Cam break in via electric motor?

[modok]

To break in a cam it will be nice to have control of the lubricant temperature and amount, maybe nice to vary the rpms. maybe light springs, maybe not. Maybe special lifters to break-in the cam and swap out to a different set afterwards.
Does need to be In the actual block, because the lifter location and angle and cam thrust of most production blocks are not exact.
If it is electric or gasoline or steam powered I doubt it will make any difference.

[modok]

Can anyone explain why you can break in a cam and tappets just fine on an old 1200 rpm max engine? And yes flat lifters.

Because it has a cam and valve springs and oiling system designed for 1200rpm


yeah it's stupid so many cam cards say 2000rpm or 2500, like it's an exact number.

it's not any special RPM, just put everything in the goldi-locks zone. Not too hot, not too cold. not too wet, not too dry, Not too fast not to slow. ECT, so on, so forth.

[jake197000]

Flat tapper cams back in the muscle car car days I doubt were broke in at the factory.maybe I'm wrong but the car owner was told not to exceed so many rpm etc.and most I'm sure they didn't flow.as I remember way more were crashed than blown up.

[Circlotron]

Maybe special lifters to break-in the cam and swap out to a different set afterwards.
Does need to be In the actual block, because the lifter location and angle and cam thrust of most production blocks are not exact.

The way I understand it, you are making two different surfaces become suited to each other. Same goes with the iffy alignment. If you change the lifter or block after the fact then you are undoing what you have achieved. Disclaimer - I have never broken in a big cam.

[cjperformance]

Flat tapper cams back in the muscle car car days I doubt were broke in at the factory.maybe I'm wrong but the car owner was told not to exceed so many rpm etc.and most I'm sure they didn't flow.as I remember way more were crashed than blown up.

Production line flat tappet cams in those days had very lazy lobes, ie, loads of seat duration, stuff all @50 duration, and low lift values. AND had springs to suit a slow lazy lobe aswell- low seat pressure, low rate. With cams like that you dont need to do much in the way of break in other than add engine oil and start it up!!

[Krooser]

I remember the old " keep it under 60 for the first (pick one) 100/300/500/1000 mile" days...

[modok]

Maybe special lifters to break-in the cam and swap out to a different set afterwards.
Does need to be In the actual block, because the lifter location and angle and cam thrust of most production blocks are not exact.

The way I understand it, you are making two different surfaces become suited to each other. Same goes with the iffy alignment. If you change the lifter or block after the fact then you are undoing what you have achieved. Disclaimer - I have never broken in a big cam.

That's a logical criticism, deserves an answer, tho I don't know where to start.

A cam can wear to fit the shape of the lifter AS it contacts the cam. Can a lifter wear to fit the "shape" of the cam?.....not really. Or, the real answer might be somewhat, but it isn't a very healthy wear pattern.

So, there is that.

Another thing is the lifter, since it spins, experiences stress reversal, meaning....if both are near the metallurgical limits of what is possible, the lifter will be the weak link as far as fatigue, and if that' so, then replacing the lifters before the surface starts coming apart can be a valid strategy. IF that is the mode of failure. And if it isn't, then make both parts harder you haven't' found the limit yet If the lifter is too soft, it works, if it's too hard, it works. Does it work better, maybe, maybe not. More important I'd say is you CAN do that, and it should work. And of course all the lifters needs to be surfaced to the same radius, but they should be anyway.
Doing the reverse, swapping a cam to a different block, re-using a lifter without re-facing it, that has really no possible benefits.