Interesting Conversation With a Guy at Isky Cams

Shoebox

Well-known member
Today I called Isky cams to ask if they would sell me a flathead cam blank, and they asked me why? I responded by saying I wanted to have someone grind me a cam they no longer offer. So this fella nicely asked, so you want us to sell you a cam blank so you can have someone else grind one of OUR cams? I chuckled and said yes as YOU no longer offer it and I already had one done as a regrind and I like it, thinking I'd like to have one on a new blank, even though spendy. Surprisingly he responded by saying, well we can make that for you! He said we have our catalog cams but we have 20-30 grinds that we do on an individual request basis, I would never have guessed! What do you guys think?
 
I thought that cam was a production grind for them a I purchased one as a kit from Reds last year to add to my collection.
The only two cam core manufacturers that had been making flathead cam cores since the beginning of time(well almost) along with most all oem cams stopped flathead production some time back. The last was Camshaft Machine right after covid the raised there price to $240 dealer cost plus shipping for 59AB style and had already ceased production of 8BA style. They are now out of 59AB cores and have no intention of making any more unless it’s a huge order. I have no idea where Isky procure their cores from. It is no only flathead cores that are no longer being made but many other popular cores also.
 
I thought that cam was a production grind for them a I purchased one as a kit from Reds last year to add to my collection.
The only two cam core manufacturers that had been making flathead cam cores since the beginning of time(well almost) along with most all oem cams stopped flathead production some time back. The last was Camshaft Machine right after covid the raised there price to $240 dealer cost plus shipping for 59AB style and had already ceased production of 8BA style. They are now out of 59AB cores and have no intention of making any more unless it’s a huge order. I have no idea where Isky procure their cores from. It is no only flathead cores that are no longer being made but many other popular cores also.


I too saw a listing on Red's website for the 1007b about a year ago but was not in the market at the time. While talking with Jerry Cantrell at Schneider Cams yesterday he mentioned they produced a number of flathead 254F (previously listed as 260F) cams for Red's around the same time, however he said they no longer answer the phone or return his calls. Things look kinda bleak on the cam front.
 
I hope that they also send you a couple of their decals they used to have, with the cartoon Woodpecker with clenched teeth, smoking a cigar! I loved those:)
 
Kris Elmer at Salt City Speed Shop in Utah learned from Pete and has the pattern to grind the 1007B cam profile.
 
I hope that they also send you a couple of their decals they used to have, with the cartoon Woodpecker with clenched teeth, smoking a cigar! I loved those:)

Wasn’t that Clay Smith cams???
 

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Kris Elmer at Salt City Speed Shop in Utah learned from Pete and has the pattern to grind the 1007B cam profile.


Yes, in fact Kris resurfaced some Johnson hollow adjustable lifters for me in April. Previously Pete had done a set for me.
 
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