[Airwolf]

Well I had a chance to inspect my cam this weekend and here is what I found. No surprises, I guess.

Car has ~78,500 miles on it.

Car history:

Oil has always been 505.01 or 507.00. One interval on the 507.00. And at least two maybe three were with 5W30. All the rest were with 5W40. The oil has been a mix of Elf, Total, and most recently Pentosin.

I do have to say I like the UOAs I have been getting back from Pentosin. Wear metal settled down with Iron being the exception. My last UOA had iron at 76. My guess it might have to do with some of the wear in the below pictures or just an anomaly with this sample. I will have to see what my next UOA shows.

On to the pictures:

Lobe closest to timing belt: (All lobes looked like this with the exception of the next picture, no copper streaks on any)

http://picasaweb.google.com/100418866687555134801/Camshaft?authkey=Gv1sRgCNa2_ZDqwLWxgAE#5536449616960180114


Lobe closest to tandem pump:
http://picasaweb.google.com/100418866687555134801/Camshaft?authkey=Gv1sRgCNa2_ZDqwLWxgAE#5536449280404330194

 

[chittychittybangbang]

It's not horrible and the car is certainly drivable. My car had the wear in the same lobes. The other PD I've seen with minor wear are also in the same spot. I think Franko6 is on to something with his theory that the torque spec on the rocker bolts is too high. It's just speculation but because the rocker doesn't extend all the way to the end of the caps, he thinks that a lower torque spec will result in cam wear which means it's a factory design or assembly problem. Of course, anything you do to your car that is non factory specs is at your own risk. I used a few ft-lbs less and the car hasn't fallen apart yet.

 

[Airwolf]

I did not think the wear was excessive compared by some other pictures I have seen on other sites. I still plan on driving the car around for the holiday seasons and look into replacing the timing belt and cam at my next oil change.

Frank is on my list of people to contact regarding his recommendations. I am leaning towards a Colt regrind of a BRM camshaft at the moment, but costs might force me to use a stock BRM one.

 

[Keithuk]

It might not be too bad at the moment but it ain't going to get any better is it?

So your looking at a cam and follower change and its due fo a timing belt at that mileage if you don't know its history.