Cam Replacement in a 351W GT40 boss engine.

[mrbobolina]

I spoke to a few shops and everyone said the same thing. If the bearings are not exposing any copper color, or damaged, then leave them be. Thank god for one piece of good news. After futher review I have zero confidence I would have reached the bearings to where they needed to go be reaching up the oil tank around the crank and pistons.

[ski4evr]

Mr Bobolina (love that name),
I changed the camshaft in my old hotrod (big block with solid lifters) three times without changing cam bearings. Like you said, no brass, no problem. The pressure and or lack of proper lubricant will eat the lobes. The cam bearings shouldn't have been exposed to the same wear as the lobes of the cam. Rock on!!

[AirTool]

I spoke to a few shops and everyone said the same thing. If the bearings are not exposing any copper color, or damaged, then leave them be. Thank god for one piece of good news. After futher review I have zero confidence I would have reached the bearings to where they needed to go be reaching up the oil tank around the crank and pistons.

If you didn't have a "low oil pressure at idle" problem, your cam bearings are probably "just fine"...
Be sure to lube it all up with the proper Lubriplate brand engine assembly grease to prevent scoring during assembly and/or start up.

http://www.lubriplate.com/products/g...ly-grease.html

[81nautique]

if you have good oil pressure leave the cam bearings alone.

I also agree with Trbenj on the cam, talk to cam research and he will grind a cam for you. He's done dozens for the boats over on CCfan including mine and I believe he's less than $300 for cam, lifters and a break in service. That's hard to beat. He has ski proven cam grinds that he uses but would also do a custom, I turn one of his cams around 5600 rpm and make 380 hp out of a 351 and it still idles and skis like a dream.

[mrbobolina]

Cam research is what I chose. It was more costly than CompCam and Crane/Summit. Cam Research will do the breakin which is awesome and I can use my stock springs which the other two recomended to change out.

Should be here next week. Right now I am painting the motor and all the parts with por15 black and alluminum color. No more rust, not more leaks and moving forward no more issues - fingers crossed.

The block will be balck, as well as all of the fresh water cooling parts. The headers, valve covers, and manifold will be alluminum. That is the plan at the moment anyway. I could change my mind if it does not look right and go all stock black. I used por15 when I refabricated my trailer last year and the paint is senstional.

[nautiboat]

"Thank God"

"G" should be capitalized.

[mrbobolina]

Cam Research Specs

Cam just got here today. It will be a few weeks still before I get the boat in the water to feel the gains.

Below are the specs.

Part Number CR202
Valve lift - .49 intake .49 exhaust
Duration - 282 intake 290 exhasut
Duration @50 218 intake 222 exhaust

Valve timing
Intake BTDC 1degrees OPEN ADDC 34Degrees CLOSE
Exhaust BBDC 49Degrees OPEN ATDC -4Degrees CLOSE

LOBE Seperatin 110 Degrees

REcomended Valve Spring Data

Install Height 1.850 lbs. 90
OPen HT 1.350 lbs. 290

Comp Cam and Crane Cam recomendations are on previous post on this chain.

[TRBenj]

.490/.490 is the same CR stick that Im running. Its quite a bit warmer than stock- Im assuming you know that. The ignition/fuel system can *probably* compensate for the difference, but that is one thing I am not certain of.

I suspect you will be very happy with the way the boat performs with it.

[JUST-IN-TIME]

crane makes all the cams

too bad they went under 2 years ago

[81nautique]

crane makes all the cams

too bad they went under 2 years ago

Not sure what you mean by "Crane makes all the cams" Lots of cam grinders out there. And Crane did close but is back in business again.