Cam oiler

[GutlessSupreme]

I have a '90 TSTE that the came went out on.. ate lobe 9 entirely. I'm installing an oiler setup in the midst of my rebuild to keep this from ever happening again. My problem now is finding a fitting to use on the end of the pipe to spray the lobes down with, without spraying too much volume or accidently starving the rest of the motor.

I was looking at these:

http://www.alemite.com/catalog/details.aspx?identifier=autolube_oilmist_fittings

Mainly at the "spray fittings." I'm more or less just asking for recommendations on CFM ratings.




thank you

[geoffinbc]

I think you are going about this the wrong way. I dont think your cam failed because it did not have an oiler. Your lobe may have faile because of lack of oil, but not because it was not supplied with it. Being a 1990 car I am guessing she hand a few miles on her and it was an older motor. More than likely some pushrods became clogged over time and oil pressure got a little lower, and began starving the rockers and heads of oil. Because the lobes of the cam are lubed by oil returning to the sump from the top end they would have been starved and the weakest one (in your case number 9 lobe) would have burnt down first.

Now it looks like you have a fresh build going on right now. Your best bet is to ensure you break it in with a dyno oil containing zinc and phosphorus which is not found in alot of oils today so think of using a diesel oil. After the break in switch to a premium oil of your choice or a synthetic if you wish.

Other tips include polishing the casting to speed up drain back and also painting the lifter valey with an epoxy paint to seal the casting.

Personaly I would not waste time with an oiler. Like you said you risk starving other important parts of the motor. Your trying to solve a problem that may never have existed.

[sharkey]

i wouldnt even bother weith this setup. ive seen lobes wipe off cams, but cam failure isnt common in these motors at all. if it was common, people would have already adressed it.

[farmerz24]

on another note, how could someone tap into the 3400 block to make piston oil squirters?

[Nightingale]

I second hearing an answer for the piston squirter question!

[bszopi]

I don't have a picture of the underside of a 3400 handy, but I can show you the 3500 oil squirter and tell you it probably wouldn't be possible...



As you can see, there is a flat spot on the bottom of the block between bores 5 and 6 where the oil sqirter mounts. Not sure if that would be possible to do on a previous 3x00 block.

[GutlessSupreme]

Believe me, at first I thought mine as an isolated case and I know it certainly isn't a prevalent problem among all 3.1s, but I have seen several cases on turbo motors where 9 and 10 have gone out (I haven't heard of this happening on any N/A 3.1s). With that being said, there are those from tgpforums who have had this happen multiple times and have good results with an auxiliary oiler.

It's not a difficult mod, it's already in place save 1 fitting, and I certainly don't want to go through the trouble of replacing this cam ever again if unnecessary. I appreciate the input but (I don't mean to sound like an ass) I'm not asking for advice against installing it, I'm asking for advice on a CFM rating. I'd rather things be over-engineered for prevention purposes than left stock where it may be a gamble.

Other tips include polishing the casting to speed up drain back and also painting the lifter valey with an epoxy paint to seal the casting.

Something I thought about but forgot to do before I handed the block over to the machine shop. I'm not willing to grind anything now that it's assembled and risk having metal shavings mix into my prelube... that was one of my main reasons for the full rebuild in the first place, the fact that I had an entire cam lobe creamated into the block.

[geoffinbc]

I would use the same jets found on valvecover spray bars. Infact you may even consider this as a solution. This way your springs are cooled by oil and then that oil will drain down onto the cam lobes.

Other things to consider with your current problem. Since it is a turbo motor and turbos heat up oil you should have a oil temp guage and keep the oil operating temperature at 200*F. Use a cooler if you have to.

If you don't know the history of this car then that could be one of the main problems right there.

Also burn't down cam lobes were also common with the cams on Camaro 3.4L's it was not that it didn't get oil it was something with the camshaft construction. Because you never herd of any 2.8L S-10's or Camaros or 3.1L Camaro cams going south. But the 3.4L Cam was the first change when they aded the cam sensor so something was wrong with a batch or two. Maybe your in the same boat.

[CNCguy]

As you know, the 3900s have 6 oil squirters but GM rerouted the oil passages and used a higher volume pump. Something to consider.

[geoffinbc]

They are also priority main feed blocks. Which the old ones were not. Another huge difference.

[sharkey]

i would venture to say that it was caused by a soft lobe. the turbo cam was a different grind, and my guess is it didnt get hardened enough. i have never heard of an n/a 3.1l having cam problems.

if your gonna use the squirter, id deffinitly make sure you have a high volume oil pump and an aftermarket oil pressure gauge to keep a close eye on the oil pressure.

[GutlessSupreme]

I would use the same jets found on valvecover spray bars. Infact you may even consider this as a solution. This way your springs are cooled by oil and then that oil will drain down onto the cam lobes.

That may be something worth looking into.. thank you, I appreciate the insight

As you know, the 3900s have 6 oil squirters but GM rerouted the oil passages and used a higher volume pump. Something to consider.

What, that I should've just started with a 3900 in the first place? lol j/k.. I wish that was in the cards.

i would venture to say that it was caused by a soft lobe. the turbo cam was a different grind, and my guess is it didnt get hardened enough. i have never heard of an n/a 3.1l having cam problems.

if your gonna use the squirter, id deffinitly make sure you have a high volume oil pump and an aftermarket oil pressure gauge to keep a close eye on the oil pressure.

Turbo cams were NOT a different grind than N/A motors.. they are identical cams. And vin V motors all have a Melling 95HV from the factory, which I replaced with a brand new one during the rebuild.

[CNCguy]

What, that I should've just started with a 3900 in the first place? lol j/k.. I wish that was in the cards.

I was just commenting that you may want to use a high volume pump and be sure that you are still getting oil to other important areas.

[geoffinbc]

Don't bother. High volume pumps are going to bee too much. The HV Melling pump he has stock is slightly oversized but I would never go any bigger. Too much volume just opens up the releif valve and dumps off into the sump at the same time increasing heat.

The best way to verify your volume is measure pressure at the beginning and the end of the system and at the end you should have at least 7PSI per 1000RPM.