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Old 10-08-2013, 06:46 AM
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Default used cams?

See lots of used cams for sale and wanted to know how how many got bad cams and if lobes went down. Never bought a used one but was thinking about trying one.
Old 10-08-2013, 07:13 AM
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well , in my opinion,just my opinion now, I would only buy new because of warranty purposes only. I don't have money falling out of my ***,but if cam failure occurred then some compensation would be available for other com ponents from cam manufacturer. just my opinion..
Old 10-08-2013, 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by oldmano2z
well , in my opinion,just my opinion now, I would only buy new because of warranty purposes only. I don't have money falling out of my ***,but if cam failure occurred then some compensation would be available for other com ponents from cam manufacturer. just my opinion..
Not trying to butt heads here, but I'd like to know WHO actually warrantees other parts when ANY type of failure occurs. Normally there's a disclosure at the bottom of any description that days something to the effect of "off-road use only... Not responsible for shoddy installation... No warranty expressed or implied on other components..."

OP, buy whatever used cam you like if the pictures look good and the cam meets your goals. Pay with PayPal, NOT as a gift! If it shows up and it's chewed to **** or worn to hell, resolve with the seller within 30 days. If he won't, file a PayPal dispute, WITHIN 30 days, and get your money back.

Always take a screen shot of the ad, along with saved photos of the product.

And lastly, if the ad gets deleted and you feel you've been duped, PM me and I'll dig it up and reinstate the ad.
Old 10-08-2013, 07:52 AM
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If we were talking about an old school small block chevy with a regular hyd cam or soilid flat tappet cam I wouldent reuse that. Go new their cheap enough. We are using roller cams. Lobes just don't go down like talking about. If they did their was usually something else that failed to cause it. That being said as long as its not pitted to hell and has some sort of identification on the cam to verify what it is id run it. If a lifter or something spun sideways an ate the cam up I think your gonna see it long before you go to put it in and hopefully no one is trying to sell junk like that.
Old 10-08-2013, 07:54 AM
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Don't be skeeered of one. If it looks good and it has the specs you want ride with it. If it shows up looking rough then return it. Using the steps out lined above is the best way to solve that problem. I've used new ones as well as used ones with good results.
Old 10-08-2013, 10:14 AM
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Used interals. Just say, No!
Old 10-08-2013, 11:22 AM
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I bought a used cam before didn't have any problems with it sold it to buy my torquer v2 because that one was to small, just sold the torquer on here because it was to small for my 383 build... there's nothing wrong with A used cam if everything checks out
Old 10-08-2013, 12:05 PM
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Thanks for the replys, don't spend much time posting here as much as other sites and don't know as many. In this world it's hard to trust but with that being said.....the classifeds are killer here. Just gotta be fast around here.
Old 10-08-2013, 01:41 PM
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I'd be leery of buying a used cam if you can't see each lobe. More aggressive lobes like XE-R and LSK usually can take a toll on other parts and may start to wear in 8-10k miles if improper oil or components are used with the cam.

Even milder lobes or stock cams can be damaged if not properly maintained. So always try to get a pic of all the lobes. It won't be fool-proof, but any galling of the lobes means there likely is a problem with the hardening process or there was improper maintenance.
Old 10-08-2013, 04:24 PM
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I would only buy a used cam if I can verify in person the lift, duration, lsa etc is correct and the cam visually looks good. I would have no problem putting a used cam in a junkyard 5.3 swap into a cheap budget beater, but in my nice new engine, no way.
Old 10-08-2013, 05:33 PM
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I just got a used cam for my 5.3 litre I am building the cam is in awesome shape the roller cams don't wear like the tappet cams did. The cam that came out of the 5.3 is also in great shape, but I am keeping that just in case something happens. If you can see the cam personally and it's in good shape than go for it.
Old 10-08-2013, 08:45 PM
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I went with a used cam bc of funds, but did an In person buy to make sure everything was all good, online pictures make it hard to see pitting, coupled with the fact people like to take pics of the good and tend to leave the bad out...just protect yourself from being ripped off
Old 10-08-2013, 09:28 PM
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For me there is no way I would put a used cam in my car.
Old 10-13-2013, 03:04 PM
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Just bought a used cam this week like others said check for lobe wear keep pictures and ad saved and don't paypal as a gift



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