Ed,
You can't tell much by looking at the cam lobe, because the geometry is
completely different. For example, if you design a roller cam and a
flat tappet cam that produce the same lift curve, they will have
completely different lobe shapes. The roller cam will usually have a
much larger nose radius and frequently have a convex portion on the
flank (making them difficult to grind). Has anyone cut through all the
folklore about what the pros and cons truely are?
BTW, this summer I saw an Ed Winfield Model T motor with roller cam at
Speedy Bill Smith's Museum in Lincoln, NE.
Larry Young
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