Camshaft lobes

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D366Y
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Camshaft lobes

Post by D366Y »

Evening all!
Did one of the jobs I hate the most yesterday..... valve clearances 😭

Anyway, I managed it and got it all back together relatively quickly which I was happy with, but I noticed that a couple of the cam lobes looked a bit off ...

They don't look like they have any wear and looks more like a bad cast, just though I'd see what your thoughts were??

Cheers all!
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Mc Tool »

They look fine to me , picture doesn't always tell the whole truth thoπŸ˜†.
If you have any doubt about a particular lobe you could remove its follower for a butchers . I have noticed on a few different engines with this or similar set ups that the follower tends to show real damage before its as obvious on the lobe.
Why the ( getting a bit ahead of myself πŸ™‚) firetruck did the Β½witt that invented this best engine in the world ( my arse!) put the fecking camshaft in from the rear ......probly gay , but it does turn an easy job into a major hassle .
I have heard , not ever seen ,of peeps drilling a hole in the fire wall and taking the cam out from under the dash ......probly when they discovered the head bolts were some poxy headed 12 splined socket things stuck down a hole so you cant even get vice grips on them .......πŸ˜†yeah ,I can just see it . Guy comes home friday night ,camshaft and followers in hand ,plan of attack in mind .......,beer in other hand . Sat am finds our genius standing in front of his pride and joy ( or it could be like Tom'sπŸ˜†)........I can picture the nanosecond he realises the cam comes out from the back πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Mr B »

Hi mate,

I've seen this a few times, normally on standard factory cams and other items like engine blocks etc..I guess Ford ain't one for looks and to fair rough castings are fine so long as they don't interfere with items intended purpose, inside some engine blocks the rough castings are super sharp and cut like a razor.

Wayne
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D366Y
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Currently full up and no more space but I still want a 2.8...
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by D366Y »

Thanks for the replies gents, I figured it would probably be ok but just one of those moments of panic as I'd never noticed it before!

I agree Hamish - fitting it from the back is a truly moronic thing to have done!
I'm sure PaulG once told me that he had drilled a hole to get a cam out before....?? Or that someone he knew did or something?? Long time ago so I can't remember haha
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Mc Tool »

Yeah Wayne , I guess to remove the rough cast edge of the cam lobe is another (Β£) machining job and it aint going to make a shit of difference to function or longevity so why bother. Gotta admit tho that if I had just coughed for an aftermarket camshaft and it turned up looking like that ........probly be the last camshaft I got off them . I mean its gotta look flash ......even if you cant see it ......NickπŸ˜†πŸ˜
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Mr B »

Mc Tool wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:22 pm Yeah Wayne , I guess to remove the rough cast edge of the cam lobe is another (Β£) machining job and it aint going to make a shit of difference to function or longevity so why bother. Gotta admit tho that if I had just coughed for an aftermarket camshaft and it turned up looking like that ........probly be the last camshaft I got off them . I mean its gotta look flash ......even if you cant see it ......NickπŸ˜†πŸ˜
I agree with you MC, I have had a few Kent cams over the years and would be a bit pissed off if they had those casting marks/flashing especially given the price of a Kent cam kit!
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Major_Tom »

Mc Tool wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 7:38 pm They look fine to me , picture doesn't always tell the whole truth thoπŸ˜†.
If you have any doubt about a particular lobe you could remove its follower for a butchers . I have noticed on a few different engines with this or similar set ups that the follower tends to show real damage before its as obvious on the lobe.
Why the ( getting a bit ahead of myself πŸ™‚) firetruck did the Β½witt that invented this best engine in the world ( my arse!) put the fecking camshaft in from the rear ......probly gay , but it does turn an easy job into a major hassle .
I have heard , not ever seen ,of peeps drilling a hole in the fire wall and taking the cam out from under the dash ......probly when they discovered the head bolts were some poxy headed 12 splined socket things stuck down a hole so you cant even get vice grips on them .......πŸ˜†yeah ,I can just see it . Guy comes home friday night ,camshaft and followers in hand ,plan of attack in mind .......,beer in other hand . Sat am finds our genius standing in front of his pride and joy ( or it could be like Tom'sπŸ˜†)........I can picture the nanosecond he realises the cam comes out from the back πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†
Oiiiiiiii :lol:
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Mc Tool »

He he he, ah Tom , I could have just as easily mentioned mine πŸ˜†, at least yours goes .😁😁
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by Major_Tom »

Doesn't at the mo :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Camshaft lobes

Post by SCP440 »

Yes I drilled a hole for the cam on a mates MK3 Cortina back in the 80s. We even found a rubber bung for the hole in the stores on the Monday morning.
Maybe there was more room on the car the Pinto engine was originally designed for?
A mate in Germany had a Taunus in the 80s with a 1.3 Pinto, it actually went OK and more refined than a Crossflow. The 2.3 Pinto with Turbo as fitted to some Mustangs was terrible, no more power than a European spec 2.0 and drunk fuel.
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