MaritimeMan Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 I bet 88 hasen't done this one. Just a quick story to put everything into persepective; I was moving from Bay area Cali where I had gone to school, back home to Seattle. We had rented a 16' moving truck to fit all my crap, and my Dad was driving that and myself and my brother in the Pathy. I stopped for gas before I started the climb on I-5 through the Siskiyou mount pass, and everything was runnin great. Had to downshift to 4th for a couple climbs, but she was runnin strong. Any how, on the way down the backside into Oregon, she start runnin real rough. Pulled into Medford where my Dad was waiting with the truck (he had a head start) and called it a night, in the morning, I pulled the timing belt cover to check things out. Everything looked fine and lined up, changed the fuel filter, put in som e additive, and figure I had some bad gas. I tried to drive up the 5 a bit more, but the most I could manage was about 30mph on any kind of upgrade, and she wasn't clearing herself out. A nice blue puff, then a huge black cloud every shift out the tailpipe. Any how, pulled over, rented a trailer, and towed it all the way back to Seattle. I did a compression check first thing, and on cyl 1,3,5 I got 120, 90, 120psi. Hmmm ok, bad compression on one bank, gives me a place to start. Ripped everything out, and took off the timing belt when I found the problem. I'll just let the pictures tell the rest from here. Just to clear up any confusion, Yes, that is my camshaft from the odd bank head. After I removed the timing belt, I found the cam gear could spin in circles, and even pull out about 4"!!! Yay for me I win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Yay for me I win. You do win! Send me your addy, I'll make sure you get the cookies asap... ouch man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Dunno I'm bummed that my truck isn't runnin, but I can't go too far any how with my medical condition. Plus, I kinda think it's damn cool I BROKE my camshaft. I mean, common, who does that? Well besides 88 that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Damn !! I'm amazed that it ran at all with a broken cam shaft on one bank !!! I'd have to chalk that up to a defective cam... As you said, you can either tear it all the way down and do it up right or you can just do the heads and cross your fingers. I vote for the latter, all things considered but what happened to the motor from 88's parts 87 ?? Parts perhaps ?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Speak of the Devil.... Im going to have to go back and change my last post about you being MIA.... OMFG on the cam..... I may have a used cam, not sure what Im going to do with my old pieces... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Help MM out if he needs it... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLApathy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 holy crap man, i was just thinking about how you havent been around too, hows the GC thing going oh and camo duct tape will take care of that cam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 oh and camo duct tape will take care of that cam Hmmmmm I think you may be on to something here...... Seriously, yes, I am amazed as well that it was able to run and drive on one bank. I wouldn't recomend it, but then again, turnin a V6 into a slant 3 isn't a great idea either. I'm not exactly sure where I'm gonna go from here. A top end rebuild is definately a band aid, and if I go that route, I'd do it as cheep as possible within reason. I definately think at least one new head is in order, and probly two while I'm in there. I am in a situation right now where I am broke and working isn't an option, which makes the band aid fix more plausable. P1 gave the idea of top endin the motor to squeeze another 20k out of her, and by the time that happens, I will be in a much better position, and I'm likin how that sounds. So to summarize, if any one has a seat of heads that came off a good running motor and is in the Seattle area, gimme a holler. I'm not in any huge hurry, but it does pain me to see her sittin in the driveway with no means of movin on her own. In the end, I'd like to cram a VG33 in her, but like I said, thats down the road in another place and time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Gotcha! Two heads, ready to ship in a few days. *waves* Gotta take 'em off and clean 'em up, though. Want me to port them first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 88pathfindergene Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 My name is Gene, I'm new round here, cool place. I got an '87 XE V6 in my driveway that did the same thing. Snapped the cam on one side and locked it up on the other. Was really unsure what I wanted to do with it 4 awhile. got a set of heads out of a junkyard pretty cheap, and was gonna fix it, the body is a little rough. Then I ran across the '88 SE I got now, so I figure I'll just use it for parts. But my point was that the cam snapped same as yours, looks like bout the same spot. :cool2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Hi Ryan spewin bout the cam.... :confused: howd you go with the cb in the end? you never sent across pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 I'd pull the heads, and look for any damage on the pistons, if there is visible damage, then take it all down. if not, fix the heads, and go. My timing belt broke several years ago, and i turned it over, and beat the pistons into the valves, but not piston damage. Rebuilt my heads, and i'm about 30,000 miles later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Gotcha! Two heads, ready to ship in a few days. *waves* Gotta take 'em off and clean 'em up, though. Want me to port them first? yes please.. -bounce- -bounce- -bounce- . i surely wish i had done that to mine when i had the heads off, but i was young and had to get it going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 /\ what he said, yes please! I'll call ya about em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 :cool2: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 -bounce- yay! like i told ya MM.. if it'd happened in cali my spare heads were yours for the taking hope all works out with 88's heads :cool2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLApathy Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) dont feel so bad MM, my motor just blew up today... err... yesterday Edited July 19, 2006 by FLApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgranch Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Just for 2 cents of what can still run. I had a 302 Ford snap the crankshaft between the 1/2 and 3/4 cylinders. This was in my tow vehicle. The truck ran bad but it still ran. I did not suspect the crank until I noticed that the harmonic balancer was wobbling as the truck was idling. If it did not happen to me I would have said it would never run that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Just a side note: With your compression as it is, it would be very unlikely you holed a piston or severely bent a valve. If you had, the compression should have been much lower in that cylinder. So the old heads may be quite salvagable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 I think so too, but definitely replace the cam bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted July 22, 2006 Author Share Posted July 22, 2006 In all reality, yes the old head is probly fine. However, in my experience, you just just don't take that chance. With one valve train not even operating under extreame conditions, and the other most likely being loaded well beyond its design parameters, I just wouldn't risk it. A set of running head is much better for now, cause that gives me more time to play with the old ones, maybe even have a set of high performance ones built up for later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Dunno I'm bummed that my truck isn't runnin, but I can't go too far any how with my medical condition. Plus, I kinda think it's damn cool I BROKE my camshaft. I mean, common, who does that? Well besides 88 that is. *Raises Hand and Yells "ME, ME, ME" Yup I have also broke a camshaft, oddly it was also my Right hand cam. I was traveling at about 60mph and she just died, so sounds, no spit or sputter so nothing Coasted off the road and went to work, as soon as I cracked open the upper timing cover I knew something was wrong, the RH Cam gear was not sitting straight. I was obvious the CAM was broke and once I got the valve cover off I found that it was broke just inside the head. I got a replacement for something like 60-70bucks (less if you have a good core) at Delta Cam in Tacoma. So now I found you are the second one I that I know this has happened to and later in the thread Gene reports that it also happened to him... this brings me back to my debate of it being defective cam or given it being the right hand side... possibly to much tension on the timing belt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted July 23, 2006 Author Share Posted July 23, 2006 Hmmm thats an intersting theory. Red, at any time just before yours broke, did you tinker with the timing belt at all? I did with mine, but I pretty much did it by the book, with the exception of running the feeler guage through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Yes and that was exactly what brought the idea to mind... I don't remember exactly but I "think" it was around three months prior.. which for me would have been in the vicinity of 6000-7000miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hmm, obviously operator error... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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