Since I am paranoid after wiping the last cam and assorted lifters I just wanted to check.  I read a Comp Cam breakin procedure.  At the end the tech said if all your push rods are turning you are ok.
I painted a stripe on my pushrods, fired it after breakin and they all turn. Can I consider my valve train good to go.  All the rockers push the springs down about the same but it is hard to measure. Tried using the tails on my calipers but had a hard time locating on the head surface. Drained the oil it looked ok ran a magnet through it no metal. Opened up the oil filter found some fine/powdered metal in the paper element. 
Is there anything else I should look for.
Thanks
Richard

fines in the filter. check the oil supley to rockers.i see most rocker shafts are badley galled due to poor or no lubrication,which causes some cuttings, and eventually cam failures.other causes would be more serius re oil pump failure, rod or main  brg isues. so look into the easey and most likeley  first. good luck cliff

The rocker arm shafts are new with rockers installed by Rocker Arm Specialty 1.6 ratio. The oil pump puts out nearly 60 psi. Everything is new in the engine. It has 20 mins on it. To be on the safe side I put a heavy magnet on the fram filter canister. The amount of powered oily metal less than 1/4 teaspoon.  I also had a flat heavy magnet on the bottom of the oilpan  near the pick up.  I tried to shove a small magnet in the oil drain hole but it just bumps up against the pick up. 
My question is how do I know the lifters and cam are broken in. The push rods spin.
Would a compression check be a good guide. Like I said I am paranoid after the last run and pulling the engine to install the new Clay Smith Cam and new lifters.
Thanks again.  

Were you able to ascertain with reasonable certainty, what likely caused the 1st failure ?


Paul

Yes the engine sat for a long time after the build. I started it a number of times at low RPM never reving. My opinion is the break in procedure was not good.
I will be doing a compression test this afternoon, if everything is jake I will run it again but would sure like to confirm:  If the push rods spin around does that mean the lifters are spining like they should after a correct break in.  
I used Valvoline racing oil and Lucas zdpt 
 

compare valve lash between a couple runs to make sure the cam and lifters aren't  going away.

-Gary Burnette-

Thanks Gary,
How much lash do you think will make a difference, and does't the break in process loosen up the lash. 

I think you are being a bit paranoid, although not without justification. The net is full of horror stories. If the lifters turn then you are almost certainly OK.. A little metal in the filter after break in is normal.. If you had a cam fail or in the process of failing you would find BIG variations in lash. Like .010 or more. I agree with Mummert. Cam failures, when they occur, are usually  in the first few minutes of the break in 

Well I had three over .015 so guess I maybe  in the dog house again.  Readjusted them ran it again push rods spin no other change in lash. Dumped the oil and filter, cut the filter and found some residue and got paranoid.  Oil was valvoline VH1 straight 50.  For what its worth I coated the cam with the moly lube provided with cam.
New oil is valvoline VH1 20-50  will get some zinc adder then run it up again.  

I think you mean VR1 rather than VH1  Valvoline VR1 has plenty of zinc right out of the bottle.  Don't add any more.
I have never checked how my lash varies during the break in of new parts but it has usually settled down after a few drives.  You have a lot going on with a new motor.  The cam is breaking in with the lifters which are breaking in with the pushrods, which are breaking in with the rocker arms, which are breaking in with the valve stems,  There will be variation in the begining.  If you got through the initial break in and the adjuster screws are all adjusted approximately the same and not changing significantly, you're probably ok.



Lawrenceville, GA