A good idea but one thing comes to mind. Could be a warped head, I have seen the head be bent and the cam saddles be off but usually after a severe overheat condition and then the head was resurfaced.
I have never seen a bent camshaft yet, the word yet is there for a reason but this would be a first case if you found one. A straight edge laid in the cam saddles and if you can across the journals would tell the story there but if the failure in between the lobes this has been a point of continued failures with roller cams and I wouldn't loose sleep over it all. Cliff Ramsdell In a message dated 4/4/2006 10:18:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > One extra step I would do if it is a used cam is to install the camshaft > without the followers and make sure it is not bent. It should turn evenly > without binding. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: > >David, > >I have seen this quite a few times working at the dealer and everyone > >broke > >in the same exact place, between the intake and exhaust lobe of the #1 > >cylinder. > > > >While I haven't seen it in a few years because of the decline of the 2.2 > >and > >2.5 powered cars every once and a while it will pop up. > > > >A cam swap was all that was needed and the cars went back on the road. The > >first one got a new cam but after that they would come to me for a deal on > >a > >used cam for the car. You don't even need to change the followers, just > >the cam > >and you on your way. > > > >Hope this helps. > > > >Cliff Ramsdell > > > >In a message dated 4/4/2006 9:15:50 AM Eastern Daylight Time, > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > >>Last year my sister had her high mileage car break down for good and she > >>was > >>in need of a new daily driver. A local friend knew of a good deal on a > >>2.5 > >>powered minivan so I thought it would be a dependable vehicle for her. I > >>use > >>one myself for m company minivan and it's been quite good with me. > >> > >>It's been pretty reliable thus far but recently she's been had an > >>unusual > >>problem that's been making her feel that it may be headed for a serious > >>and > >>expensive engine repair (which she can't afford since she was laid off > >>recently). > >> > >>Last month without any prior warning signs it stalled out and wouldn't > >>restart. I went to take a quick look at it for her and discovered it was > >>a > >>pretty simple problem, the timing belt had broken. Well that was common > >>enough > >>and it wasn't complicated or expensive to repair so I didn't feel it was > >>an > >>unusual. > >> > >>The repairs went fine and it was back on the road and running fine > >>within > >>days > >>but what happened next I thought was real unusual. Again it stalled out > >>and > >>wouldn't restart. I pulled the inspection plug from the upper timing > >>belt > >>cover and the upper cam gear was turning so I knew the timing belt was > >>turning. > >> > >>She had it towed to a shop where their immediate diagnosis was a blown > >>head > >>gasket. This made little sense to me since there was no warning signs > >>and it > >>had no history of or sudden last minute overheating or smoking. They > >>said > >>they > >>ran a compression check and two cylinders were getting little to no > >>pressure. > >> > >>I didn't feel that was the right diagnosis so she had a mechanic friend > >>of > >>hers work on it at his house. He somewhat agreed with their theory but > >>when > >>the head was pulled the head gasket looked perfect. Upon further > >>inspection > >>(which should have noticed once the valve cover was removed) he > >>discovered > >>that the roller cam had snapped between the area around the last 2 > >>lobes. > >> > >>In a regular stock setup without extreme driving conditions I don't seem > >>to > >>recall seeing camshafts breaking like that. I supplied a decent 2.5 used > >>roller cam that he reinstalled the head gasket &cam and it's back to > >>running > >>normally. > >> > >>Someone told her that this was a sign that the bottom end of the motor > >>would > >>be going out soon and the engine was on borrowed time. I was thinking > >>that > >>the > >>cam breakage was just a fluke and possibly due to stress caused by the > >>timing > >>belt breaking and wouldn't have a direct influence on the lower end of > >>the > >>engine. Has anybody had any experiences with camshafts snapping under > >>routine > >>driving? If so are they having other engine problems later? > >> > >>David Salamone > >>Positive Impressions > >>Jacksonville, Florida > >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >>1982 Rampage (dual carb ongoing &taking forever project show car) > >>1987 Shelby CSX #172 (awaiting front end bodywork, but with low miles) > >>1994 Voyager 2.5 (the company minivan, alive once again with another > >>2.5) > >>1979 Dodge Omni 1.7 (backup getaround car when other stuff breaks) > > > > > -----------------------REMOVE-FOOTER-WHEN-REPLYING---------------------------- > >Questions? Visit http://www.sdml.org/ > > > >To be removed, visit http://www.sdml.org/pages/leave.html > > > > > Thanks, > Russ -----------------------REMOVE-FOOTER-WHEN-REPLYING---------------------------- Questions? Visit http://www.sdml.org/ To be removed, visit http://www.sdml.org/pages/leave.html
