[David Eckel]

Would you, could you, in a crapcan?




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Here's the story. I had a 302 roller block built into a 331, and I'm having issues with what is probably piston slap. I'm going to have to fight with my engine builder to get it probably rebored with new pistons. I don't want any downtime with the car while he is dragging his feet to fix my 331, so I got a complete 1969 302 from a Fairlane off CL. It was advertised as having sat for about 10 years, but before the seller pulled it two months ago, he put fuel in the carb and started it. He claimed no smoke or bad noises, but that it would need a carb rebuild. I want to drop this "placeholder" 302 into my car while the 331 is getting re-re-rebuilt so I can continue to drive it.

So the 302 is on my engine stand and I'm going through it to make sure it's not a time bomb. I've pulled the pan, intake, valve covers, timing cover to inspect. I also plan to pull the heads to really get a good look at the bores. I need a new timing set since the original still has the nylon coated cam gear, with the nylon all coming apart, as well as almost enough slack in the worn out chain to remove it with my fingers. I have a double roller set coming from Summit this week. With the engine down so far, I realize it's just a few extra minutes to swap a cam. That's when I remember that my basket case 1970 Sportsroof came with a new Edelbrock cam and Performer 289 intake that I ended up not using in my 331 build. Why not put those on the "placeholder" motor while I have it apart for a little extra oomph? Great idea!

Unfortunately, these new parts sat on a dirt-floor garage and have obviously gotten some surface corrosion. Can these clean up and be used? Can I skip cleaning up the new lifters and reuse the 302's original, good condition hydraulic lifters with this new cam?

What would you do?

Oh, and here's the car as-found.





And now.

 

[Mako]

I would not, could not - Not in a box. Not with a fox. Not in a house. Not with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere! I do not like your rusty lifters and cam. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.

Sorry, (not sorry!) that has to be my favorite Dr. Seuss book, I am sure I read it to my Son (who is now 17) a few hundred times, enjoyed it every time!

Now that I have that out of my system...

I will lead by saying that I am CHEAP and I will try repurposing all sorts of things if I think I can get away with it. So, would I try cleaning up cam and lifters for use in a temporary engine, as a temporary fix? Probably so. I would try some steel wool, emory cloth, etc to see what cleans up. I would likely try the lifters as well, but letting them soak extra time in oil and verifying the internals move would be advisable. Oh, and LOTS of assembly lube...but with all of that said, you have to be willing to accept that there is a reasonable chance it will self destruct!
Have fun!

 

[GT350HR]

The bearing journals could be polished and the cam could be used. "I" would get a new set of lifters. No I would never use "used" lifters on a new cam NO ONE recommends that.

 

[Blues Power]

I would not, could not - Not in a box. Not with a fox. Not in a house. Not with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere! I do not like your rusty lifters and cam. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.!

that made my day.
my daughter is 4 i think i read that at least 5 times a night to the point I start making up my own words and rhymes and have to hear her correct me.>

 

[coupster]

I think with some elbow grease, the cam will clean up. You will have to clean it really well and then inspect to see if it is usefull. Not so sure on lifters....again, clean, clean, clean and inspect. If this is for the temp motor, it makes sense to try, but then again, you have to have the car for work...so taking a gamble on these rusty parts, may mean more delay, and also the possibility that they "may not work" can throw a monkey wrench in having the car ready by Monday morning.... it's your call on that...

 

[rbohm]

the cam will clean up. the lobes are in fine shape since they have never had a lifter on them and the coating is still intact. the bearing journals can be cleaned up nicely as well. as for the lifters i would get new ones, flat tappet hydraulic lifters are cheap enough t not even bother with trying to save those.

 

[supershifter2]

i would replace the timing set on the temporary engine and leave the cam thats in it in it. i would not bother using that new rusted cam.

 

[2nd 66]

I never would of bought that cam ,I would of bought the house brand from Jegs (did in fact) with a 351 firing order for half the price:nerd:.Seeing as how you have it now anyway I'd get the finest emery/crocus cloth I could find and clean it and the lifters up and throw them in:| Lobe still look to have the phosphate coating and the spot on the journal looks more like dried oil than rust :shrug: the lifters should clean up fine.Do not however reuse old lifters on a new cam. Rollers are a different story.

 

[David Eckel]

So I have three votes for clean 'er up and try it with new lifters, and I have one vote for leave the known good cam in the block. On the face of it, I should try to clean up the rustycam. But when I dig a little deeper, I realize the dissenting voter has 9,945 posts, and the total of the other three voters is only 3,254, almost exactly a third as many as the dissenting voter. Clearly then, there is no true consensus.

Thanks fer nothin! I'll flip a coin.

It's heads.

That means buy aluminum heads.

I think I'm on the right track, now.

 

[David Eckel]

I'll see how they clean up tonight and post some more pics.

Thanks for the input, everyone!

 

[2nd 66]

No disrespect to supershifter2 but post count doesn't make a member right or wrong

 

[zray]

I'm cheap too, and I would use that cam, .......for a doorstop.

I've owned & driven many cars with questionable cosmetics, including several Mustangs and Shelby's with original paint jobs, and they looked just like you'd imagine 50 year old paint would look too. But when it comes to engine internals and suspension, or brakes, going the cheapest route always turns out to be more expensive.

Z

 

[22GT]

Would you, could you, in a crapcan?



Unfortunately, these new parts sat on a dirt-floor garage and have obviously gotten some surface corrosion. Can these clean up and be used?

What would you do?

I would use ultrafine paper to clean that very minor corrosion off the lifters and camshaft, clean the daylights out of them, and use them without hesitation. I have used worse. Never had a problem.

 

[2nd 66]

what is your point about my post count and how many engines have you built since 1974 ? did you work as a mechanic for 10 years like i did ?

The OP mentioned post counts in post #9 as being a deciding factor, like I said post counts doesn't make a member right our wrong and no disrespect was meant .I've built a few engines .Been working as a mechanic for a while also 25+ years ASE brakes and suspension :shrug:
for what it's worth the 289 I'm running now was nearly seized from rust when I got it I didn't have the option of a machine shop or many new parts

 

[supershifter2]

The OP mentioned post counts in post #9 as being a deciding factor, like I said post counts doesn't make a member right our wrong and no disrespect was meant .I've built a few engines .Been working as a mechanic for a while also 25+ years ASE brakes and suspension :shrug:
for what it's worth the 289 I'm running now was nearly seized from rust when I got it I didn't have the option of a machine shop or many new parts

understood

 

[David Eckel]

Sorry, guys--I was just trying to keep the mood light with my post count observation. I should have made my winky emoticon bigger.

 

[Inthegarage]

JMHO but I would IF

I first ....soak them in penatrating overnight to see how much comes off. Then I would use one of the plastic scrubbing pads to see if the rest comes off...On the lifters I wouldn't use IF they are pitted at all..as mentioned pretty cheap to replace...This of course is JMHO

 

[2nd 66]

Sorry, guys--I was just trying to keep the mood light with my post count observation. I should have made my winky emoticon bigger.

:wink:

 

[GT350HR]

I don't have a lot of post counts either. BUT I have worked in the camshaft industry longer than ANYONE on this thread. My response was to if the cam could be used. nothing about it's performance characteristics or any other cam. Most of what I see is cosmoline (anti rust) coating on the bearing journals. The "parko" / phosphate coating on the cam lobes should not be cleaned. That coating/ surface etching is there for break in purposes. Edelbrock does NOT grind cams. they buy conservative cams from a huge manufacturer called Camshaft Machine ( in the case of the pictured cam) in Michigan. They also don't make lifters. Those pictured look like Hy lift Johnson products.
Camshaft selection is always a controversial subject on street driven cars regardless of which site it is addressed on. Good luck.
Randy

 

[22GT]

Sorry, guys--I was just trying to keep the mood light with my post count observation. I should have made my winky emoticon bigger.

My sense of humor has occasionally fallen flat, too. The risks of the printed word.