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V8 Chronicles

Internet discussion from V8SHO mailing list
(note: this is not verified information, it is just the unedited text of a recent discussion that we thought you might find interesting, Ed)

Here is more discussion about the V8 Cams, newest e-mails in the first batch, then the original batch posted to this page earlier:

I am working on a 96 SHO with 56,000 miles at work. It has a frozen exhaust cam on the rear head, causing the splines to strip on the intake cam and also bending all the exhaust valves. This is now going to be an expensive repair. A bare cylinder head is $1100.00, cams are 993.00 each,
valves are 150.00, gasket kit $550.00. Maybe some piston damage, will not know until head is off. Plus labor.
I have not removed oil pan to check for debris, but i am think an oil starvation problem caused the cam to sieze. Have any of you seen this or been through this before? Anything else I should look for if I get the go ahead for this repair.
We tried to get a price for a complete engine, list price was $14,500 and was not available.My parts manager would have to go on-line to see if he could get one(doubtful). Thanks
John
89 SHO

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While we were on the subject I got to thinking about which cam fails the most. So does anyone know which cam it is? The rear bank intake cam has 2 sprockets, one for he drive chain and one for the slave chain that drives the rear exhaust cam. The front exhaust cam also has 2 sprockets just like the rear intake. Is it the failure of one of the slave drive sprockets on the 4 cams or one of the big driven sprockets that are bolted onto the front of the front E. cam and rear I. cam?

Inquiring minds want to know,

Mike

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I think it's mostly failure of the main drive cams, not the slave cams. The main cams are doing double duty. I think Ford goofed when they designed these. If you look at the 2.5L engine, which these are derived from, you'll see that it has a different set up. One chain running one bank and another chain running the other bank. No slave chain.

Glen Murdock
Port Lavaca,TX

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The hollow tube cams are a Ford design. All new OHC Ford engines use the hollow cam design. 4.6's and such have a cam gear that bolts to the camshaft. 2.5 and 3.0 have the gear swedged like ours. And Ford had to give final approval of the design.

Glen Murdock
Port Lavaca,TX

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The Maxima uses hollow cams as well. Nothing wrong with hollow cam design. It lowers the rotational mass.

Paul

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Also ford has TSB for a ticking noise in the 2.5 V6.. requires replacement of all the valve train drive components. all chains tensioners etc. Problem with them is they tick on start-up and does not go away...

Clare Allenby
96 TR w/Graphite Cloth Interior
London, ON

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HERE IS THE ORIGINAL DISCUSSION POSTED ON THIS PAGE

Mike Holhut's cam sprockets are starting to go. He was getting a loud ticking noise in his engine. Doug Lewis listened to it and confirmed it was the sprocket loosening up on the cam. He explained how it is designed...piss poor design....and what the fix is. The sprockets are only swedged onto the camshaft. He said the valve covers need to come off and the sprocket needs to me MIG welded to the cam...all 4 sprockets. MIG weld each sprocket to the cam with 3 welds. He said the cost of having this done is about $400...what he charges. Mike is driving his back to Massachusetts and is going to get it done there. As I remember things of interest from the convention I will post them. I have that CRS thing...can't remember sh_t....old age as I turn 46 tomorrow.


Bob Fijal
97
Missouri

 

Do you have any more detailed information about this, or do we need to pester Doug about it? If I were to take this info to a decent mechanic, would they know what to do, or is there a certain precision or tolerance involved?

Sorry to sound dumb about this but I am.

David
'98 TR

 

 

Doug said to put 4 spot welds on each cam sprocket. The cam is hollow so you need someone good. Doug's fee would be ~$400.00. Of course while your there a new tranny, 100k mile valve adjustment, spark plugs......... Shouldn't cost more than $4000.00 or so. :)

Paul Nimz
'97 TR
'93 EG mtx

 

 

I hear a quiet rattling/ticking coming from my engine, but it's hard to hear over the other regular engine sounds. It sounds like it's coming from maybe the intake manifold or something. I never had a chance to hear Holhut's car at Tulsa, but is that the sound his was making?

Kenny

97 ES 72k:
15.514@90.47
www.picturetrail.com/allegrosho
SHO Club Member
UDP
Firestone Firehawk SP50s 225/55/R16
Nimzified Intake w/K&N Panel
Coustic 2x200W Amp
2x10" Bostons
Audio Access Panel
26mm Sway Bar
Super Stealth Custom G-Tech
Thrush Turbos/No Res

 

Kenny I would think you are just hearing the chain clicking in the sprockets and the tensioner. You should have a miss if the sprockets shift. When you are up next to a wall with the windows down and rpms up high you can real hear the high pitched noise the chains make. Sounds great.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR
'93 EG mtx

 

Kenny,

This is exactly the noise my 96 was making. Had to eventually take to the Ford dealer to fix. They have it now. They say its timing chain and guides.......I go up every day, but have not started yet. Having a hard time getting one of the tensioners in. With the "cam sprocket" thing, I as
not going to drive the car until it was fixed. Rather costly.....2000.00. Chain and goodies was only 498.00...the rest....labor. With the high cost of labor on these cars, has anyone tried this repair themselves, and should someone, that is not a professional mechanic, attemp this ?? I think, the next repair...I'm diving in and getting my feet wet on this repair thing. I do have other cars to drive.

Donh

Don Harrold
96 BS
Joplin, Missouri

 

Kenny, Mike's were pretty loud at idle, it definitely sounds like something is wrong. Plus the sound went away when he revved it a bit.

Ron Porter
Lake Orion, MI
'99 black 33K

 

Hi Tim,
I don't know if this helps you any, but the sprocket on my rear camshaft failed at about 78,000 miles, bending 8 valves. It cost about $2,800 to get repaired (Not to mention it took my Ford dealer 11 weeks to correctly diagnose the problem, get the parts and fix it). There was an audible indication of what was about to happen (At the time I didn't know what it was) A loud constant ticking noise coming from the S-Belt side of the engine.

Hope this helps,

Matt Moore (96 SHO)
matt@underworld.net

 

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