replacing my worn cam followers (tappets)

[Vulcan Grey]

My Esprit has 74k miles, though it hasn't been driven since I took it apart a few (cough cough) years ago (3 or 4, can't remember).

I am finally getting back to working on it, now that several difficult, and previously seemingly insurmountable, hurdles were jumped!

I was checking my valve clearances last night and discovered that my cam followers (tappets) don't look so good...

the exhaust followers have several deep grooves in them (look like they aren't spinning) and the chrome plating is worn off the faces and the skirts.

The intake followers look better, but have still worn through the chrome on the sides

Then I noticed one of the exhaust followers has what appears to be a crack

You can see here @ 2 Oclock, what appears to be a crack or void in the metal. There is also a possible hairline crack on the inside, same location...

So I am buying new lightweight steel cam followers from JAE. Not really something I planned for, but I don't want to have to pick up the shrapnel if one of these should fail.

[troutrou]

Hello Travis,

Wow, I didn't even know you put it in bit such a long time ago ! The last souvenir I had of you was when you got your car originally... was 8/9 years ago I think !

Looks like it's time for me to get back up tio speed with Esprit things !

Just one little question from the unclued/naive i me: you say you will replace the followers by light weight items. But what's the advantage of lightening them ?

The spring was designed to do its just properly with the heavy OEM follower, so I don't see how it would affect the spring operation ? It would still do the job just as well as before, no worse no better ?

Please enlighten clueless Vince ;-)

[Vulcan Grey]

Hey Vince,

I did buy my Esprit in Sept 2000, so it has almost been 10 years:)

The new cam followers are stronger and less prone to cracking (they are meant to replace the 907 and twin cam followers that were cast iron). And they are interchangeable with the 910 steel (after 1988) cam followers like mine.

The steel ones are better for higher rpm's than the cast iron ones too, but probably not much different than my original followers.

[lotus4s]

Travis,

How much $ are they?

Just curious...

[Vulcan Grey]

$425

[lotus4s]

I'm surprised you aren't making them...

[Vulcan Grey]

I thought about it...

But the heat treatment/hardening would be a big guess?