Worn Cam?

[Guest ash]

my engine has been making a hell of a noise simmilar to a traction engine or a loud sewing machine

i was told that its probably a knackerd cam .does this look excessivly worn to you guys ?

 

i have a spare head in the garage with about 1/4 of the wear to the cam..would it be worth swapping the cams ,changing the whole head or going for a brand new cam kit ?

or am i barking up the wrong tree??

any help would be greatfully recieved and if i cam get it sorted i'll see you at billing

 

thanx ash

[Guest ash]

'tother end

[Guest daveg]

Ash

 

That looks like heat discolourisation

 

Check oil is actually hitting the cam lobe

 

It certainly shouldn't be that horrible colour :boohoo:

 

Dave

[Guest salty_monk]

Is the spray bar blocked?? Looks like that oil has got very hot to go that colour...

[Guest ash]

that colour is oil (a bit dirty) I'd just removed the rocker cover .it looks like there is plenty of oil getting to it all..

i've taken the spray bar out and it looks fine

should the cam be worn/shiney all the way round or just on the "lift" part of the cam

thanx ash

[Longboarder]

The cam should be smoothly shiny on the lift part only. The back can be quite dull. The peaks should not have scratches to any extent and when they wear badly you get little ears sticking up either side like the pic. Doesn't make it sound like a traction engine though.

 

Nigel

[Guest Cantbearsed]

Here's my twopenny-worth...

 

Try your lifters. sometimes they don't lift "freely" enough and cause "clacking" sounds. Listen to any old Mk2 Vauxhall Astra and you'll her the sort of noise I mean.

 

Whip out the hydraulic lifters, wash them through (pinholes, it's always pinholes!!) and re-assemble with lots and lots of fresh, clean oil.

 

Worked on my old Astra...

 

HTH.

[Peter Bell]

Afraid you don't have hydraulic lifters in a pinto just rocking fingers. As Longboarder says look at the cam lobes for signs of wear as in his picture. if you have anything like this change the cam and followers as well as the spray bar, don't think of only changing the cam and you will be running sweetly again.

Peter.

[paolow]

i know just the noise you mean. my engine does it too - but there is a difference. my head was completely rebuilt about 100 miles ago with dipped head, new camshells, new camshaft, rockers, lapped valves, the whole works. engine has been professionally timed and tuned and the clatter it produces is awful! sounds very tappety, but the gaps are correct. very strange.

therefore, its possible that changing your shaft may not be the answer as mine still makes a racket even with a new one!