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View Full Version : Old topic revisited: Cam journals and head replacement



marauder307
01-06-2006, 06:56 PM
I'm resurrecting the topic of retorquing the cam journals. What I'm really interested in long-term results; has anybody here---who's had the journals retorqued---noticed any degradation/improvement/no change with the fix?

Also, as long as we're at this...how about those folks who went the ultimate length in time and frustration and got their heads replaced? Have your cars improved/degraded back to where they were, or no change?

My car, at over 37.5 miles on the odo now (20 June 2002 build date; in service 18 Feb 03) is still running along. All the problems that seemed to plague folks who bought the early-production models---like mine---haven't really touched me; no trans problems (I've gone to RP trans fluid for the last 5k miles) and the valves, while noisy as hell (car clatters like a PowerStroke diesel) are still hangin' in there. I DO have one problem: apparent plug fouling. Hard to attribute this one to any one thing. I think it's a combination of circumstances: 1) Road speeds and traffic in Honolulu aren't that fast, so being able to burn off the plugs while driving is damn near to impossible. 2) Quality of gas in Hono is questionable; 92 octane is the highest allowed on the island, and I was running 93 back in STL. I usually buy from a Conoco 76 station that's on my way to work, but sometimes will buy from the Pearl Harbor Autoport (it's about .12c/gal cheaper than in town, presumably because you don't pay tax on a DoD installation). Last week I was in a pinch on the north side of the island and bought from a Chevron station in Kailua.

I digress. The apparent plug fouling makes itself known at startup; I have to "run-up" the car, aviation-style, at 1500 rpm until the coughing and sputtering stops and the engine is running smoothly, before I can leave the garage. This doesn't normally take too long, about 15-30 seconds or so. The neighbors are afraid of me, but I don't care....

So, what about it?

EDIT: Forgot to mention: my mpg's all over the place. I've been as bad as 15.1 mpg to as good as 18.8 mpg.

HwyCruiser
01-06-2006, 07:42 PM
I had my cam bolts re-torqued under warranty due to non-typical valve train chatter. It sounded terrible, especially on low load acceleration. It wasn't until some of the people here started pulling off their cam covers and retorquing the bolts and reporting success with diminishing the chatter that I approached my service manager about it.

As far as performance or fuel efficiency, I noticed no difference afterwards. I still have a one-second start-up chatter that goes away once the oil pressure builds. Still waiting to hear the solution to that one.

JMan
01-06-2006, 08:12 PM
I digress. The apparent plug fouling makes itself known at startup; I have to "run-up" the car, aviation-style, at 1500 rpm until the coughing and sputtering stops and the engine is running smoothly, before I can leave the garage. This doesn't normally take too long, about 15-30 seconds or so. The neighbors are afraid of me, but I don't care....

So, what about it?

EDIT: Forgot to mention: my mpg's all over the place. I've been as bad as 15.1 mpg to as good as 18.8 mpg.

That may also be symptomatic of an injector leaking down after shut down. You might try a can of fuel injection cleaner like Chevron's Techron. Make sure you take it out for a Sunday morning cruise. Those cleaners work best at full operating temperature under varying road speeds and loads. Just tell 5-0 you're trying to fix your car :lol: .

J

DEFYANT
01-06-2006, 08:17 PM
I still have a one-second start-up chatter that goes away once the oil pressure builds. Still waiting to hear the solution to that one.

Electric oil pump. Oil pressure comes up when you turn the key. But that is another thread.

I was recently in under the cam covers and elected to NOT retorqe anything. I took the "if it aint broke, dont fix it" approach. I do not have any clatter or odd noises.

marauder307
01-06-2006, 08:52 PM
Just tell 5-0 you're trying to fix your car :lol: .

J


Hell, 5-0 may offer to buy it!:lol: They're running MM's out here...

Todd TCE
01-07-2006, 06:12 PM
I'll chime in here for a minute.

Do you guys have issues with the cams washing out the journals? I'm assuming the cams run in the head sans bearings? I might just have your answers.