Well, I noticed this earlier today as I was going over the car. I was going to take it out for a spin, but when I looked down I noticed that the Exhaust cam gear was sitting out about a 1/4 inch farther than the Intake cam gear. So, I stopped and scratched my head like anyone would and wondered...what in the hell is going on here?? Everything is tight, all of the cam caps are perfectly tight, nothing is loose. The cam has actually walked itself over, and the lobe area has dug into the cam cap area. I have absolutely no idea how in the hell this has happened, if anyone has seen anything like this before please chime in and give me some insight. I hope I can salvage this head!

Just to give a run down of the head..here is what is currently in this head..

- Crower Turbo cams
- Crower .5 oversized valves
- Crower valve springs
- Crower retainers
- Ported


Here is the culprit...



Onto the damage...

 

pull the cams out and check the lengths on both cams shaft length and cam lobe mfg. and see if the ex cam matches the intake. seems like you have a defective cam.

there is no way this can happen with the cam locators on the dist side.

 

I plan on pulling the head tomorrow evening and doing this. I hope that is what caused it, so it's an easy porblem to fix. However, the motor has been together for 5 years now and I thought if it was defective it would have done it way before now.

 

I've seen this before. Crower cams breaking and taking out a 2500 dollar head. Will never use one of their products again. They are garbage. I'm sorry you had to find out this way.

 

Sorry Dustin, atleast you caught it before it got really bad.

 

Yeah dude, it sucks but **** happens. I am glad I caught it too, I am hoping it can be salvaged.

 

looks like the locator ring may have broken off or something? i would pull the cam cap on the distributor side and see if it is still there

 

Been there before... It probably broke the cam at the end. Its an easy fix.

 

the cam is broken... you can see it in the picture

 

Good eye. I finally saw it too after you mentioned it. At first I was just focused on where it was digging into the cam caps.

 

damn good eye i thought i was seein **** but damn thats an easy fix

 

yup...same thing happend 2 my friend....it broke in 3 pieces like 6 years ago.....crower use 2 regrinding them back then...sucks but u just gotta get new cams..my friend had 2 get a new head..lol

 

comon prob with that crower junk........i will never use their product again either...long story short i bought a set of their cams when they first came out (bout 8 years ago) and broke a few sets ..started looking into them and alot of people broke them ,but when i approched crower on this they swore it was impossible...mean while its all over the internet ...lol fvckin b/s artist...

 

CROWER

 

Do you guys think I can salvage this head with the cam cap areas looking that way?? I already have a new casting lined up, and was going to pull the head and transfer everything over.

 

I'm sure someone will tell you not to use it, but I cant think of a reason not too. Maybe have the cap and head measured and make sure it hasnt been reamed out. This is Crower stuff and not Brian Crower right?

 

After going out, and looking at the cam again..you are correct. This is the culprit, the cam has snapped in 2.

 

it really depends how much material has been ground away and if your comfortable using the head after this. align hone on the cam journals should make sure it's still straight

 

Posted the culprit...Crower cams are junk.

 

Yes this is Crower, and not Brian Crower. These are the Crower Turbo cams, Stage 2 for forced induction.

 

I would use the head again unless it tore up the journals. When I broke my cam isn the same place it marked the head in the same area and I'm still using the head 5 years later.

 

I'm going to rock this head Rick, I checked over everything and it looks ok. The retainer overtop of where the cam broke in two has a few slight knicks in it, but nothing to worry about. All of the journal areas are still smooth and out of the two that have marks, neither of them have a lip of any kind. I think it will be fine, and there is only one way to find out!

 

You are lucky enough mate, you worked things out with the Crower cams for 5 long years. Its better to replace them periodically as its subjected to aerodynamic and internal friction due to initial ripping of the car. Also keep the exhaust clean so that no pressure is applied on the cams..

 

Eff it, put another set in there and have a nice day