Thread: What's happened to camshafts?

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Tech1 Thanks for the nice comments. I am just coming up for air after I sent in my textbook manuscript last Friday. I recall starting the book about this time last year when the garage got cold and I missed all the good weather to work on the car! Now it is getting cold again and the car is sitting in the garage as I left it with the nylon speedo gear "mystery" laying on the work bench. Anyway you guys are scaring me about the flat tappet problem. I am planning to install 1.3 ratio rockers to start the engine which has been sitting for about two years and I recall reading about how you can add an extra pint or quart to increase the splash level up to the cam internally so I will add the pint of the additive Tech1 mentioned to the already filled crank with Joe Gibbs startup oil. I asked a young sales lady about which modern oils have ZDP and she said it is illegal EXCEPT for flat tappet engines. So if I ever get the engine started I will switch to AMSOIL which is available with ZDP and/or continue to use the additive mentioned above. Yes I know that additive will cure some horrible screeching damage in the "four ball test" so it is a good idea to add to regular oil changes if it is legal. Apparently it is legal if you have the flat tappet cam. At this point in my build it will be easier to do the initial miles with the 1.3 rockers and additive but what do you guys think about adding the whole pint of additive to make the total fill higher to raise the splash level in the engine for the first startup?
I just returned from my 55th high school reunion and found some of my H.S. buddies still have some flathead Fords, too bad I have gone down the fiberglass road but it is too late now. We rehashed some events that we did back in the 50's with rifles, rockets and hot rods and the conclusion was that today we would probably have done at least short terms in prison for those things today, so whew! One of my old buddies who I had not seen since 1955 told me he still has a '46 Ford deluxe coupe with a dropped front end, finned aluminum heads and dual carbs with headers on the block. I tried to almost give him the 4" Merc crank I have in my shed but he doesn't want to take it apart again to change the crank. Anyway I don't blame him. I would just wax and polish it over and over!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder