camshafts problems

[98frontier_islander]

i got a 98 240sx with single row upper timing chain.i bought a set of crower cams not the v series there regrinds little bigger than 248's except the exhaust is a little bigger on duration.i followed JWT cams install perfectly.i started it up and damn it was so noisy i could really hear it ticking,i even used the assembly lube.i broke it in for 15-20 at 1500-2000 rpms and it was still there.prior to removing the 248's it was real quiet.any ideas?

is this normal?i dont think i should need to adjust the distributor for timing right?thanks for any imput....
Modified by 98frontier_islander at 9:33 PM 5/17/2009

[truth211]

Couple of things you will have to take note of. First off you need to know if the head has been milled down or reworked at all. The reason I am asking this is because these engines are built within close tolerances. So if the head is milled down below where it should, using a higher duration cams will cause problems. It could be the pistons tapping the top of the valves, It could be improper timing (You could be a tooth out), It could be that ridiculous timing guard etc.

One thing I always learned and kept to all these years is this...If it was fine before I messed with it then it is something I did. Go back and retrace your steps. It's a pain but you will have to. Check the timing and make sure you do not need to degree your camshafts. A lot of people try to do backyard mechanic crap like switch '92 cams 240/280 cams in a '97 block (whatever) and tell you to kick it some teeth back and all this other crap. It's more hassle then it's worth. Most of the people on here have no idea what the hell they are doing. They are a trial and error people. Take it from me. I have been a mechanic for years and I am certified as well so I am not some shmoe who picked up a wrench and used it as a can opener. If these are true Crowler cams they will need to be degree'd. You will probably need to get adjustable cam gears to really get it right. But first check all your tolerances. You might just have a clearance issue. Measure your deck height, piston travel (Height in comparison to top of deck) and valve lash. If all these are within specs it cancels out a lot of other "might be" problems and solutions. If you need further help call John with ChristianKustomz. This guy knows his stuff and helped me out big time. Hit up his webite. It has his phone number and email in the contact us section. http://www.ChristianKustomz.com

I hope this helps.

[98frontier_islander]

thanks man, thats some good info.

the head was never millied down its always been in my family.these are real crower cams cause it came with everything.my only suspect is my upper timing chain tensioner.seems soft,besides that im gonna check the clearances on the valves.the cam card mentions something about degreeing ill have to find it.

recently i heard regrinds arent goo due to something being smaller and the valves wont line up,this true?

[rogoman]

recently i heard regrinds arent goo due to something being smaller and the valves wont line up,this true?

Regrinds have a smaller base circle on the lobes which require thicker valve lifter shims to obtain the proper clearance.

[98frontier_islander]

so could this be the casue of the noise?too much space between the lobes and lifters?

im better off buying drop in cams huh?

[rogoman]

The excessive ticking noise is most likely due to too much valve lifter clearance. You can buy extra thick shims from PDM Racing.http://www.pdm-racing.com/

[truth211]

Before anything I would check and see what Crowler says about degreeing your cams. This would be the right place to start. There is definitely an issue with clearance. I agree that it might need to be shimmed too if the cams have a higher lobe then stock. Everything has to be within a specific tolerances to work. So first thing to do is find out if these cams need to be degreeing. I would be money thats most of the problem if not THE problem. Hit me back and let me know what you find out.

[truth211]

So did you find out what the problem was?
Modified by truth211 at 7:43 PM 5/26/2009