TeamSwift

I bought cams from them 3 years ago. They sell reground cams, but they don't tell you.

After 5000 Km of use, I could see through the oil cap hole at the valve cover that the intake cam was damaged. One of the cam lobes was starting to lose welded material. So I took pics of it to show the problem to suzisport. After 3 months of e-mails, phone calls, faxes, etc... they told me a new intake cam was sent under warranty, and they also told me it was not reground, but new billet cam as they were experiencing some problems with reground cams.

15 days later, the cam arrived. It was a reground cam. I had no other choice, so I installed it.

2 years later (This week, after only 10.000 Km) I took out the valve cover and this is what I got:

-2 intake lobes damaged (cracked material like before)
-2 exhaust lobes damaged
-4 lifters have their "mirror" surface badly scratched and damaged due to the corresponding damaged cam lobes.

Although they did replace the cam at no cost, the replacement one was as poor quality as the first one. I suggest to stay away from Suzisport products. I would even stay away from refilled cams.


Pictures of the first bad cams are in the photo album:
http://www.teamswift.net/album_page.php?pic_id=283
http://www.teamswift.net/album_page.php?pic_id=282

Please don't confuse poorly welded reground cams with ones that are properly done, or cams that are just ground and not welded. I'm not sure why they would weld them up. I have ground many cams, some with pretty aggressive profiles, and still have retained good base circle diameter. An unwelded reground cam is no different than a stock cam as far as wear, service life, and reliability are concerned.

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

Hmmm as far as i know, regrinding a cam involves adding material to the stock core first, filling the lobes. Usually done with a welding machine, right ? Once you have done that, you regrind the lobe to the desired profile. If the filling process or hardness treatment were done improperly, then you will experince these sort of problems.

BTW, you got PM.

It is a process that can be done (welding) if you have excessively worn lobes, there is not sufficient lobe mat'l to support the grind being applied, or if there will be interference, or geometry problems once the new profile is completed. In the case of the GT cams, there is plenty of material, lots of base circle diameter, and no geometry issues. As far as I know, there is no heat treatment involved, other than maybe some preheating of the cast iron.
I have never added material to any of my cams for a few reasons. It is a time consuming process (expensive), is not generally required, and can, although rarely, be a problem.
I didn't get your PM, and what are the specs of your cams?

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

My cams are quite similar to the cams you sell. 0.340" lift and 258º duration. They were offered by Suzisport as Group A cams in the past.

I don't have a pic, but in my cams, if you look at a lobe from a side, you can clearly see the stock lobe in one color and the added material in a slightly different color.

PM sent.

Only the lift is the same. The duration numbers tell me that they are not the same grind.
I have no idea why they would do thet. Why don't you contact them and ask them?

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

So, if your cams are not refilled, then you decrease the base circle size when regrinding a profile with increased lift, right ? If so, this will lead the lifters to rest in a higher position ?

Yes, but they are hydraulic, and have more than enough preload to take uo the difference, which is ussually not signifigant.

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

Suzisport is now apparently willing to stand behind their products:
http://www.redlinegti.com/forum/vt.26214.htm

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We have been regrinding camshafts since 1970.

Regrinding a cam only requires welding if a lobe has failed to the point that the hard layer has been worn through.

Welding can be very difficult to do properly when regrinding a cam. That being said, we often receive camshafts as cores that have been previously welded and reground, and the welded lobes are not the ones that failed.

Although welding can be difficult, it is not difficult to ensure that the finished product is done properly by using a magnetic crack inspection and a hardness tester.

We specialize in cams, cam followers, cam lobes, cam sections, and cam muffs for industrial engines, especially in the natural gas compression field.

Kams, Inc. Camshaft remanufacturing and grinding