Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for some help. I have a D16Y8 EJ8. All is done to it is I/H/E. It has 185xxx but ran fine. It used a little oil but no ticks, knocks, smoke anything. I take care of it pretty well. I was going to work two days ago. I was traveling 60 mph in 4th gear up a steep hill I take everyday. I was about 3/4 throttle when I felt something wasn't right. My car was losing power but not to the point where I couldn't make it up the hill. I reached the top of the hill and shifted into 5th when all a sudden all my car shuts off and tach and speedo are pinned at zero. I pulled to the side of the road and tried starting it. It cranked but just wouldn't start. I thought it could have been the distributor or fuel regulator/fuel pump or possibly even the timing belt broke. I get it towed to a shop for them to diagnose it. Today I call them to find out what was wrong. They tell me the camshaft snapped!!!..Have any of you ever heard of this happening?..So I'm picking up a used head tomorrow to get on with the rebuild..Sitting here I begin to worry though. Could this have been caused by oil pump failure?..If so what damage could there be in the bottom?..Any help of input would be great..

 

Whoa, WTF!?
Go see it yourself and take pics!
That's pretty wild, man!
OO

 

I'm gonna take a look at it tomorrow when I drop the head off..I'll try to get some pics

 

Never really heard of a cam shaft snapping?

 

Kinda premature to be buying replacement parts until you actually see the damage.

 

My mechanic told me to get a new head so that's what I did. I'm piecing parts together for a turbo d16 build anyways so having an extra head isn't a problem. I came asking for help but what I get is negative fatherly advice. Forget I asked I'll figure this out on my own.

 

What advice do you need? You already have it at the mechanic!!!

 

I just want to know if any of you know a possible cause for this. I'm worried about the shop getting it all put together and really the problem was the oil pump so it will create more damage.

 

Old car. Parts wear out and break. Have the pump replaced if you're that paranoid. Get a oil pressure gauge installed if you need to monitor it.

 

cam shaft snapped on a stock motor? wow weird one buddy

 

That's what I'm saying. That's why I would have witnessed firsthand before I bought a whole head..

 

you'll get a lot of that here. if i knew what could have caused that i'd try to help you out. just try to do some research on it. maybe you'll find something.

sometimes that's just what you have to do. sorry man.
good luck.

EDIT: also, like they've said above, i wouldn't necessarily trust everything your mechanic says. they're gonna try to make money off you. so i'd go take a good look at it and have him explain and show you what happened. ask your mechanic what he thinks could of caused it. test his knowledge a little

 

that happened to me one when i was on the highway... but i found out it was the cam gear, the little tooth that grabs the cam, that snapped off..idk how but it did...

 

Stranger things have happened. I'd see if it was the cam or the gear, either way if you had problems at that mileage, I'd look at the oil pump while its out.

 

Aha, now the woodruff key snapping...THAT'S a little bit more believable. I think you had more than just me thinking that your mechanic was saying that the camshaft snapped in half
XD;

But yes, if you've seen it and that's what the problem truly is...then yeah, I'd bank on the valves likely being trashed...pistons too...if you were ever gonna overhaul that motor for a turbo as you say, I guess now's a good time
^^;;