Thread: Bbc Reputation For Eating Camshafts?

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Well, with all the changes it's certainly not just the BBC's suffering from the cam going bad stuff.... Guy around here lost one in a 440 Mopar with just 300 miles on it......Lost one in a 460 about a year ago... but yeah, go roller, no problems.

In my experience, that legend is true, and it is not just the later model engines. I had both a '68 396, and a '70 427 that LOVED cams; in the seven years that I ran them, in drags and on the street, the 396 went through five cams, and the 427, two. I never did figure out what cause the problems, nor could Isky or Crane help. Everything seemed to be right on spec, but the danged things would lose the number seven/eight cylinder lobes; it almost looked like they were oil starved, or perhaps overheated in that region of the block. Now, I think it was because I ran too much cam and drove it on the street in commuting traffic as well as on the strip, but that is only a S-W-A-G. Today, I don't think I would build an engine without a roller - any engine, if it was possible.

Originally Posted by Rrumbler

In my experience, that legend is true, and it is not just the later model engines. I had both a '68 396, and a '70 427 that LOVED cams; in the seven years that I ran them, in drags and on the street, the 396 went through five cams, and the 427, two. I never did figure out what cause the problems, nor could Isky or Crane help. Everything seemed to be right on spec, but the danged things would lose the number seven/eight cylinder lobes; it almost looked like they were oil starved, or perhaps overheated in that region of the block. Now, I think it was because I ran too much cam and drove it on the street in commuting traffic as well as on the strip, but that is only a S-W-A-G. Today, I don't think I would build an engine without a roller - any engine, if it was possible.

i done over many many big blocks had a boat with a small cam wipe so it not just big lift and big springs at low speed have seen small cams go on other engines alot of it is when the engine was machine at GM the cam lifter bores are not were they need to be to spin the lifters and a long list of other things i seen a old 427 512 block eat two small soilds cam with no time on it