Identifying camshafts
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==Roller vs. flat tappet== | ==Roller vs. flat tappet== | ||
| + | [[File:Roller L ft R.jpg|thumb|400px|left|Roller cam, left; flat tappet cam, right]] | ||
Telling one from the other is relatively easy. The roller cam will have much more rounded lobes, like the big end of an egg. A flat tappet cam will be much more pointed- similar to the small end of an egg. | Telling one from the other is relatively easy. The roller cam will have much more rounded lobes, like the big end of an egg. A flat tappet cam will be much more pointed- similar to the small end of an egg. | ||
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Below is a hydraulic roller cam, the rounded lobes are readily appearant compared to the flat tappet cam to the right of it. | Below is a hydraulic roller cam, the rounded lobes are readily appearant compared to the flat tappet cam to the right of it. | ||
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Often roller cams will be made of steel and will be shiny instead of a flat black color of a flat tappet cam caused by the wear treatment it is given. | Often roller cams will be made of steel and will be shiny instead of a flat black color of a flat tappet cam caused by the wear treatment it is given. | ||
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| + | ==OEM SBC roller cam== | ||
| + | [[File:Ft vs oem roller cam nose.jpg|thumb|left|450px|Flat tappet SBC cam, left; OEM hydraulic roller cam, right]] | ||
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| + | A cam made for use in a SBC that originally came with a hydraulic roller cam will have a step machined into the nose of the cam for the retainer plate. | ||
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| + | A cam without a step could still be a hydraulic (or solid) roller cam and it could still possibly be used in a late roller block, depending on if the lobe lift and whether the factory roller lifters were used (maximum lobe lift of about 0.354" before the factory lifters can lose contact with their retainers, aka "dogbones"). Aftermarket lifters are available that are longer and prevent this from happening. The difference in the nose would mean either turning the nose down so it had a step or using a cam button to set the cam end play. | ||
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==Warnings== | ==Warnings== | ||
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