as well as does the oil pump. As such he has decided that he will put the sump back on, run it for 20 mins with fresh oil & filter to get oil hot and drain it again to just flush it before we strip the cam out.

Cam has definitely lost the lobe on that cylinder though.

Good news though is it's got all the right bits in there - and it's a stroker!! 6" con rods with relieved block so it's actually a 383

[JackGriffin]

Running it again is going to risk more metal coming off the cam. Wouldn't it be better to drain what you can (heat gun on the sump if you like), and then fit the new cam?

[weldtech]

When i rebuilt my 289 i used lucas race and added some lucas break in oil and primed it to death using an electric drill on a long reach extension/socket on the oil pump drive (dizzy was removed) once the oil was warm due to being worked i put the dizzy back in and fired it up/ broke it in for the 2000rpm 20 mins as other do.

Is it worth doing a hot rinse of the engine oil by piping up a jig to the oil filter outlet and using a remote pump (an old pump driven by a drill) with oil filter in line?
I have done this for engines that have stood a while just to be double sure everywhere has oil at same pressure the pump provides. The jig had an old oil pump and pickup mounted on the side of a tray that replicated the sump. And a heat gun on the tray gets the oil really thin. I have seen it done with no in line filter, with the oil return to the tray pointed into a paint cone filter that helps to filter out and spot any debris as you flush. Used this to do transmission rinses through the cooler lines before now too.

[blackpopracing]

It is a bit of a gamble, but we figure a safe one as it will only be idle'd and not driven - so no loads put on it. It's been driven over 200 miles with the lobe going (some at high speed) - it's mostly gone now so we think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I think he's already run it but we could back that follower off I guess or even remove the pushrod so it does not run on it.

[mygasser]

i'd leave it together mark. the lifter may 'pop' out losing oil pressure when the gallery is exposed and at least the restriction of pushrod and rocker arm won't be there so again oil pressure loss can happen. as you say it'll only be idled so you're in with a good chance of sorting it without a rebuild.
neil.

[blackpopracing]

Good point Neil.

[30psi]

You could always go to the hassle of removing the lifter from the bore to avoid any further lobe wear. It'll run on 7, but at least you'll rule out any further contact with the lobe.