The piston to valve clearance on my vindicator camshaft I was about to install is .022" on the intake side & .082" on the exhaust side. I checked the lobe sizes to a Comp Cams catalog & checked the lobe numbers to make sure I received the correct camshaft.

The camshaft was tested using a solid test lifter, adjustable pushrod & dial from a flow bench to make sure the data was correct.

I've checked this thing 4 times with the exact same results!

Hopefully this camshaft doesn't start killing other people's short blocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm867YGK5aA

 

Goddamn thats tight, i would never use one that close on anything. Sure it was degreed right?

 

Installed dot to dot & checked with a degree wheel 4 seperate times.

I even installed a magic stick to compare it to & the vindicator had over .040" less intake clearance!

I hope I can get my money back!

 

I just sent them a pm!

 

You have aftermarket heads/valves?

 

First of all, this is the wrong section. Secondly, whenever you have a problem with a vendor, its best to contact them first.

 

yeah what is the rest of the setup here.if this is on stock heads and gaskets then yeah that sucks

 

Sorry guys I just pm'd them on the issues. It's a completely stock ls1

 

It's stock 853 castings with stock graphite gaskets.

 

What's the spec of that camshaft.

Did they tell you it will clear stock heads without notching the pistons?

 

What type of valve drop did the cam have when the piston was a TDC?

 

Valve drop at 0 (top dead center) was about 205.

Jason @ Thunder posted that stock heads have valve drop on a flat surface of about .1663" 163 for head valve drop, and .055" for head gasket thickness & it's about dead nut.

 

Brings up an interesting question.

Technically, it does clear.


For a long time, the generally accepted "safe" minimum clearances were .080" intake, .100" exhaust.

I recall several years back when the LG G5X3 came out, LG even recommended flycutting with the 112lsa version as a precautionary measure, as clearance was "tight".


Since that time, we now have several cams out there that are MUCH bigger than the X3...but all are advertised only as "it clears with stock heads". Nothing about actual clearances, and nothing about meeting safe minimums.

In those few years, actual engine clearances haven't changed, but cams intended for stock engines have continued to grow in duration. .020" is still clearing, but I agree, it's not wise for longevity, and it probably doesn't meet the safe standard stated above.


Right now, I have a G5X4 (very close specs to the cam in question here), and just slid it in and never checked actual p/v clearances. I will be flycutting in the next few weeks anyways to put on some milled heads, but this thread has prompted me to check my clearance now with stock head/gasket, just for my curiousity. I have almost 2k miles on the cam, with no issues. But since i'll soon have the easy opportunity to check, I'm very interested to see how close I've been running it.

 

my 233-239 cam hit with miller .030 AFR 205s and .045 gaskets it had .078 intake and .100 exhaust with a solid lifter. when i pulle the motor the pistons had .010 spots from the intake valve.

 

does vengeance even have a website? if not, i can't find it. anybody? I'd like to know a little more about this setup from them.

Wayne

 

my 232-236 112 .585 lift with .040 gaskets and TEA 5.3L heads milled to 57cc and -2cc diamond pistons barely cleared, it was just within the .080/.100 tolerance.

 

the topic of the thread is ok, but you come off as an *** hat.... if you have a problem with a vendor, you take it up with them first. if you don't get anywhere with them, THEN you turn into the internet warrior. demanding your money back in an internet forum instead of talking to the vendor about it is pretty pointless

 

Well its actually a good thing for him to post here so that other now know this as well. Not many of us go looking around in the sponsor feedback section.

If he told only the vendor then the rest of us would still have no clue about this issue, and this issue is a major one IMO provided the info that was given is correct. i would be pissed if a vendor sold me a cam claiming it "clears" yet does not clear with the minimum generally acceptable clearences.

 

I deleted the part about wanting a refund, I'll take that up with the vendor guys.

 

Well I got slammed dunked not even last week for posting my opinion on "UNSAFE" PTV clearances on MS4 110LSA.

That is why I always preach to check PTV and degree cams that big and not just take a vendors "word" for it.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ht=MS4+110+LSA

Nice irrefutable proof in this thread (props to the poster)