Finally, Ceramic Tappets!!!!!!
08-31-2004, 08:16 PM
#1
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Finally, Ceramic Tappets!!!!!!
After what seems like a million years of waiting, after tweaks in physical design, the actual sintering process and the finishing techniques to get a super smooth product...they are done!
The first monolithic ceramic tappet for the Cummins B series engines. It took tons of fracture analysis, stress intensity testing and on and on to get these things ready.
These tappets were designed for use on the 8620 steel billet camshafts we started working on last year. After some careful thought it became obvious the stock chilled iron tappet from Cummins would have a lifespan measured in minutes when run on a 8620 Steel Billet cam. The answer to me was not to use a steel tappet like some others are trying because of the increased or equal weight of the material. Ceramics play a large part in high stress aerospace components that experience heat and pressure and they take the abuse with ease. This was the driving force behind the idea of trying ceramics. Any ceramic wont work. The sintering process and the make-up of the final material is critical.
These tappets free me up to design a cam lobe that will use very extreme profiles and never worry about wear. Lets face it...the longer the time you can have the valve lifted higher the better you are. Even if the duration the valve is open is not made much longer...the time the valve can be lifted higher inside that duration can yield good gains, but these fast rate cams will wear out tappets like there is no tomorrow. Traditional stock flat tappet grinds and even the fast rate performance grinds that are out there now could never lift the valve too fast because they will wear out the tappet so fast you might not make it down the 1/4 mile track more than once. High spring pressure to control high lift and rpm also wear the stock iron tappets. The monolitic ceramic tappets dont even require a "break-in" You dont need moly based assembly lubes. You can run them on any type of cam and you can run them on a 1000 different cams if you like. They dont "wear into" the cam lobes like traditional old school tappets. As soon as you slip them into the engine...your done. You can instantly go to full power, racing, etc. The spray on parker finishes that many camshaft grinders apply did not even wear off the cam lobes during testing. The cam came out of the engine with the spray on break in lube still intact. The friction and wear is so low that that stuff you can scrape off with your fingernail...did not budge during running.
So, for the racer kinda guy or the guy who wants that extra radical camshaft be it 8620 Steel Billet or from one of our blank unground castings we use ...the tappet troubles are solved.
Weight savings are ery high. The stock Cummis tappets weighs in at 100 grams, some of the steel billets are even heavier....these monolithic ceramics weigh 42 grams!!!!! Less than half the weight
I have some photos to follow
Don~
The first monolithic ceramic tappet for the Cummins B series engines. It took tons of fracture analysis, stress intensity testing and on and on to get these things ready.
These tappets were designed for use on the 8620 steel billet camshafts we started working on last year. After some careful thought it became obvious the stock chilled iron tappet from Cummins would have a lifespan measured in minutes when run on a 8620 Steel Billet cam. The answer to me was not to use a steel tappet like some others are trying because of the increased or equal weight of the material. Ceramics play a large part in high stress aerospace components that experience heat and pressure and they take the abuse with ease. This was the driving force behind the idea of trying ceramics. Any ceramic wont work. The sintering process and the make-up of the final material is critical.
These tappets free me up to design a cam lobe that will use very extreme profiles and never worry about wear. Lets face it...the longer the time you can have the valve lifted higher the better you are. Even if the duration the valve is open is not made much longer...the time the valve can be lifted higher inside that duration can yield good gains, but these fast rate cams will wear out tappets like there is no tomorrow. Traditional stock flat tappet grinds and even the fast rate performance grinds that are out there now could never lift the valve too fast because they will wear out the tappet so fast you might not make it down the 1/4 mile track more than once. High spring pressure to control high lift and rpm also wear the stock iron tappets. The monolitic ceramic tappets dont even require a "break-in" You dont need moly based assembly lubes. You can run them on any type of cam and you can run them on a 1000 different cams if you like. They dont "wear into" the cam lobes like traditional old school tappets. As soon as you slip them into the engine...your done. You can instantly go to full power, racing, etc. The spray on parker finishes that many camshaft grinders apply did not even wear off the cam lobes during testing. The cam came out of the engine with the spray on break in lube still intact. The friction and wear is so low that that stuff you can scrape off with your fingernail...did not budge during running.
So, for the racer kinda guy or the guy who wants that extra radical camshaft be it 8620 Steel Billet or from one of our blank unground castings we use ...the tappet troubles are solved.
Weight savings are ery high. The stock Cummis tappets weighs in at 100 grams, some of the steel billets are even heavier....these monolithic ceramics weigh 42 grams!!!!! Less than half the weight
I have some photos to follow
Don~
08-31-2004, 08:48 PM
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Great work
Don,
All I have to say is thanks Don for keeping the new parts coming for your trusting customers.The tappets look great and I like the idea of using high tech stuff like ceramics.
Todd
All I have to say is thanks Don for keeping the new parts coming for your trusting customers.The tappets look great and I like the idea of using high tech stuff like ceramics.
Todd
08-31-2004, 09:00 PM
#6
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Its past time we turn the wick up some!!!
The finish on these things is insane. You can actually see yourself in them like a mirror. To aid in fracture resistance they have a taper ground into the base to spin the tappet in the bore and over the face of the cam lobe. This cuts stress way way down. Combined with the taper we are having specially ground into the actual cam lobe...there is a lower stress and lower wear rate than you could use up in 10's of millions of miles. Its a forever tappet!!
Don~
The finish on these things is insane. You can actually see yourself in them like a mirror. To aid in fracture resistance they have a taper ground into the base to spin the tappet in the bore and over the face of the cam lobe. This cuts stress way way down. Combined with the taper we are having specially ground into the actual cam lobe...there is a lower stress and lower wear rate than you could use up in 10's of millions of miles. Its a forever tappet!!
Don~
08-31-2004, 09:18 PM
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Don how are your camshafts coming? These lifters do not have to be changed when the cam is changed,huh? I heard installing the tappets are the hardest thing to install when changing cams out. Looks good , Im curious to see some results with the high lift cams. Tim
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08-31-2004, 09:26 PM
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I forget to show some of you guys these things in Muncie! I had them for a John Deere pulling tractor and had an extra one I was showing to people. Two if these things weigh less than one iron tappet.
The John Deere is running in the single turbo class and makes roughly 1300 engine dyno HP. His 8620 cam was wearing out the stock lifters in a single run. These new Ceramics have not worn out this entire season!!!!! He now runs a more radical cam and high spring pressure too!! He has run three different cam profiles on the same tappets!!!!!
Don~
The John Deere is running in the single turbo class and makes roughly 1300 engine dyno HP. His 8620 cam was wearing out the stock lifters in a single run. These new Ceramics have not worn out this entire season!!!!! He now runs a more radical cam and high spring pressure too!! He has run three different cam profiles on the same tappets!!!!!
Don~
I hate to do that tappet job again!
08-31-2004, 10:07 PM
#10
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LOL!! I have a few sets here, but the tappets you have now are just fine. The cam from DD is designed to have very low wear rates!! The lowest of them all when using a regrind! You "need" a big ol injection pump. "Need" being a multi use word
08-31-2004, 10:23 PM
#12
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The main reasons for not using rollers are the bore for the tappets is just a .630 or close to 5/8". Pretty much too small for anything commercially available. Secondly, there is no pressurized oil in the tappet bores. Splash lube only. It could be done Im sure, but the cost is probably going to outweigh any benefit for almost everyone. You could ream the block for a larger tappet, get some oil pressure up there by drilling into the oil ports somewhere and you could modify the block further for rollers to work, but man ol man the amount of dollars to get that developed is going to be spendy and the customer list is pretty dern short. This will of course require a complete tear down of the engine. The ceramic tappets are "fire and forget" No reason to pull the engine or disassemble it.
I looked into a roller pretty heavily and even have some great ideas, but the cost just keeps getting me back on the path of lower resistance.
Sure with a roller you can grind some radical profiles, but I can get pretty dern close with a fast rate flat tappet.
Don~
I looked into a roller pretty heavily and even have some great ideas, but the cost just keeps getting me back on the path of lower resistance.
Sure with a roller you can grind some radical profiles, but I can get pretty dern close with a fast rate flat tappet.
Don~
08-31-2004, 10:38 PM
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Originally posted by Don M
You "need" a big ol injection pump. "Need" being a multi use word
You "need" a big ol injection pump. "Need" being a multi use word
(once i learn to shift). Yer not talking P-pump are you? I'd hate to be able to turn 5000rpm. What about the mystical DMWBPVP injection pump? brandon.
09-01-2004, 12:32 AM
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They are expensive. You will need to graduate college and get the student loans paid for first. 
Most guys wont need them, but if you go with a billet cam...you have two choices...the heavy billet steel tappets or the lightweight ceramics. They are cool though.
Too bad the cool stuff always costs so much money.
Don~
Most guys wont need them, but if you go with a billet cam...you have two choices...the heavy billet steel tappets or the lightweight ceramics. They are cool though.
Too bad the cool stuff always costs so much money.
Don~