Stratos 24 valve Cam Bucket Question

[red4re]

I am in the process of checking the integrity of the engine cam buckets. Are the top of the buckets supposed to be completly flat.

[tryphon]

Yes because they're shimmed from below.

[red4re]

1. Thank you for your reply. I have inspected the 24 buckets and found that some are slightly domed or convex, some perfectly flat. I also found several that had scratches on the face. Is it true that the buckets should rotate when the cam moves through its cycle. If I have the face ground to remove the scratches, I am guessing that they will need to be heat treated. If that is true, what steel are these made of and what is the Rockwell hardness required? I also looked into replacing the buckets with new ones, I found some made for motorcycles that have a diameter of 35.5mm that could work but they are quite expensive, $48.00 US x 24 is $1152.00. Any feed back will be appreciated.

[tryphon]

First 1152 USD is insignificant for an engine worth over 200K USD.
I think you need to revert to the specialists to obtain the parts rather than starting a guessing game. If you blow this engine there's no way back.
Udo must have the parts you're looking for and so must Roberto, maybe also Randle.

[jadefarms]

Cam buckets are normally domed - around 50ft radius - best buy new ...

[Randle Roberts]

I purchased my cam buckets NOS from Maglioli years ago and believe it or not they were relatively cheap from him! About $30 each. I will be in Biella this week and will see if I can get a sample if you wish. One type used a cap on the valve stem for adjustment and the later style used a shim on top of the bucket. Don't know if they are interchangeable though. I'm with Tryphon on that engine. Too rare and valuable for guessing games and experimentation. I would send it to Aldo Zanone in Biella as he has built many of those engines and knows all the reliability updates. He can probably come up with any parts you need. Rebuilds them and runs them on his dyno so you know the horsepower developed. My engine put out 292. If you blow your heads you have nothing but interesting scraps to sell on Ebay! I didn't find him all that expensive.

[red4re]

My buckets use lash caps underneath for clearance. I have two buckets that I am concerned about. I am also wondering if cams are available for these engines.

[tryphon]

You can make new camshafts by any reputable maker or go to the specialists for a set.
Get new cam followers at the same sources.

[Randle Roberts]

Just got back from Maglioli's shop and he has a lot of 24-valve stuff but his prices are now stratospheric. If you only need two or so it might be easier just to pay the price and move ahead.

[red4re]

I had the bucket tappets ground and they turned out perfect. I now need to know if the buckets are low carbon steel and if they were heat treated using the carbon nitrate process with a surface depth to .10 to .015". I plan to send these out for heat treatment and they required this information. If you know or can tell me how to contact someone who has this information I will greatly appreciate it. Thank you

John