SOLVED - New engine with DOD delete and Cam Motion cam - valvetrain noise normal?

[bcbickers]

Greetings everyone!

My #6 lifter collapsed (see this thread), so I went ahead with a full rebuild: refreshed aluminum short block, DOD delete kit from Texas Speed, a Cam Motion Stage 2 truck cam with their beehive valve springs, and a Blackbear tune to make it all run right. Now that it is back together, I swear I can hear the entire valvetrain spinning, chain and everything. It sounds a little like a modern diesel or maybe like it is low on oil (oil level is fine, though). The engine is very 'staccato' now, if that makes any sense. Almost like I can feel every valve event and rotation of the cam. The valvetrain noise very pronounced when the engine is cold and lessens a bit when it warms up. The engine builder asked me to drive 500 miles, then change the oil and see if the noise is still there.

The Cam Motion camshaft I chose has a 115 LSA with .553 of lift, so it should feel just like a stock engine, right? Everything is actually perfect, save for the noise. Tons of low end power and pulls strong in the midrange. It just sounds odd and sort of drives/runs funny. For those of you that have an aftermarket cam, do you have any kind of valvetrain noise or experience any of the issues I mentioned here?

 

[Foggy]

That cam will NOT feel just like a stock cam/engine
Post the specs on that cam please...
IF you didn't have it tuned AFTER the cam install, it needs the tune updated/changed
to deal with that cam

 

[Foggy]

Greetings everyone!

My #6 lifter collapsed (see this thread), so I went ahead with a full rebuild: refreshed aluminum short block, DOD delete kit from Texas Speed, a Cam Motion Stage 2 truck cam with their beehive valve springs, and a Blackbear tune to make it all run right. Now that it is back together, I swear I can hear the entire valvetrain spinning, chain and everything. It sounds a little like a modern diesel or maybe like it is low on oil (oil level is fine, though). The engine is very 'staccato' now, if that makes any sense. Almost like I can feel every valve event and rotation of the cam. The valvetrain noise very pronounced when the engine is cold and lessens a bit when it warms up. The engine builder asked me to drive 500 miles, then change the oil and see if the noise is still there.

The Cam Motion camshaft I chose has a 115 LSA with .553 of lift, so it should feel just like a stock engine, right? Everything is actually perfect, save for the noise. Tons of low end power and pulls strong in the midrange. It just sounds odd and sort of drives/runs funny. For those of you that have an aftermarket cam, do you have any kind of valvetrain noise or experience any of the issues I mentioned here?

I looked up that cam (hopefully correctly)
It's a 206/210 duration with 115 LS and 553 lift
That will NOT behave just like a stock cam and will need to be tuned accordingly.
That's bigger than a stock 6.2 cam... and you have 5.3 L

 

[Foggy]

This cam is a great performance replacement for pickups and four wheel drive vehicles needing more power while maintaining excellent drivability, durability and fuel economy. This "high-lift" version requires our performance replacement beehive style valve springs.

The extra 15* of duration along with the added lift changes the entire airflow model
of the engine for the BETTER, but requires the tuning changes for sure.

Not sure if that will change your particular noises, but that thing can't be running
very smoothly at all.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@bcbickers Like others have said, you said that you got a tune and a larger cam is the tune compensated for the cam?

You might just by hyper aware of sound of the engine. One of these engines in good condition WILL sound like a sewing machine and does make a lot of sound but that's normal. If you've ever listened to a brand new Dodge hemi 5.7 those things are loud its all clicky clacky.

If you think there is a problem try to get a good video of the sound and post it here

 

[Foggy]

Your OE cam specs : 201 / 206 duration .481 / .481 lift
116* + 2* lobe sep
Which springs did you use ??????

 

[randeez]

did the "refesh aluminum shortblock" include decking the the block and/or heads? may need to revisit pushrod length and make sure preload is correct.

 

[iamdub]

did the "refesh aluminum shortblock" include decking the the block and/or heads? may need to revisit pushrod length and make sure preload is correct.

You know they just threw in some 7.4s and sent it.

 

[randeez]

You know they just threw in some 7.4s and sent it.

60% of the time, it works everytime

 

[bcbickers]

This cam is a great performance replacement for pickups and four wheel drive vehicles needing more power while maintaining excellent drivability, durability and fuel economy. This "high-lift" version requires our performance replacement beehive style valve springs.

The extra 15* of duration along with the added lift changes the entire airflow model
of the engine for the BETTER, but requires the tuning changes for sure.

Not sure if that will change your particular noises, but that thing can't be running
very smoothly at all.

Your OE cam specs : 201 / 206 duration .481 / .481 lift
116* + 2* lobe sep
Which springs did you use ??????

Yes, the tune was written specifically for that cam with the DOD and VVT deleted. It actually runs quite well. The transmission tune is a bit aggressive for my taste, but the engine tune seems almost perfect. Blackbear is reviewing my logs, so I hope to have an update in the next week or so. The only thing wrong, if it is wrong, is the extra noise.

The springs are the Cam Motion beehives. Good for .570 of lift, iirc.

@bcbickers Like others have said, you said that you got a tune and a larger cam is the tune compensated for the cam?

You might just by hyper aware of sound of the engine. One of these engines in good condition WILL sound like a sewing machine and does make a lot of sound but that's normal. If you've ever listened to a brand new Dodge hemi 5.7 those things are loud its all clicky clacky.

If you think there is a problem try to get a good video of the sound and post it here

Blackbear wrote a specific tune for my setup (which is great, btw). But your 'sewing machine' comment is almost dead-on to how it sounds. If that's normal, I am fine with it. After 35+ years of driving, the noise I hear typically means low or no oil. And I do tend to be hyper-aware of how all my vehicles sound. Maybe too much so sometimes. This is the first time I have modded an LS, though. So I could just be paranoid/worried over nothing.

Would they have put in some sort of break-in or lower viscosity oil? He did tell me to change the oil at 500 miles.

did the "refesh aluminum shortblock" include decking the the block and/or heads? may need to revisit pushrod length and make sure preload is correct.

According to the work order, the block was 'line-honed, .020 in.' block and heads milling, factory stock head gasket. Nothing about pushrod length, though. The builder seemed very familiar with DOD deletes but did say he had never installed a Cam Motion camshaft before. I hope that is not a red flag.