I'm not saying that others won't have, or haven't had good luck with used cams, I just won't chance it again personally due to my own bad experiences. Especially knowing that I did everything correctly to make those used cams live ( new lifters, cam assembly lube, proper adjustment, etc.) and they both failed in spite of it all. I would rather wait however long it takes to save the money for new (not to mention higher performance) parts than pull an engine back out, or possibly worse yet replace the cam with the engine in the truck. Just My Very Humble Opinions.
By the way my truck is fine, knock on wood ! Good Luck.

.

 

You will be fine with your cam. These roller hydraulic cams are great for high mileage. I understand the point about lifters and all that but if this was the case there owuld be alot mroe problems with this, on this board but I ahve NEVER heard of that problem on here in the year and a half I ahve been here. Get the comp performance replacement lifters I got mine for about 180 and they are basically the same thing as the factory but with a little stiffer spring in them. There isnt going to be any new gaskets that you will need except headgaskets everything else will be reusable. You will need to put new bearings in it, I would you might as well. Those bearings are worn to a totally different journal on the crank. You also forgot new rings for the pistons. Speed isnt cheap man, no way around it. I sunk a **** load of money into my motor and the work was done by myself and mjhoward. A bearing and ring set will run you about 500 bucks. The cylinders WILL have to be honed so the rings of the new pistons will seat. Replacing the cam bearings is up to you. I would inspect them and see if there is anything wrong with them. If there is a shadow of a doubt replace them. If a cam bearing seizes on you it can cause major problems not with just messing up a cam but well you are intelligent I think you can figure it out. Bottom line dont skimp on ANYTHING your motor is only going to be as good as your weakest part. Add some ARP rod bolts while you are in there. Get a fried LQ4 but has good cylinder walls go get it honed drop the LQ9 assembly in there with new bearings, new oil pump, rod bolts, your current va;vetrain sutff, comp performance lifters and reuse all your gaskets except the head gaskets. I would recommend cometic for the head gaskets they are an extremely tough gasket.

 

Cam assembly lube is not need throw some oil on the lobes squirt some oil down on the lifters and start it up. Proper adustment on these motors is torque the rockers down to 22ft-lbs and go when the cylinder is at TDC. Thunder has the carne rockers and Im SURE he knows how to adjust them now

For the few hundred members on here and the thousands on tech that are running cams I just dont see what you are describing as a problem on the LS1 platform. The problems you are speaking of were they on an LS1 or SBC, BBC or Furd ****?

 

thats the worst idea ever...Just get a new credit card that gives 12mo intro no interest and cash back....me having no credit I only go 6mo...but I get 5% at gas stations

 

I say you do it right, per our discussion at McD's. Don't skimp. Have the block stripped, cleaned, honed. All new bearings, rings, etc. Don't skimp on it. You'll still have a BRAND NEW LQ9 for cheaper than you could buy a new one for. That's for sure. Don't skimp.

I wouldn't bore it though, because then you'll new pistons. And then you'll want to stroke it and then you'll really be broke.

Oh yeah don't skimp.

 

Yep thanks for the reminder, you guys are right. Thanks for putting the common sense back into my head. It likes to leave sometimes.