If I remove the intake can I verify the condition of the CAM on a 302? As always thanks for the help!!!! Bob
if you are trying to check to see why your "valves will not close"...it's not a "worn cam"... Cost for valve job Frank
In order to check the condition of the cam you need some very expensive tooling. Micrometers can check the cam lobe height and bearing journals but there is a taper on each lobe that is difficult to measure and to find the rate of rise you need a recording indicator fixture that will rotate the cam and record each lobe's profile. Then you can check it against the cam's specs and see if it is within tollerances. You can make a good guess by examining the lifters though. If the lifters have any cupping on the bottom (where they ride on the cam) then the cam lobes are also worn. The lifters are not supposed to be flat - they are made with a slight dome that mates to the cam's taper so they spin in their bores instead of sliding against the cam. If you have any question as to the usability of the cam after inspecting the lifters then replace both. It is cheap insurance.
Cams are cheap...if you are worried about it, put in a bigger one. Be sure to swap springs on your heads at the same time.
If you are going to add more lift or change to mechanical lifters be sure to have screw-in studs installed - the heads will have to have the stud bosses milled to accept the new studs.
Might as well get guide plates too and get rid of the rail rockers. Rail rockers are known to break with performance valve springs
