Popular Race Cars at Watkins Glen

[aeronca65t]

This was probably the two most popular cars at our Watkins Glen event last weekend.

The Corvette was faster but they were having fun until the T-Bird snapped a cam in its 292 motor.

 

[JPSmit]

So in other words they had Fun Fun Fun till daddy put the T Bird away?

 

[coldplugs]

...
The Corvette was faster but they were having fun until the T-Bird snapped a cam in its 292 motor.

I've always wondered how a car can "snap a cam". I can understand increased lobe wear & broken rockers due to heavier valve springs - maybe the cam breaks as a result of a broken (jammed) rocker or pushrod?

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah....I've never seen that either.

But I did talk to the owner and he's seems knowledgeable; very likeable fellow too.
He said the distributor wasn't turning (it's in the rear on a 292), but he could see some rockers moving via the oil fill plug.
In my mind the it's more likely one of the gears at the back that spins the distributor.
He has a rebuilt 312 that's supposed to be going in it for '15.

 

[LarryK]

The cams on the 292 are turned steel with a thinner setup to regular forged cams. Makes them weak and need a steady rev limiter to control over rev.