jhholloway

they look alright. As I inspect them I see that at the bottom, there is discoloration. They are a dark gray then lighten to a polish as you do up the lobe. on one there is a line, not sure is might be a scratch but can't tell. it's about 1/8th inch those are the only things I can see/feel. There are no flat spots or obvious scaring.

the cams were new and only have 200mls on them

marlinspike

Did you use a break in oil and do a bed in procedure? It may not matter for these modern cars, I only know the world of flat tappets, but these things are important in my old-fashioned world.

jhholloway

i am using mobile 1 full synthetic 10w-30 and as I rebuilt it I used the Lucas assembly lube. I called the local stealership and they said that the engine would not need break in oil.

jhholloway

Thank you for all your input and help. I called crower, the dealership, mobil 1, and consulted with a couple mast tech that I work with... To make a long story short, I decided to switch from synthetic oil for the break in stages.(first 5k). After I did it stopped tapping and I have driven about 30 mls and it's good.

this is what crower had to say.
Crower does not recommend the use of synthetic motor oil in any application, particularly in hydraulic and flat tappet camshafts. If your car manufacturer's owners manual suggests running synthetic oil, you may do so. The minimum gains in horsepower are offset by the excessive wear to cam and lifter surfaces. We have found that the benefits, of synthetic motor oil, do not outweigh the costs and may endanger your engine's life. Crower recommends a non-detergent / race only petroleum based 30wt. motor oil in all performance applications. The lack of phosphorus and zinc in current oil blends is catastrophic to engine longevity. For all applications we do recommend running our ZDDPlus additive, which adds zinc and phosphorus back into the oil. For additional information on oil, click here!

marlinspike

Crower is simplifying. Based on what you've said, it sounds to me like your cam set up is putting out more pressure than the average factory roller cam setup, which means you can gain something from listening to us flat tappet guys.

First thing you're going to do is hope that you haven't burned through the hardening yet. It doesn't sound like you have. I think, and hope, that the assembly lube saved your butt. Probably wouldn't hurt to check your clearances and make sure they're in-spec, even if the tapping did stop, if the last time you were driving it before changing the oil it was tapping.

Second thing is break it in on regular oil, but not just any old regular oil. The thin oils (the 20 and 30 weights) have been ruined by the EPA. If your car needs one of those, don't just get an off the shelf oil, not even Mobil 1 etc is any good thanks to the EPA. You can put a zinc additive in a regular oil and make it ok, but it's not as good as a ground-up oil. My list of good oils is not exclusive, but it doesn't include any that aren't good either. Brands you want:
Brad Penn - they're semi-synthetic, and less expensive than the full synthetics.
Joe Gibbs Hot Rod Oil - originally just a full synthetic, now available in a conventional as well. May not be the best thing in the world for your catalytic converters if your engine is an oil burner, but and engine is more valuable than cats...
Motul 300V - full synthetic, very expensive, but also a good oil and available in a wider variety of weights than the other ones on this list.

You won't be able to get these at Pep Boys. I order my oil online. Being from Richmond I guess you could probably drive to CDOC in Gordonsville and get Joe Gibbs oil there.