Isky cam failing

elwood

elwood

Well-known member
Hey guys, so I took my merc engine apart because it was using water, and as I was cleaning the parts I found that the idler drive gear on the back of the cam, the teeth are wore half off,
Any ideas on how this could happen, I'm thinking it wasn't properly heat treated.
I don't remember which cam I put in it, the max1 or the JR, and I cant see any ID marks on it, any ideas here ?
Thanks guys,
 

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How does the idler and oilpump gear look ?
That will be a hint if one gear is soft or if its to much load on the gears or something else.
 
elwood said:
my 50 started getting water in the oil, so I feared the worst,
And when I say water in the oil, I mean lots of water.
...
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Oil creates a film that prevents metal to metal surfaces from actually touching each other.

Water does not create a film that prevents metal to metal contact.

...If the water in your engine, which you yourself said was "a lot",
Displaced or replaced the oily film that prevents metal to metal contact,
then your engine internals would have been prone to grind themselves to dust.


If the lack of oil/film caused that damage to your cam/gear, how much additional damage might it have done to bearings, crank, cylinder walls, pins, timing gears, oil pump etc?


258237



???




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elwood said:
I'm thinking it wasn't properly heat treated.


,
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Lack of heat treatment on cam is usually seen at the cam lobes.
This would be especially true of an overhead valve engine where
valve spring pressure is considerably higher than that of our old Flatheads.
But still, most times it is the lobes that self destruct,
Just ask any of the 10,000,000 sbc owners of the last 50 years.....


.
 
The really worn one appears to be the front distributor drive gear? Am I right on that? Are both gears (distributor and oil-pump drive) really worn? I must admit - I've never seen that.

If you had a lot of water in the oil, this could do it . . . but I'd also be checking my bearings!
 
Looks like the distributor gear is ok and the oilpump/idler gear is the one that took a bad beating.
Thats why i was wondering how the pump/idler gear looked ?
If the rest shows no excessive wear...
 
You know that the gear is pressed on to the cam and can be replaced? Might have been a soft gear. Check it with a file.
 
Thank you all so much for the help.
As soon as I noticed the water I stopped driving it, I did a cheep house brand oil change, twice, to try to get the water out of the oil so as not to rust anything while it waited for me to get it apart.
Crazy enofe, the brgs and crank are not hurt at all, I'm goanna reuse everything, even the cam its self isn't hurt.
The idler and oil pump gears are in top notch condition.
I'm using a Melling high volume pump, haven't taken the pump apart yet but I will.
Puzzles me about the gear.
 
Lotsa people opt for the Mellings high volume oil pumps.
Make sure that you absolutely lube up your front/rear crank seals with nothing less than engine oil or you may find that the extra pressure/volume and unsoaked crank seals will quickly lead to leaky rear seal. Avoid using grease especially that thin lithium/lubricate on your crank seals or you will be sorry.
jmho
 
Replace with real live Henry part. Me thinks that you have an offshore piece of crap. Also fairly often looks at the oil will spot contamination. I change oil every 500 miles or so...
 
elwood said:
Thank you all so much for the help.
As soon as I noticed the water I stopped driving it, I did a cheep house brand oil change, twice, to try to get the water out of the oil so as not to rust anything while it waited for me to get it apart.
Crazy enofe, the brgs and crank are not hurt at all, I'm goanna reuse everything, even the cam its self isn't hurt.
The idler and oil pump gears are in top notch condition.
I'm using a Melling high volume pump, haven't taken the pump apart yet but I will.
Puzzles me about the gear.
Click to expand...

Elwood. I don't recommend that high volume oil pump. It puts out to high oil pressure with std. bearing clearance, it's made for race engines with extra bearing clearance. Use the std. M-19 Melling pump for street engines. Walt
 
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