Inliners International Forums Thread Like Summary - Chevy 216 camshafts

Good evening! I'm looking for regrindable camshaft cores for Chevy stovebolt 216 engines. The 216 had a forged steel cam, and a custom cam manufacturer in California tells me he can regrind steel cams for use with roller valve lifters. Cast iron cams won't make the cut. I'm in the process of designing a couple of bored and stroked stovebolt engines based on the 216 that run MOPAR big block roller lifters in slightly sleeved-down lifter bores. I'm elininating the rocker arm shafts and rockers, and replacing them with stud mounted roller rockers for a big block Chevy V8. The engines will end up with as much as 258 cubic inches with aluminum pistons and H beam connecting rods, and a compression ratio around 9.5:1 in an engine that looks like a completely stock 216 from the outside. I'm expecting to get around 150 HP, nearly twice as much as an original Babbit-rod spray oiler 216. Please PM me with availability and price if you have a 216 cam that's gathering dust on the shelf. Thanks!
Jerry

No, the sleeve reduces the diameter of the lifter bore slightly to match the smaller diameter MOPAR lifter body. A flat strut between the intake and exhaust lifters keeps the roller aligned with the lobes. The roller is narrow enough to ride fully on the slightly off center lobe. Running a roller lifter eliminates the concern with the reduced level of zinc additives (ZDDP) in modern motor oils intended for use in roller cam engines. The rotating friction of a flat tappet cam and power loss associated with a sliding, rather than a rolling motion of the cam and lifters results in more usable power being delivered to the flywheel. There is also no "break-in" required for a roller cam, and a greatly reduced risk of cam lobe failure during the initial run-in of the engine.

On the top end, I'm using stud mounted roller rocker arms designed for a big block Chevy V8, with a 1.7:1 ratio- - - -which increases the total valve lift without needing a radical camshaft lobe shape. Higher lift promotes better low end torque, since the stovebolt manifold runners and port shapes pretty much make high RPM impossible. The really nice thing is that all these modifications are invisible from the outside, making an engine with almost 40 extra cubic inches and more torque a "sleeper"!

Please send me a PM if you'd like to give those 216 cams a new home. Thanks!
Jerry