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Bmptree Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2006 Posts: 39
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:44 pm Post subject: help with cam issues |
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I had a motor built for me by a shop, and the cam went flat in the first 2-300 kms. The shop rebuilt the motor, and it seemed to be ok. I did have repeated loud hydraulic lifter noise but was told it was fairly normal...
After a few thousand miles, while I was on a road trip, I felt I had possibly had maybe brought too much stuff with me. The bus hauled great but struggled a lil more than usual on hills etc. Once i found a place to store some stuff, I decided to re-tune things before I set off. This is when I realized that it wasn't over loaded, but my motor lacked rpm.
Before tuning, my max rpm was 3200. After tuning it maxed out at 3600.
I drive a 78 Kombi/Riviera with a 2L fuel injected motor.I started a thread on here and was suggested to test many of the components. Everything tested ok, so I called builder, thinking cam had once again started to go flat. In ten months I had put on approx 3000 miles. I never really noticed lack of rpm as I never really rev it past 3200. 2800 is probably my shifting range. He was pretty sure it wasn't the cam.
I drove it for another 3000 miles, and when I finally got home, I still suffered from lack of rpm, but now it was down to 2800. A couple weeks ago the motor lacked power and was running like crap, and that's when I noticed it wouldn't rev over 2500 rpm.
I was told if it was the cam, there wasn't much I could do, other than pulling the motor and doing a rebuild, so I should enjoy my holiday and deal with it if it happens. Well, it did
I've posted some pics in the gallery, of my cam beside a good cam, and pics of lifters. there is some really weird wear and I was hoping someone might of had similar problems and or might know something that could help, before I throw it back together again
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12721 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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Is the short lifter in the last pictures the #1 or #3 intake valve?
Did you regularly adjust the hydraulic lifters during engine break-in? Regular checking of "self-adjusting" (I hate that term) lifters is important until the engine parts all reach homeostasis. Now we see why.
And uhh, was the engine broken in at all? Did it have oil in it? Were the valve springs pure solid blocks of steel?
Wow.
Robbie _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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bigbore Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003 Posts: 3297 Location: Wasilla Alaska
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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what's with the cam on the right? ether its a optical illusion or the is bad ware on the second lobe down. have you been running oil with Zink? if not you better start or bad cam ware will happen. Also whats is up with that short lifter? _________________ where its cold and snowy
Last edited by bigbore on Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bmptree Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2006 Posts: 39
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:59 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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Yes, broken in twice, lol.
First time the cam went flat in less than 200 miles.
Suffered from noisey lifters.
Second time orig break in done by builder
Weird thing is, one lifter is flat and sharp edge while other is slightly angled
The best lifters are both from #3 |
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Bmptree Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2006 Posts: 39
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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It's the wear, lol |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12721 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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bigbore wrote: |
what's with the cam on the right? ether its a optical illusion or the is bad ware on the second lobe down. have you been running oil with Zink? if not you better start or bad cam ware will happen. |
It looks like pure wear.
For what it's worth, I ran high zinc oils in 2016 and my lifter still wore down to the point of cracking. This looks like bad metallurgy or architectural issues, considering how many millions of buses are still running tens of thousands of miles with the cheap stuff.
Robbie _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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bigbore Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003 Posts: 3297 Location: Wasilla Alaska
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:05 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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quality is hard to find sometimes. Iam rebuilding a 1955 Triumph TR3 engine right now it hasn't ran since 1973 I will be sending the cam which its real worn out to Delta camshafts for a regrind the original shaft is better then most of the new stuff. _________________ where its cold and snowy |
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bigbore Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003 Posts: 3297 Location: Wasilla Alaska
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:06 pm Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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If not ran in properly this also can happen. How was it ran in? _________________ where its cold and snowy |
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my59 Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2003 Posts: 3789 Location: connecting the dots
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 4:50 am Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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The different height lifter photo is impressive.
With all this wear, wtf did your oil look like when you changed it?
Who made the cam, and were the lifters sourced from the same maker? _________________ my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50333
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 5:44 am Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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More info would help, brand and number for the cam and brand and other info for the oil |
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timvw7476 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 2198 Location: seattle
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:57 am Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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Those are two different brand of hydro lifter as well.....?? |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:29 am Post subject: Re: help with cam issues |
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the first question in my mind is who did the heads, whose cam and lifters, what are the valve spring pressures and what kind of oil is being run? Is the cam new or reground? _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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EverettB Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000 Posts: 69801 Location: Phoenix Metro
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