Who has had a Crane Cam or lifter fail?

MrShoeBoy

New Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Location
Charlotte/Greensboro
Who has had a Crane cam or lifter failure in a Jeep motor? If you have had a product of Crane fail for what ever reason could you please post up or send me a PM or email with details on the history of the motor, what failed, causes if any, and general use of the vehicle that the motor was in. I am trying to put together a research project on cam failures after I have had two go down in my Jeep motor and figured I would start with Crane.

Thanks
 
Yo,
Flat tappet cams fail for lots of reasons. Two shure fire ways are improper breakin and swapping lifters after breakin. Shure there are other possibilities such a manufacturing defects, valve spring issues and oiling problems. Many moons ago, I remember removing a Crane Fireball solid lifter cam from an old Chevy after my friend rebuilt the motor. He mixed the lifters and within a few months one of the lobes went round. Yes, he drove the crap out of the motor because he was a hot rodder.

FYI
 
Oil, too. They've taken something out of (or added something to) motor oil in the last couple of years that's contributed to cam failures during and shortly after break-in.

But yeah, there are so many contributing factors... narrowing it down to one brand doesn't even begin to take the variability out of the investigation.
 
the fall '06 HOTROD ENGINES magazine has an article about flat tappet cam failures, causes, and changes within the industry over the last few years. Good read.
 
saf-t scissors said:
Oil, too. They've taken something out of (or added something to) motor oil in the last couple of years that's contributed to cam failures during and shortly after break-in.
Click to expand...

The machine shop that did my work suggested to run Rotella as break-in oil. He said it still has the mystery ingredient that you are talking about. But, they are in the process of redoing Rotella, maybe they won't take it out. The machine shop guy also said that is the oil recommended by Crane.
 
I still run Rotella. I'm on my four change. Next or soon I will switch it to syn. when I install my oil acculumator. It is always good to break in a cam with used or light springs.
 
I am well aware of the oiling issues with the oil currently on the shelf today. I know there are lots of issues with flat tappet cams going bad, but in the two failures I have had, motor oil was not to blame or improper break in. If it was bad oil, more than one lobe would have failed or shown signs of wear and if it was improper break in, it wouldnt have had 17,000 miles on it.

So who has first hand experiance of a Crane cam failing in a Jeep 4.0L motor?

AARON
 
the article spoke of more than just oil problems, like manufactures farming out the production of the cam blanks, change in lifter design, and changes in metalurgy for either.
 
Back
Top