Mutha' Fu**in' TQC head

[Dan Bocek <dan@di.com>]

So, the car's all put back together, right?  New big valve hydraulic 
head, Schrick 272, RS2 turbo, etc.  I've been running it for the past few 
weeks and noticed a squeeking sound synchronous with the engine 
rotation.  Changed both the hydraulic pump and water pump to no avail.  
Finally, last night I pulled the cam, and low and behold, discovered 
the last bearing cap was deeply scored, along with the camshaft.  Funny 
thing is, the cam bearing surface is scored more deeply than the bearing 
cap - why?

Why did this happen?  Here are a few thoughts:

1) Blocked oil passage to cam bearing.  Maybee the head machinest dropped 
   a filing in the oil passage or something.

2) Somehow the cam bores got out of alingnment.

3) The diameter of the bearing surface on the Schrick was too large, 
   preventing proper lubrication clearance.  This one might be kind of 
   tough to check because the cam is so chewed up.

Solutions?  The top bearing cap is deeply scored and needs to be 
replaced, but the bottom part that's integrated into the head casting 
only has two shallow scores in it on either side of the oiling hole.  The 
top bearing cap cannot be ordered as a seperate part because when the 
head is machined at the factory, the cam bearings are all bored on the 
head without the cam in place.  Do y'all think that they'd be close 
enough that a rear bearing cap out of a junkyard might fit?

Barring that, I guess I have no choice but to pull the frigging head 
again and have the bearing over-bored and shimmed.  Sound right?

One last thing - the brand new $600 Schrick looks like it might now be a 
worthless hunk of metal.  Does anyone know if it's possible to have some 
weld laid down on the cam bearing surface and lathed back to the proper 
diameter, or would that just be a waste of time/money?

Any insights/sympathy greatly appreciated.  Hark, is that the growl of a 
brand new M3 I hear deep inside my imagination?  Anyone want to buy an 
'83 TQC cheap?  Needs work .... :-(

                                                         Dan Bocek
                                                         dan@di.com