So my heads are just about ready, figure it's time to drop of the cams to the powder coater. I've had these extra Euro "S" cams for a few weeks now as I build my Hybrid. Never took them apart to looksie inside. Found some interesting stuff. 2 bolts, most likely fell in when PO took cam towers off, one partially destroyed washer and a ton of metal shavings in the second pair of lobes back. Bolts were in the first and 3rd sections. I'm hoping the washer didn't damage anything as it was chewed up. Valves check straight, cam lobes feel very smooth to the touch, no visible nicks, cuts, scratches etc.. I took the cam out and it appears to be fine from just a visual inspection. I will try to mic it out this end of next week when I get back from vacation. (Busch Gardens Tamps, Yea!) No metal shavings found any where in the head, oil screen, oil pump etc.. Looks like it was contained to just that cam lobe section.

The lifter is another story however. It shows no damage itself and it freely moves when placed in any other hole. but in the hole for the cam lobe that had the shavings, it sticks. Tried a different lifter and it stuck, so its the hole. Looking at the very outside edge of the hole there are two small nicks that have pushed a smidge of metal out enough to rub. Easy fix. No real signs of wear at the spot or in the hole, o I'm assuming it was caused when the PO removed the towers and dropped them, kicked them, towed them behind the car, whatever. More than likely it happened in shipping. The PO did a horrible job, throwing everything into one large box. 2 heads and 2 cam towers with studs still installed! In fact the cam pulley on that side busted in shipping as well. Which really sucks as my other euro is older and has the round tooth timing belt verse the square tooth the 5.0L block wants to see. I guess I can re-use all 3 pulleys frm the old one.

To be on the safe side I will take the cam and housing from my current Euro "S" and move it over to the Hybrid. I'll put this one on the old motor once I clean it up.

So here's the question? If the lobes appear fine, and the lifter seems fine, where else could the shavings come from besides the small washer? Once I got the bolts out and the shavings, the cam spins freely by hand and operates all lifters except the one in question.

Also if the lifter channel has only minimal metal sticking out at the very edge only, would filing it back be an issue. 99.9% of the hole will be unaffected and still seal fine. Just going to round back the very edge about 1/2 mm.

Here's the pics, read 'em and weep...I know I did.
Thanks for any help.

 

Whenever a car tosses up a rod bearing it's suggested to clean up the valvetrian / cam area to clean out any shavings or bearing material.

Just a theory.

Friend of mine had an external oil cooler full of shavings after a 2/6 rod bearing failure.

 

Thanks! That was my first thought. Okay not the first but it was one of them. Since the PO kept the old block, I really don't know if the engine suffered a failure or not. However if it was a rod bearing failure, wouldn't there be shavings in more than one lobe pair? other cam tower is spotless. Also the shavings are clean and dry, yet the cam is oil covered. Very wierd. I'm really starting to think the washer got caught and ground apart by the cam as the cam gear rocked back and forth in shipping before it snapped. Can't find any other source of fresh dry shavings for that cam lobe pair only. No shavings any where in the heads and they were obviously not cleaned up before shipping.

So if the cam lobes mic out the same as the other lobes on the dial indicator and the cam spins freely by hand, I should be good to go with a sterile cleaning...right..I hope..

Machine shop doing the heads said all my valves were good, so I'm assuming it did not involve the valve, just the lifter and cam during shipping. cam tower was shipped off the head. Check out this pic of the HUGE box with the 4 parts inside. I still can't believe anyone woul dbe that dumb... Yes that empty box contains 2 heads and 2 cam towers under the big piece of paper and the 8 peanuts... Oh but the trash bags helped to contain the peanut bits in the cam towers..