Pics of lifters after "break-in"

[jwhitton]

Purchased a cam, solid lifters and springs from CamResearch broken in on their machine. Had to wait a while for them to run and ship a 2nd set because the first one wiped a lobe. Well, I'm not sure I like some of the things I see on the surface of these lifters, but have never seen a set at this point of their life. I do know that I'm not comfortable with the nicks seen on almost every lifter. Some are very deep. Doesn't appear to be induced by the break-in process, but an overall quality concern. Some also have circular rings that others don't. In my opinion, they should all look one way or another, not different.

To be clear, I'm assuming the off-center grind marks were there to begin with, to promote rotation? The rings I'm talking about are concentric to the center of the face.

Looking for any input here.

Pics aren't great as they were taken with my phone. Dark color in some areas is an artifact of the lighting, all lifters are actually the same singular color.

http://s238.photobucket.com/user/cyclonic66/library/CamResearch%20solid%20lifter%20break-in?sort=3&src=wap&page=1

[jayb]

The variation in the lifters appearance would spook me too.  I wouldn't run those; I'd buy a new set and break them in on the engine.  How do the cam lobes look?  Do you see variation in their appearance also?

[jwhitton]

Cam lobes all look good. Each looks the same as the next.

[jayb]

To me it is very suspicious that the cam lobes all look the same, and the lifters look different.  Points to variation in the lifters.  I think I'd get new lifters.

When you had the problem with the wiped lobe on the last cam, was that on the break-in machine?

[jwhitton]

Yes, the previous break-in failure was on the break-in machine. At least that's what they told me. I question if it ever really happened or if that was a convenient excuse when I called asking where my cam was 2 weeks after it should have arrived.
When I asked what he thought happened, he didn't know. He said "sometimes it just happens, better on my machine than in your engine". Although that's true, the engineer in me says this should never happen. There are very few unknowns in the tribology of materials.

[machoneman]

They do look suspicious. Agree that you should not use them.

One thing I'd do, given the engine is apart, is to check your new lifters in each bore, less the cam. Slide in each lifter with a light coat of engine oil. Rotate each by hand and see if any hang up in the lifter bores.

Often a wiped cam comes about when the lifter(s) can't rotate due to a booger'ed up bore caused by varnish or other crap. A light pass with some brake fluid and fine 600 wet/dry sand paper and a good cleaning will remove any surface crap. I'd also not use a brake cylinder hone unless absolutely necessary as a previously run engine should not require reaming out the bores and unnecessarily gaining too much clearance. Btw, I'd also keep each lifter, if it passes the 'test', in their respective bore on re-assembly. 

[cjshaker]

They don't look good at all to me. Not just the nicks, but the surface finish also. In fact, to ME,  they don't even look broke in. Not saying they are lying, just that they don't look right.

I'll attempt to attach a pic of a set of shell lifters with break-in time only. Much smoother finish....almost polished like. You can easily see the reflection of my cell phone (hence, the not-so-great focus).

[Barry_R]

Not sure what to read into the variances - none of those lifter pictures show a defined pattern that can be seen in the pics.

I can tell you without question that the "rosette" swirl pattern of the grinding is exactly how the HyLift lifters of the early 90s looked - long before all the troubles we read about these days.  Lifters with a well centered rosette grinding pattern are not showing a problem at all - it's how they are made.  If you want to get an idea of flatness versus radius (they should have a radius) you can hold two of them together "foot to foot" against a light & clearly see the contour.

[rcodecj]

My Cam Research cam and lifters were broken in on the machine. The lifter bottoms were much more polished.
No nicks or marks either.

[machoneman]

That's what I noticed too, the lack of a polished look. The rosette machining pattern Barry mentioned is less of an issue IMO (because he's quite correct in how lifters were machined....at least long ago) but it's the lack of a polished or smooth surface that's troubling. Pics can lie for sure but what the heck is up with those nicks? Can't ever remember seeing the face of chilled iron lifters with nicks.