Hap, Crane cams?

[PAUL161]

Hap, what do you think about Crane cams? As I mentioned before, I think the T I bought has a new one in it. If there is a problem with them, now is the time for me to find out while everything is in pieces. I have to pull the pan and timing gear cover to replace the front split seal. The head appears to have a very slight coolant weep behind the exhaust manifold so the head will be pulled, no coolant in the cylinders or pan, so I'm assuming the head gasket wasn't installed/torqued properly. (I'm hoping anyway). PJ

 

[DrEntropy]

I'll slide in here to add a tuppence. Crane cams have always been good in anything we've put 'em in. And we've put 'em in a LOT of engines. Lifters werre more an issue. Some of the makers don't know what Rockwell hardness testing is.

 

[PAUL161]

Thanks Doc, I never gave it a thought to ask about the lifters. Dumb. :crazy:. Next time I talk to him I'll ask. Hopefully his memory is better than mine!

 

[DrEntropy]

If the builder was worth his salt, the lifters were renewed along with the cam.

 

[Silverghost]

Shouldn't you ALWAYS install new lifters with a new cam? As I understand it, the lifter "seats" to the lobe? I've heard you can put new lifters on an old cam but NEVER old lifters on a new cam.

 

[Scott_Hower]

Shouldn't you ALWAYS install new lifters with a new cam?

Yes.

Many a new cam have been ruined by people learning this the hard way.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Paul from memory, the Crane cams have their part numbers engraved on them between the lobes, Crane only offered two grinds for the MGB, a copy of the stock cam and their performance cam, which is a torquer, and taps out at about 5500. The crane performance from memory again, take alot of advance to get it to where they want you to time it, like 5-6 degrees, so it even more important on this cam to degree it and get the offset keyway or vernier timing set to dial in the cam timing where it needs to be, just setting in and lining up on the dots, would not be good way to do this cam, it would be a sleepy, and lumbering cam if not timed properly, even more so than most cams.

Here's the deal with stock or replacment timing gears, never assume thay are correct, they very seldomly are, so when using a non adjustable timing gear set, you need to set the cam in on the dots, see where you're at and then and only then order a offset keyway you need, and then you still may miss your target by a degree due to accuaracy, or lack of, of offset keyways. This is a more time consuming way to do things but less expensive than a vernier timing gear set. In my customer engine rebuilds, almost every rebuild gets a vernier, due to the fact, they either pay me more labor to do with offset keys, and pay the price of a vernier timing gear set anyway or just buy the vernier and save on labor, works out to be about the same , so we use the vernier, for many of you, your time may be considered free, so you may not mind doing it the slow way.