Some Effects of Lubricant Composition and Tappet Rotation on Cam/Tappet Friction

A cam/tappet friction rig was constructed from a 1.6 L Ford valve train. The head casting and the camshaft were shortened so that only two journal bearings remained. Only one of the two remaining cam/tappet contacts was used as a frictional contact. All other contacts were equipped with rolling element bearings so that essentially all the turning torque came from cam/tappet friction and valve spring forces. The rig, together with a data acquisition/wave form analyzer system and a computer, was capable of measuring instantaneous torque with an angular resolution of less than one degree, and reducing the data to provide calculated values for parameters such as the friction coefficient. The experimental data were compared with results from a cam/tappet friction model to assist in interpretation. The data and model illustrated that lubricant composition and tappet rotation have important effects not only on overall friction, but also on the shape of friction versus cam angle curves.