Camshaft Question

[Crew Chief]

Greetings,

I purchased a used race engine and have torn it down for rebuild.
The engine builder ground all the numbers off of the end of the camshaft.

The builder/company has gone out of business, he has passed away.

I want to know what the camshaft is, it is a solid billet roller, but I would like the specs.

Does anybody here, know what camshaft company I can send it to to have it all correctly measured and create a Spec card for it?

I know at one time you could send a camshaft for measuring, but I forget what company it was.

Thanks so much for your time.

[Walter R. Malik]

Greetings,

I purchased a used race engine and have torn it down for rebuild.
The engine builder ground all the numbers off of the end of the camshaft.

The builder/company has gone out of business, he has passed away.

I want to know what the camshaft is, it is a solid billet roller, but I would like the specs.

Does anybody here, know what camshaft company I can send it to to have it all correctly measured and create a Spec card for it?

I know at one time you could send a camshaft for measuring, but I forget what company it was.

Thanks so much for your time.

Anybody with a "cam doctor" can do what you want.

[Crew Chief]

Thanks,

[CamKing]

The only thing that's tricky, is calculating what the lash should be. For that, you want to send it to someone who understands cam design.
We can do it. Cost is $20

[Crew Chief]

Thank you sir, I will give you a call tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[Elroy]

The only thing that's tricky, is calculating what the lash should be. For that, you want to send it to someone who understands cam design.
We can do it. Cost is $20

That's certainly reasonable

[lance flake]

I hate it when someone does this. Sure makes it harder on the next guy.

[CamKing]

I hate it when someone does this. Sure makes it harder on the next guy.

I assume you're talking about grinding the numbers off the back of the cam.
This is extremely common in circle track racing. Many customers will take their winning engine that the engine builder worked hard to develop, and the next season, take it to someone else, because they're cheaper. The engine builders are just trying to protect their investment.
The problem I would always run into was many of my customers would pull the cam out of the engine, when they're rebuilding it, and forgot where they put the cam card, or which cam card went with which engine.
What I do now is, I stamp the invoice # on the cam, so the engine builder doesn't have to grind it off. If someone calls me, wanting to find the specs for a cam of mine, if their name isn't on the invoice that matches that number on the cam, I don't give them the info, until I talk to the person who's name is on the invoice. 95% of the time, the engine builder who originally bought the cam, knows what's going on, and has no problem with me giving out the specs. Other times, we have found some shady things going on.

[BlitzA64]

Seems kind of crazy to me. I knew a builder that wouldn't allow his customer to take the valve cover off without a phone call. If the engine went a little sour at a race they switched to the back up. After a while the builder got to trust the customer and things got a bit easier.

[lefty o]

Seems kind of crazy to me. I knew a builder that wouldn't allow his customer to take the valve cover off without a phone call. If the engine went a little sour at a race they switched to the back up. After a while the builder got to trust the customer and things got a bit easier.

there's the first clue you need a different engine builder. cant take the valve cover of an engine you own because the engine builder said so

[CamKing]

Seems kind of crazy to me. I knew a builder that wouldn't allow his customer to take the valve cover off without a phone call. If the engine went a little sour at a race they switched to the back up. After a while the builder got to trust the customer and things got a bit easier.

Wait until a competitor tells your top customer, they'll rebuild and maintain their engine for half what you charge. Your competitor will be using your old customer's success to bring in new customers, and providing them copies of the engine you spent a lot of hours developing.

[BlitzA64]

Wait until a competitor tells your top customer, they'll rebuild and maintain their engine for half what you charge. Your competitor will be using your old customer's success to bring in new customers, and providing them copies of the engine you spent a lot of hours developing.

Agreed, however grinding numbers from a camshaft just makes the "copier" work a little to copy the cam, if he is going to do it he will do it. I build my own stuff, my machinist knows the basic combination but not everything involved. Like I said once the builder learned to trust my buddy he eased up on the restrictions. They worked together for 30 years of on and off racing.

[lance flake]

I hate it when someone does this. Sure makes it harder on the next guy.

I assume you're talking about grinding the numbers off the back of the cam.
This is extremely common in circle track racing. Many customers will take their winning engine that the engine builder worked hard to develop, and the next season, take it to someone else, because they're cheaper. The engine builders are just trying to protect their investment.
The problem I would always run into was many of my customers would pull the cam out of the engine, when they're rebuilding it, and forgot where they put the cam card, or which cam card went with which engine.
What I do now is, I stamp the invoice # on the cam, so the engine builder doesn't have to grind it off. If someone calls me, wanting to find the specs for a cam of mine, if their name isn't on the invoice that matches that number on the cam, I don't give them the info, until I talk to the person who's name is on the invoice. 95% of the time, the engine builder who originally bought the cam, knows what's going on, and has no problem with me giving out the specs. Other times, we have found some shady things going on.

I understand and agree with what you say on this matter. I've only had a few come through my shop with numbers ground off. Most of those come from set-ups no one wanted to copy anyway. Nothing like someone take credit for your knowledge and hard work!

[rebelyell]

Seems kind of crazy to me. I knew a builder that wouldn't allow his customer to take the valve cover off without a phone call. If the engine went a little sour at a race they switched to the back up. After a while the builder got to trust the customer and things got a bit easier.

Wait until a competitor tells your top customer, they'll rebuild and maintain their engine for half what you charge. Your competitor will be using your old customer's success to bring in new customers, and providing them copies of the engine you spent a lot of hours developing.

I know a "retired" driver who had a pretty good truck record, less so in busch and crap in cup ... know him pretty well and have worked w/ him in busch & other projects. He had a Very good ride with a Very good team owned by a great retired driver who has Cup championships under his belt. Well, my pal decided he wanted to see the innards of his team-owned ride carb ... team owner's well-known brother built the carb & motor ... they found out that my guy'd been inside carb ... end of the road for him ... lgood night Irene!.

I fully understand protecting trade secrets and trying to get them. It's a real big deal, even at the local/regional levels of circletrack (especially cams).