is my head toast?? PLEASE HELP!!!!!

[japslapsilvia]

im getting ready to put in new cams, so i started dissassembly of the head. got the exhaust cam off no problem, and when i take the 3rd intake cam cap i notice this..

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/japslapsilvia/DSC00243.jpg

and here is what the head side looks like

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/japslapsilvia/DSC00242.jpg

and the cam

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i7/japslapsilvia/DSC00244.jpg


if you need better pics let me know

all others are perfect no nicks or scratches
do i need to get another head or can this be honed???

PLEASE HELP!!!

[piranhamatt]

Did the cam leave deposits on the head, or the other way around?

[japslapsilvia]

Did the cam leave deposits on the head, or the other way around?


yes there is a groove in the cam, and the deposits are on the head and cap.

[piranhamatt]

Wait for another's input, but I think a machine shop could clean that up. Any idea what cause this? Improper torque specs/sequence?

[japslapsilvia]

Wait for another's input, but I think a machine shop could clean that up. Any idea what cause this? Improper torque specs/sequence?

ok thanks.

i dont know possibly an oiling issue, this is my first time taking this motor apart. it ran good never had any problems with it. im just upgrading cams and headgasket and noticed this.

[army240]

I sugest that you just clean the groove with a fine sandpaper, so you don't have anything to groove your new cams, then you check the cam clearance with 'plastigauge' before you run your engine. But i think that the groove is going to fill with oil... not a big deal if the clearance is good. Or you can bring it to a machine shop, they can arrange that.

Frank

[projectRDM]

It's just a small groove, I'd clean it up and have it inspected but as long as the cam clearance is fine I don't see it becoming a problem. I would though do a deeper search though to find out why it happened.

[ryguy]

Your head isnt toast

BUT POWDERED TOAST MAN'S IS!!!
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/jayferguson/5c27a51e.jpg

[japslapsilvia]

THANKS GUYS!!

i am going to take the head to a machine shop to see what they can do.

by looking at the head i think it was an oiling issue. overall the head is really clean, no coking no real dis-coloration, except for the front cam gear side. i am also goning to have it hot tanked so it there was an blockage in any oil passages that should take care of it. i am also going to clean the oil squirter tubes.

does anyone have any insight as to what would cause this or a way to determine the cause?

[army240]

Anything metal or solid in the oil system can be the cause! At what frequence do you do your oil change??? Is it the first time you take of the cams? It can be there since quite a while you know!

[japslapsilvia]

i've had the motor for a few years and it was driven for less than 5000 miles and the oil was changed 3 times since i put it in.

i've never had issues with the motor other than it overheating once due to a stuck thermostat. fixed no issues since, and no mixing of coolant/oil.

this is the 1st time i have pulled the cams out, so this problem could have been there for some time. i would like to make sure that i can find the problem so that it wont happen with the new cams.

[army240]

The problem may have been resolved for a long time and you don't know!

[fliprayzin240sx]

Cams getting groved like that is almost always oil related. Either low oil pressure or the oil dripper up top could be clogged.

[japslapsilvia]

bad news the head is shot. went to a few machine shops today and got the same answer from all. they all feel that the head warped.....well buckled.... and that cam took the excess load causing it to wear the way it did. one machine shop said that they "possibly" could fix it but it probably wasnt worth it financially. and chances are it may cause problems down the road later.