[67Lemons]

In another thread Cliff R mentions sending out a flat tappet cam to be coated to preserve the life through break in process. I’ve seen this mentioned in a few other threads as well. Where can one send a cam & lifters for this treatment whether it be DLC, nitrated, ion coated, etc?

From another thread:

“I'd stick with a flat tappet cam but insist on USA made lifters. If Comp is DLC coating them even better. The last couple of flat tappet engines I did here used camshafts that I sent out to be "coated". It's an ion-bond process and they come back looking like black chrome plated. Without any oil at all they claim lubricity equivalent to using 5W-30 motor oil. In any case it's cheap insurance and for the couple hundred bucks it costs if nothing else you'll sleep better at night.“

[Formulajones]

Ive been doing it for years on flat tappets, including both of our daily drivers that have been dailys for about 6-7 years now with about 60k miles a piece on them.

Comp offers the service. And to take it a step further I opt for the lifters with edm holes that shoot pressurized oil right on the lobes so you aren't relying on splash lube alone. There are others that offer a lube option as well.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Sounds different than the typical parkerizing (which selectively wears away from the lobe up-ramp and tops during cam break-in).

Think i had some cams keep most of the parkerizing after some years, as if you could judge the wear as normal, successful, or not-good. Is the way to judge used cams for re-use huh.

[64speed]

I read in another post that you should stick with matched cam and lifter manufacturers. I think there is some merit to this. I used a Crower Cam and Crower Cam saver lifters. Despite a few hiccups after break in that I thought for sure would bite me I am over 1000 miles now and it seems ok

[Schurkey]

I'm a big fan of nitrided camshafts when the application is mild and a roller cam/roller lifters would be excessively expensive.

No experience with coated lifters, or how they interact with a nitrided camshaft.

EDM hole on a hydraulic lifter is a no-go. EDM only on solid lifters. "I guess" a guy could groove the lifter bores, but I have no plans for that.

[Formulajones]

They make hydraulic lifters with the lube option too. Crower makes a set, Rhoades offers their version, Comp etc.... You don't have to go solids with the EDM hole to get pressurized oil to the lobes. I only mentioned that because I have one in daily driver service that's been rock solid. It's just yet another option when people don't want a juice lifter.


I don't bother with the coated lifters, I just nitride the camshafts and use a lifter that lubes it. Has worked good for me on 2 different engines that have totaled 120,000 miles between them so far and counting. Hell with the people around here that drive their cars 1000 miles a year the setup would last them a lifetime.

On matching brand lifters with said brand camshaft, There is probably some merit to that, but I've mix matched brands to get specific cam and lifters that I wanted and to this day have never had a problem with that. I've mixed Melling with Johnson, Comp with Johnson, and just about every Pontiac guy around has mixed Rhoads with their favorite brand RAIV camshaft whether it be a Melling, a Crower, a Comp etc.....
As a matter of fact, my bird is a melling 068 with Johnson lifters and that thing has been together for years and years and I race the dog snot out of it too.