Steve, I have answered to your questions further in this thread.My new cam shows wider lobes than my original one. I'll check how the contact is done with the lifters. I'm afraid of having the lobes grooved like on Carl's photos...scaring for nothing???Also what is the ideal end play for the cam? Found nothing about it and how to shim as the only part showed in the part book is the chamfred washer
I have only shimmed cam end play once! That was done to install an ex works Luca Rita ignition with a very early pick up that required the timing cover to be machined away. You had to be sure the steel reluctor piece fitted to the cam end did not hit the ignition pick up that it passed through, so you were concerned both with absolute position and float. I used shims from a John Deere tractor steering box, which coincidentally fitted! Shimmed central in the pick up and to about 0.015" movement was good to control the issue. Some other electronic ignitions may be sensitive to this, but most aren't.
Normally you would not expect an issue and I think cams are very rarely shimmed for end float. That is why there is nothing to refer to on the subject, mostly it's a non problem. The camshaft thrust washer (as you say the chamfered washer) and the cam bushes are the only parts that affects camshaft end float, it isn't that big of a deal for most installations.
Some people have left the thrust washer out on assembly, (or one of the 2 thrust washers used on 200,000 series 750s, which originally also had a tanged washer). That should show up quickly, but you would have to pull it all down again to rectify. But as long as you have the thrust washer in place and the sprocket is properly seated, the play you have is the play you have.
Yes, Carl's photo are scary, and I think you are going to have little risk of this happening unless the cam itself, or the tappets/followers are defective.
Mild cam profile suggests you won't be revving over 7000, maybe not much over 6000, that helps life hugely and trick stuff like lightweight valve train parts is not an issue, a good set of standard AN springs should keep everything in order.
Whatever you do, use a break in paste as has been said. Personally I use Graphogen, colloidal graphite, which is old school but great stuff. I have been using it since the '80s but more recently discovered Norman White uses it. But I am sure the Webcam product is good too. And make sure you use one of the oils that came out well in Jim Comstock's testing and change it regularly.
It has been well covered here to always keep the revs up when breaking in, but do it generally when warming up. If after break in it is taking a while to set up carb mixture screws, don't just keep it running around 1000rpm, blip to oil the cam regularly. Care, but don't scare!
I think it is great that you are able to retain the standard bore with 100,000 miles on it. Norman White told me some time ago that he thinks a huge number of barrels have been bored that didn't need it, and specifically he thought they were good for 100,000 or more.
I am not a professional, so don't have the equipment and spent a day fettling each pair of tappets, by hand! The bores were standard, and I kept them that way, thinking of the future! You now still have 3 oversize opportunities for your bores, but possibly none for the tappet bores! Don't let that worry you, I'm sure it isn't an issue.
