Someone mentioned to him that a lot of parts are made in China now and the quality isn’t that good and he could have got a Chinese made cam & lifters (even though he bought them from Comp Cams, if I remember correctly) and the tolerances and machining isn’t as good as American made stuff. However, I have no idea if this is true or not, but I wouldn’t doubt it (regarding stuff being made in China).
As far as Chinese made stuff. All Com Camp valve train components are made right here in the good oL’ US of A. Same with Crower, and ARP. Edelbrock lists their products made in the US but some of their stuff is cast overseas…
I can’t speak for all manufactures, but we have the biggest percentage of the aftermarket lifter production. The majority of lifters for aftermarket are manufactured in Mexico but still have to meet quality standards and testing set here in the USA. There are some joint ventures where process are performed both overseas/Mexico and here in the USA. Sometimes material and components are sourced from different countries, but still has to pass testing and print tolerances set here in the USA. I have recently reject material sourced from China and India due it it failing in testing and not meeting our company standards.
I found the receipt for the lifters!!! Come to find out, I didn’t buy them from Summit (those were the ones for my 460), I bought them from Anderson Ford Motorsport at the same time I bought the cam. The part number for the lifters is: M-6500-S58.
Speaking of AFM, I got an e-mail response back today. Here’s what they told me:
“The B-31 is a hydraulic roller camshaft with a standard roller base circle. If using the B-31 in a non-roller block, link-bar retro-fit lifters must be used. I have never, personally, used the Ford Racing lifters you refer to, but, I do not see where there should be any issue in doing so given that the pushrod length was addressed in the build process. To simplify the adjustment process, set the intake valve when the exhaust just starts to open, and, set the exhaust when the intake just completely closes. This all visual.”
So if I’m understanding their response correctly, even though the roller cam I am using is considered a “standard roller base circle” cam, it will still work in a non-roller block as long as I’m using the link bar lifters and pushrod geometry is correct. Is that how you guys interpret this also?
On another note, I took the Cat for a spin this evening and focused on oil pressure and lifters ticking. Here’s the results…Fired up the cat and oil pressure was 40 psi. I couldn’t hear any ticking noise yet. I let the car idle for about 10 minutes. As it was idling I got out of the car and listed to the exhaust (at the tail pipe). Every now and then I would hear it “pop” through the passenger tail pipe, but only randomly; like once every 10 or 15 seconds. Sometimes it would pop a couple times then a long pause. Didn’t hear any popping coming out of the driver’s side tail pipe. As the car warmed up I started hearing the ticking a little bit, but not too bad. I then backed it out of the driveway and pulled out onto the road and did about 30 and drove to the end of the road about 1/4 mile. Let off the throttle and came to a stop and I could hear the ticking sound a little more. Pulled out on the highway and headed toward town; only about 1/2 mile away and only got the RPM’s up to 2500. Didn’t get on it or anything, just nice and easy acceleration. Pulled into the gas station and got a little fuel because I was running on fumes. Fired it up after getting fuel, pulled out onto the road and headed toward a country road just around the corner. At this point the car was fully warmed up and the oil pressure was down to about 23-25 as I was driving down the road. As I got up to 60 nice and easy and held speed turning 3000 rpm, I could hear the ticking noise a little bit. Now mind you I’m running dual exhaust with glass pack mufflers and on top of that I’m also listening to the whistling sound of the wind coming through the worn out window seals and I could still hear the ticking noise fairly well. Then I let off the throttle and started slowing down so I could turn around and the lifters sounded like they were playing in a band. They were extremely loud, and I mean LOUD!!! So I turned around and headed back to town, accelerating nice and easy. It seems that when I’m accelerating or holding steady throttle at cruise, the ticking noise isn’t so bad, but when I let off the throttle the ticking noise is deafening….So I got the car home and came to a stop and monitored the oil pressure and it had dropped to about 12 psi at idle. So I revved the engine to about 2000 rpm to see if it would raise up and it slowly, and I mean slowly came back up to about 23-25 psi and stayed there, even when I let the throttle off to idle again. I shut the car off, let the oil pressure gauge go to zero, then fired the car up again and it went back up to about 15 (or so) psi and slowly raised to about 23-25 and stayed there. So that’s where we sit. What’cha guys think??
I would be checking the oil pressure issue you should have 40 or more at 2000 rpm when the car is up to operating temp. If the car is running hot it will thin out the oil.
What type of oil and wt. are you using?
The parts quality from China has a lot to do with the company who is having the parts made there and if they have a QC dept at the factory. Some companies are selling on price not quality to do that they need to cut corners to keep the cost down. Being in the parts business, I know of shops that will not warrantee the labor if the customer wants the cheepest “white box parts”. If you put one of the cheap brake rotors against a better quality rotor you will see a big differance in weight thickness and air vents.
So if I’m understanding their response correctly, even though the roller cam I am using is considered a “standard roller base circle” cam, it will still work in a non-roller block as long as I’m using the link bar lifters and pushrod geometry is correct. Is that how you guys interpret this also? Yes, with the lifters you are using and a standard base circle cam. Your cam and lifters are correct for a non roller 351w block.
Your oil pressure is not good. Your noisy lifters are reacting to the low pressure or aeration in the oil. You are either bleeding off oil pressure somewhere or introducing air into the oil system. You need to check all the internal oil plugs to make sure they are installed. The one at the rear inside the lifter gallery is one that is sometimes missed. Also the lifter gallery plugs in front behind the cam sprocket. Sometimes the one behind the dist gets missed. Another place to check is the oil pickup tube. Make sure their is no leaks at the gasket. Check the tube for cracks. I’ve seen where a pickup tube has been re-used from a failed engine only to fail again due to a cracked pickup tube. Once the engine gets hotter the steel tube grows and the crack opens up and sucks air into the oil system.
Excellent advice guys. Thank you so much. Had another guy concerned about the oil pressure also and was concerned about bearing clearances. Long story short, it sounds like an engine tear down, inspection and possible bearing replacement just got added to the “to do” list. But that will have to wait until late spring or early summer. Besides lack of finances to do that right now, I don’t feel like pulling an engine in the snow, rain and freezing weather…but I do feel like we might have narrowed down the problem and you have given me something to focus on. Thanks again guys…
FWIW, I agree that you have an oil pressure problem. Not great news… You might verify that the gauge is reading accurately.
Here’s another email I just received from AFM… They are referred to as “retro-fit” lifters as that is there purpose, to install a roller cam in a non-roller block. When you do not use the link-bar “retro-fit” lifters, you have to have a “retro-fit” camshaft with a smaller base circle so as to not push the stock style hydraulic roller lifter up into the “dog bone”.
What you are fighting is really difficult to say. Normally when you have a noise issue related to engine heat and oil viscosity you have one of two things going on. Improper clearance somewhere, or, an oil pressure issue.
Looks like I’ll be focusing on the oil pump and bearing clearance issues. With the low oil pressure I’m experiencing, this seems to be the possible problem. However, an engine tear down won’t happen until spring.
I want to thank everyone for their advice and help. It’s greatly appreciated. At least I have an idea of which direction to go…
If you have a garage where you can work you can take out the crossmember, drop the pan and plasterrgauge a few bearings before tearing down the complete motor. If the bearings are in spec take a shot at changing the oil pump. You may also want to check pushrods.
I will give you my experience with Comp Cams products, I purchased a set of roller tip rockers for the FE (shaft mount) and promptly sent them back.
The machining of the inside bushing surface was uneven on every rocker, some so loose on the shaft (which is tight on the stock arms) that they pitched side to side. One had not even been machined all the way through, you could see a 1-2mm ribbon of anodized surface INSIDE THE BUSHING.
I second the ‘cheap chinese quality’ issues with Comp, mic’ them all.
LSLRacing—that’s just the problem, I don’t have a garage to work in. I’d be crawling around under the car in the crappy weather. I know it’s not going to be difficult to drop the pan and check clearances, I’m just not sure I want to do it in the crappy weather. However, knowing how impatient I am and how much this is bugging me, and the fact that you guys have helped point me in the right direction, I’m willing to bet I’ll be crawling around under the car here in the next two or three weeks. My curiosity will get the best of me, I just know it…
Devildog—Thank you for that info. Maybe my rocker arms are contributing to some of the noise. I always thought Comp Cams sold top of the line products. Maybe I was wrong. So what brand of lifters did you go with? Are you happy with them?
I hear you been there done that not fun,Its not the kinda job you can do outside. dont know where you live but its real cold and nasty hear today. Good Luck
I know this may seem strange but how about cutting the top side of a spare valve cover off and letting the engine run so you can visually see the whats going on with the rockers anyway. This may be able to allow you to hear more precisely where the noise is coming from. FWIW 
You must be from way up north the way you describe the weather. Aint been so nice here either in Houston. Good luck