NEW cam followers input needed

[Alan]

Yes just measured one and it is 3/8. Sorry for confusion. I’d go along with 3/8 and 3/4, anything else can be modified but it would be good to have a source of bits to start with.

[Tony Betts]

thank you all.

you make some very good points.

i was thinking of 3 sizes, but 2 would be much easier.

and charles its good to so people realising price to volume ratios.

i have to have a lot more than 50 sets made, but the volume i need to have made will make the price very very very agreable to both myself and customers.

as for how scarce old ones are?  im sure im in the same position as many were i have picked through the box of 200 that many times. the ones left are pitted. and although many are still useable. nobody want to buy them, and they dont look very nice in reconditioned blocks.

i am also at the point were i still have 100 old blocks for reconditioning, but ive had all the nice followers out of them?

tony

[Ian Williams]

I would suggest that it would make sense to fit a slightly increased radius in any engine so I wouldn't even offer std ones, although that said I have found no shortage of followers capable of taking a 5/8" or 3/4" radius. 1 1/2" radius maybe there is more of an issue but would std followers actually sell Tony, I guess it depends if you an make them for the price of refacing a set.

[Raleigh]

interesting thread on the cam followers.I made a jig to re profile them in the early 90's and have never had one wear like those photo's.I run the Honda valve springs too which gives you more rpm range than what the crankshaft would like.

The dropping zddp/Zinc levels in oil has been a issue here in Historic racing,oils aint oils. Seen cams and lifters chew out in one race meeting when the formulation of the oil has changed. Penrite freely give the Zddp levels of their oils. Bike oil also runs more zddp which many now use with high lift cams.

[Chris KC]

On Ian's point yes I agree it all depends on cost.
I picked up a set of followers at Beaulieu in September, mixed and matched from a large box at £1 each if I remember rightly.
But the cost of regrinding them (to standard in my case) bumps it up quite a bit.
New ones would have to be competitive with that.
Parts suitable for grinding to race specs, that's a different discussion.

[Bob Culver]

Maybe Stanley Edge or whoever chose 3/8 because they had not yet heard of ZDDP. Despite the greatly increased accel/decel 3/4 seems to function quite happily with standard springs to the revs likely used by most non sports.
I take it by pitted means rust pitted on the sides.