Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

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CamaroMan
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Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamaroMan »

Hi all- just experienced yet another cam failure on a new (stock) build..


Im now looking into experimenting with DIY parkerizing and testing a few new FT cams on some mule engines at my shop before trying it on customers boats..

Seems relatively straight forward- buy a Manganese solution for cast iron/steel, wrap main journals, wipe lobes with acetone/brake cleaner and wear gloves (no oil on lobes), preheat solution to 190 degrees, dip for 15 minutes, wash in water and oil cam-

Hold thumbs for next cam break in :/

Anyone have experience with this?

fyi these are low revving low lift stock spring lazy ramp cams- zero exotic stuff here so dont need any hard core racing only chimes-
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by ClassAct »

Parkerizing won’t stop a cam from going flat. You have other issues.
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by mag2555 »

Your post mentions break in issues in Boats, are these open system Boats or closed?

There is something else going on, if as manufactured the boat motor had a flat tappet cam that lived fine for 100s of hours of usage, yet you can’t get passed the time frame in which break in is taking place.

Please post up far more detail !
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by Chris_Hamilton »

I'm sure there are many here more knowledgeable, but AFAIK parkerizing is more for corrosion protection than anything else. Hence it's popularity in the gun world. I don't think it affects actual surface hardness.
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamKing »

Aren't the new cams already parkerized ?
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamaroMan »

Hi all - thanks for the replies. I was wondering if the temporary oil retention of a parkerized cam lobe might assist during break in.

Not sure what specs - its a 140 industrial GM motor based on the 151 nova 2 engine from the 60s. its so basic its quite incredible. New lifters and cam, lucas break in oil, ran 2200 for 25 minutes, motor ran great. After about 3 hours of run time I went to recheck the lash and noticed the death glitter in the oil. #1 cyl - both lifters starting to wipe themselves. Melling cam and lifters.

No i dont think new cams are parkerized from many manufacturers?

I have a new cam on the shelf and a drawer full of lifters.

Anyone have any idea what the common man can attempt to do to do some hardening themselves?

I did read manganese parkerizing is used on camshafts so this is the specific process I was planning on experimenting with - I had the same results on a new lunati cam 10 years ago and am pretty much paranoid regarding new FT cams and lifters.. I would prefer to buy cams pre-parkerized but most of them arent- I have no idea what causes failures.. so am looking into something I can experiment with (ie 10 FT cam break ins without a single failure).

https://www.enginelabs.com/news/a-look- ... ward-cams/
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamaroMan »

mag2555 wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 8:10 am Your post mentions break in issues in Boats, are these open system Boats or closed?
Are you referring to the cooling system? Open - but thats irrelevent.. regardless of specifying the water. This is engine related- the cooling system has zero effect on cam break in- all the closed cooling does is reduce the blocks corrosion over time (salt/brakish water only), and im talking years and years-
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamaroMan »

Is there ANY type of hardening for the small shop?

https://blog.metlabheattreat.com/posts/ ... camshafts/

Might call a few shops that do this and pick their brains- im open to even apply some old school flame hardening. I have access to a kiln too- maybe the cores are being made from less quality iron/steel in the cams? I really dont mind flat tappet cams and dont want to open a shooting match - im trying to be practical. I just lost a sale on a boat from this cam going bad-
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamKing »

I have never seen an aftermarket flat tappet cam that wasn't parkerized.
Can you post a picture of the new cam you have ?
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

Use the best quality HFT lifters as CamKing recommends. Johnson Hi Lift.
Use thus stuff in your motor oil.
www.molyslip.com. Moly Slip E oil supplement.

Clean the oil off the cam lobes and smear Moly paste into the metal of each cam lobe by hand.
You do not need a ton. Its not like icing a birthday cake.
Rub it in with your thumb. Then oil up it all and install.
Isky ReV Lube or other brand Moly Disulfide paste.
You want the lifters to rotate while running.
Do not muck up the lifter bores with the paste.
Its not like icing a cake. More is not better.
But you got to rub it in by hand on clean cam lobes.
I use Shell 10w40 Rotella T motor oil.

Leave the breakin oil + Moly Slip E oil supplement in.
You do not need to change the oil. Leave it in and let the Moly coat onto the moving parts. as it runs
You can change the oil filter..
On each new oil change add ½ the can of the Moly Slip E oil supplement.
This oil supplement has zinc in it too but the primary anti wear agent is the Moly.
The GM AC Delco EOS (engine assembky lube) is great too. (it also has some moly in it)
If the lifters cannot rotate the cam and lifters will fail.
Check the lifter bores edges for burrs. Sometimes minor lifter bore honing is needed on install.

If the cam is parkerized. do not remove it.

http://www.molyslip.com/products/oilfue ... upplement/
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by PRH »

Measure the lobe taper prior to install, and check for proper lifter rotation prior to firing engine up.

I have come across replacement cams that had 1/2 thou or less of lobe taper(checked by indicating across lobe with cam in the lathe).
I want to see a solid .001” taper on stock type cams, and .0015”-.0020” on performance cams.

Mopar Performance cams = not parkerized.
0689AE59-7C80-496C-A0B9-D99BD91EFF4F.jpeg
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by lefty o »

PRH wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:31 pm Measure the lobe taper prior to install, and check for proper lifter rotation prior to firing engine up.

I have come across replacement cams that had 1/2 thou or less of lobe taper(checked by indicating across lobe with cam in the lathe).
I want to see a solid .001” taper on stock type cams, and .0015”-.0020” on performance cams.

Mopar Performance cams = not parkerized.

0689AE59-7C80-496C-A0B9-D99BD91EFF4F.jpeg
looks like its been parkerized.
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamKing »

The Purple stripe Mopar cams are the only ones I've seen that aren't parkerized.
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by PRH »

looks like its been parkerized.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
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Re: Budget Parkerizing flat tappet cams at shop

Post by CamKing »

lefty o wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:01 pm
looks like its been parkerized.
No, this is parkerized.
F.T. cam.jpg
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