Cleaning camshafts

[mixxamike]

I just picked up some '91 cams from a local junkyard. The cams came out of a pristine engine and appear to be in pretty nice shape, aside from some surface rust. I'm dropping these cams off at a local machine shop where they're gonna put them in a bath an hopefully remove all the rust. If all the rust comes off alright, will I have to worry about the ammount of metal lost on the cam lobes through the rusting process?

[mixxamike]

bump...



...anyone???

[deviousKA]

depends on how much rust, most likey they are just fine. Run some fine sand paper over them to smooth them out if necessary. If the lobes have acutal pits, you may have a problem. Be sure to check your valve lash and use proper shims on install.

[kandyflip445]

And if you do use sandpaper, make sure it's VERY fine.

[mixxamike]

oh, another thing...would i be able to put these camshafts in, measure for shims, leave them in, and put the new shims in when i pick them up from Nissan or is this a bad thing to do?

And is there some way for me to replace the shims while the cams are installed? there's got to be an easier way than taking them both out again.

[phrozen]

seafoam and steel wool just dont go crazy on them

[candypainted 240sx]

non-chlorinated brake clean and a papertowel will work also make sure it's in the green bottle though.

[nissYHralli]

im also plan on getting S13 dohc cams. tell me how they ran in your car and differences. im going to sticky this thread incase the cams i get is rusted also.

[mixxamike]

nissYHralli...the cams you get shouldn't be rusty if they're coming out of an engine with the valve cover on. I pulled these cams off a '91 that had aready been raped (valve cover and all) by a friend of mine who was just too lazy to take off the cams, hehe.

I'll might try that brake clean stuff when i come home from school if my folks haven't already dropped them off at the macine shop. thanks!

[nissYHralli]

lol trust me, the S13s broken down at the shop i know of are mostly raped already. i'll be lucky to snatch some cams out of one. btw, i want some snatch...

[mixxamike]

'tis a damned good movie.




...Snatch