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| Brand new CraneCams H-272 camshaft and lifters! (Page 1/5) |
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82-T/A [At Work]
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OCT 31, 07:47 AM
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Well, I went to my storage unit this weekend, and spent some time rifling through the parts boxes. I finally sat in my Fiero and discovered two things...
- it's a lot harder to get into today than it was 13 years ago when I put it into storage at the age of ~32.
- I found a BRAND NEW Crane Cams H-272 camshaft, with a brand new set of matching Crane Cams lifters. I'm pretty excited because I'll be using this in my 3.4 build, but I had a couple of questions...
1 - The cam came with break-in fluid. Should I use that, or is there something better I should use for assembly?
2 - I plan to get a new set of 1.52:1 roller rockers. Anyone know where I can get these from? I can't seem to remember who made them.
3 - For break-in oil (other than assembly lube), should I use Shell Rotella? Along with that, are there any additives I should add in?
Finally, what happened to Crane Cams? When I go to www.CraneCams.com it takes me to CompCams. I guess they were bought out. Kind of makes me sad because I just realized that at the time I bought this cam in 2007, they were based out of Daytona, Florida. Incidentally... I made the conscious effort to put it inside the car, where I had a huge bag of desiccant. There is absolutely no rust anywhere, at all, on the camshaft. I know it's coated with something (more than likely), but I would have expected some surface rust... glad I put it inside, even if I forgot about it.
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Vintage-Nut
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OCT 31, 07:58 AM
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| quote | 82-T/A:
was 13 years ago when I put it (Fiero) into storage |
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Do you have any plans to drive it? 
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82-T/A [At Work]
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OCT 31, 08:56 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Vintage-Nut:
Do you have any plans to drive it? |
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Hahaha... yes... at least, I hope so!
I put it into storage because I took a job that required me to move every 2-4 years. But I'm mostly (finally) in a position where I'm more stable. I'd have already pulled the car out, but I'm helping my daughter restore her Fiero, and once it's running and driving and in great shape... then her Fiero goes on the street and mine goes into the garage for the same treatment. I expect to have it in the garage at the house within a year.
I have the new (rebuilt) 3.4 in my garage already, so I can work on it in the mean time.
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Dukesterpro
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OCT 31, 09:30 AM
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You dont want to use that cam, you better send it to me just to make sure you are safe from it :wink:
To answer you questions,
1. Do not use the included mix in break-in additive. Use Lucas Break-In Oil. Its the best of the best.
2. Not my area of expertise.
3. See number one.
Assemble everything with a generous helping of Lucas assembly oil. It goes on like red snot and sticks to everything. Its fantastic!
Good luck![This message has been edited by Dukesterpro (edited 10-31-2023).]
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lou_dias
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OCT 31, 09:42 AM
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I would try to find some used 1.6 roller fulcrum rockers from one of many blow 3X00 motors at a pick-n-pull if I were you. They can be used with Fiero heads.
I'd also switch the the Fiero Store SS valves which have a narrower stem at the valve opening for increased flow.
If you want to buy the full roller 1.6 rockers from Summit, I can sell you a pair of valve cover spacers that you'd have to sandwich between a Firebird 2.8 valve cover gasket and the Fiero valve cover gasket.
Because the Summit rockers use a 3/8" nut, I'd also get the CRANE10mm->3/8 stud adapters if you go that route.
In this picture of my original 3400 block rebuilt with DOHC pistons with Fiero heads and accessories - you can see why you'd need the valve cover spacers:
 [This message has been edited by lou_dias (edited 10-31-2023).]
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sleek fiero
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OCT 31, 10:07 AM
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Hi Todd;
Nearest I can tell Crane is now based out of Australia. Comp cams has the 1.52 steel roller tips that I used. With that cam you have I would not use 1.6 rockers without checking valve to piston clearance as you might have to flycut reliefs in the pistons. Definitly use proper assembly lube or moly assembly grease. Lucas has very good high Zinc oils for engines with flat tappet cams. the zinc will give your cam a chance at a long life. sleek
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lou_dias
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OCT 31, 10:14 AM
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I'm running .540" lift with flat top pistons...you won't have to worry about clearance with your cam.
The only clearance issues will depend on the height of the rockers depending on which ones you use. The nut on the full-roller rockers is the issue.
$125 shipped[This message has been edited by lou_dias (edited 10-31-2023).]
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82-T/A [At Work]
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OCT 31, 12:29 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Dukesterpro:
You dont want to use that cam, you better send it to me just to make sure you are safe from it :wink:
To answer you questions,
1. Do not use the included mix in break-in additive. Use Lucas Break-In Oil. Its the best of the best.
2. Not my area of expertise.
3. See number one.
Assemble everything with a generous helping of Lucas assembly oil. It goes on like red snot and sticks to everything. Its fantastic!
Good luck!
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Thanks Duke.. both you and Sleek recommended the same oil, so I'll definitely go with that...
5-Quarts 5W-30!
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/luc-10631-1
Yeah, I knew I had this camshaft somewhere, but for some reason I never thought to look on the passenger floor, I just kept rifling through the boxes around the car, lol!
| quote | Originally posted by lou_dias:
I would try to find some used 1.6 roller fulcrum rockers from one of many blow 3X00 motors at a pick-n-pull if I were you. They can be used with Fiero heads.
I'd also switch the the Fiero Store SS valves which have a narrower stem at the valve opening for increased flow.
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Thanks Lou, I'd remembered these valves from way back in the day. I went looking for them again when you mentioned it last in one of the Tech posts. But I was running up with no leads... apparently, SI does not make these anymore, and the Fiero Store was completely sold out. The ONLY place I was able to find them, was through ARI Racing Engines. They only had them available in rebuilt cyl heads, so I ended up having to buy a set of ported Gen-1 heads w/ the SI valves installed in them. Which is good none the less, because they're ported and port-matched also... so that's good, but I had to plunk down like $750 bucks.
The only thing left is I'm considering whether or not I want to do the dog-leg mod or whatever they call it (the neck of the intake plenum). I've ported the intake plenum, and I have a ported throttle body, but I'm going for a 99.99% stock look...
| quote | Originally posted by sleek fiero:
Hi Todd;
Nearest I can tell Crane is now based out of Australia. Comp cams has the 1.52 steel roller tips that I used. With that cam you have I would not use 1.6 rockers without checking valve to piston clearance as you might have to flycut reliefs in the pistons. Definitly use proper assembly lube or moly assembly grease. Lucas has very good high Zinc oils for engines with flat tappet cams. the zinc will give your cam a chance at a long life. sleek |
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Thanks Sleek... just went down a rabbit hole doing some research. Looks like they came back in 2009 after going bankrupt, and then focused only on motorcycle engines, again... in Daytona. But then went bankrupt yet again... So sad though... they apparently lost their domain name too... ugh.
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82-T/A [At Work]
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OCT 31, 01:02 PM
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I found as much information on the cam (and lifters) as I could so that I could share the information if anyone wants to have one made. CompCams will grind a cam to the same specifications if you want them to:
Crane Cam "PowerMax Crane H-272-2": CRN-253941
Crane Cams "Performance Anti-Pump-Up" Lifters: 99286-12 (part number for a set of 12)
This is the best break-down of the cam that I could find:
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82-T/A [At Work]
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OCT 31, 01:05 PM
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Note, the stock Fiero engine has a compression ratio of 8.9:1, and the 3.4 has a stock compression ratio of 9.0:1. So that's still acceptable for the requirement of 8.75 to 10.5.
EDIT: Oh! It mentioned that I should use mineral spirits to "clean" the lifters (and camshaft) before I install it. Is this still good guidance? No idea what mineral spirits are, but I assume I can buy that at Home Depot. Anything else I should use, or is there better guidance for this?[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 10-31-2023).]
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