A Little History
COLT CAMS CUMMINS 5.9 BIG STICK CAMSHAFT
Here is a little history or break down of our Cummins chill cast billets and tappets.
Our beginning started with us looking at all the available cams in aftermarket and OEM. We decided we wanted to come up with a superior camshaft for the Cummins 5.9 that could not be bought anywhere else, so we went to a respected cam manufacturer. It began with drawings on what we feel is one of the strongest well designed chill cast billets in the industry.
These were custom made for us to our exact specifications; with wider lobes than any 5.9 (1.150”) this helps load distribution over a wider surface, especially with heavier valve springs for longer life.
- Thicker core and fillet radiuses in front of both journals on #1 cyl - This strengthens cam for less chance of breakage
- We heated treated them in a very unique way again for less chance of breakage and lobe scuffing
- All the cams are parkerized. This is for the initial start-up, break in procedure. Parco lubrite is a graphite coating done in a hot acid bath. This allows your cam lube something to hang on to and puts a barrier between your tappets and lobe so no hot spots can occur from metal on metal. This is another important detail for longevity.
COLT CAMS TAPPETS:
We also had custom tappets (lifters) made for us. These come from the same manufacturer as our camshaft cores. This guarantees proper compatibility of metals.
What is unique above others about our tappets is the crown (or convex surface) this is the #1 feature to guarantee rotation on the Cummins 5.9.
Over the last few years we have noticed a huge inconsistency of crown; in fact our customers were sending in brand new tappets that had to have crown put on them. Some of these were flat and we even found one dished. Not acceptable!
After studying the width of the lobe we decided the diameter of 1.4" was the perfect size, we also maximized the crown for the best rotation.
NOTE: Contrary to internet rumors C.R. lifters do not change timing.