First things first.... stock cams are automatically ground with 4 degrees of advance. Clay Smith cams are ground straight up, hence the reason they need to be advanced 4 degrees. This is probably why they look different in the photos. Next, I'd be willing to bet the cam is not degreed properly. Whenever you install a cam (stock or aftermarket) you need to degree it. Don't guess... don't rely on the dots... DEGREE IT. If you leave it like it is your just asking for trouble, especially when the motor heats up and the parts start to expand. Get a degree wheel and a dial indicator and double check the cam timing. If it's a 112 lobe center, it needs to be set at 108 degrees. While I won't say it's impossible, I do think it's highly unlikely that it's a bad core. In the past ten years I've sold well over 1000 cams, and we've never had a clearance issue. However, if you double check the cam timing and you still have problems, give me a call.
