Bib Block Camshaft Wear?

[John D.]

I am wondering if anyone knows of an easy method for checking camshaft wear. I have 50,000 miles on my L78 and would like to know how the cam has held up. I tried using a dial gauge and magnetic base but it is not easy to find a good platform for the base and get the gauge aligned with the rockers. I don't want to remove the intake manifold to inspect the lifters because I don't believe the manifold has ever been off.

Would appreciate any advice.

John

[Duke W.]

Re: Bib Block Camshaft Wear?

That's about the best you can do other than finding a way to clamp the indicator setup to something solid.

Set the indicator plunger on the top of the rocker arm pushrod socket aligned as close as you can eyeball to the pushrod axis. Then rotate the engine until you find the base circle, zero the indicator and continue rotating to find peak lobe lift. The spec is .306" on both sides. Pushrod compression due to valvespring force and the indicator plunger moving slightly on the pushrod socket as a result of rocker arm arc will add a few thousandths error.

Check several lobes and look for consistentcy in the readings.

Duke

[Clem Z.]

Re: Bib Block Camshaft Wear?

I am wondering if anyone knows of an easy method for checking camshaft wear. I have 50,000 miles on my L78 and would like to know how the cam has held up. I tried using a dial gauge and magnetic base but it is not easy to find a good platform for the base and get the gauge aligned with the rockers. I don't want to remove the intake manifold to inspect the lifters because I don't believe the manifold has ever been off.

Would appreciate any advice.

John

cut a piece of steel 1/4" thick X 3" wide as long as the heads and bolt it to the rocker cover bolt holes and use this to mount the magnetic base. to get a true reading you will need to remove the rockers and align the indicator on a push rod.

[John D.]

Re: Bib Block Camshaft Wear?

Thanks I will give that a try.