MC head self-machining, cam+cap

[auditude at cox.net]

Hi List,

I took my 5kcstq head to the machine shop to have them extract three broken studs.  I don't even want to try it, since the other head I did ended up with a crooked helicoil, and then a second one that pulled straight out of the head.

As the head is sitting on the counter, I noticed that the cam lobe in front of the second bearing cap is basically in contact with the side of the cap.  The lobe actually has scraped off metal from the cap where it interefered!

It's as if the lobe is too far back, or perhaps the whole cam is too far to the rear.  The machinist guy pulled the rear cap and inspected things.  There doesn't appear to be any thrust wear that would move the cam back.

The P.O. told me the head had been done on the car before, so I guess I'm not surprised to find some weirdness.  However, I don't really see how this could be a rebuild-induced problem.

The machinist said if it was his head, he'd take a bit of material off the cam cap where it was being rubbed.  Just enough to put some space between it and the lobe.

I suppose the other alternative is to put in a different cam, but I don't have another turbo cam to put in, and except for the wear marks on the side of the cam cap this one seems to be okay too.

What do y'all think?  I know pics would help, and I'll try to get some posted.

The fun just never stops!

Later,

Ken