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A camshaft is a critical component of an internal combustion engine that plays a key role in controlling the timing of the engine valves'. The camshaft’s function is to convert rotational motion into linear motion, opening and closing the engine's intake and exhaust valves at the right times during the engine’s operation. The camshaft is driven by the crankshaft through a timing belt, timing chain or a direct drive with gears. Camshafts can wear out or become defective due to lack of lubrication, which can cause damage to the engine block and other timing components. |
Several factors can contribute to a camshaft breaking or failing, such as lubrication issues, contamination, overheating, and other component failure. The engine requires lubrication for all internal components and a lack of oil or too low oil pressure can cause the camshaft and other components to have excessive friction leading to wear and eventually failure. Contaminated oil, metal shavings, or interference of coolant or fuel in the oil can lead to bad damage as a cause of bad lubrication.
As a cause of a defect in the cooling system the temperature of the engine can increase. These extreme temperatures can cause bearing surfaces and components to lose lubrication. These temperatures can also cause excessive loading of the engine and further the risk of damage to the engine. Timing components such as timing chains, tappets, push rods, and rocker arms can suffer excessive wear with a lack of lubrication and excessive temperature causing vibration and eventual failure of the camshaft.
Breakage of a camshaft can occur due to incorrect assembly, or because during rotation the shaft is blocked by an external component.
Replacing a camshaft is not a regular repair, but should be done when wear and tear occurs on the camshaft. When the power of the engine decreases and the emissions of the engine are no longer acceptable, a worn camshaft can be the reason.
Visible signs that the camshaft may need to be replaced include cracks or damage, like scoring and pitting in the cam’s surface. More signs of problems with the camshaft are excessive noise in the engine valvetrain, an uneven engine idle, and reduced engine performance.
Without immediately disassembling all kinds of parts, a compression test can easily diagnose a possible problem with the valves or camshaft.
In addition, if there is a possible timing problem, the engine's ECU will issue an error message.
Replacing a camshaft is a labor-intensive process because it requires removing various engine components, which are often difficult to reach. Since the timing belt, timing chain, or gears control the synchronization of the engine's camshaft and crankshaft, it must be removed before a camshaft can be replaced. The sequence and detail of a camshaft replacement will depend on how many camshafts are in the engine and the location of the camshaft relative to other components.
There are engines that use a single camshaft for both the intake and exhaust valves, while other engines use two camshafts, one for the intake valves and one for the exhaust valves. Most modern engines have an overhead camshaft or camshafts. With a single camshaft, these are the so called SOHC (Single OverHead Camshaft) engines, where DOHC (Double OverHead Camshaft) engines are those with two camshafts. Engines can also incorporate a technology like VVT (Variable Valve Timing) to adjust the camshaft’s timing and improve engine fuel efficiency and performance.
Beyond the camshaft, always inspect other components like the camshaft bearings, timing chain, and related tensioners and seals for wear and damage. They should be replaced at the same time to ensure the longevity and performance of the engine.
Wilmink’s offers camshafts from BF Original and Kolbenschmidt in our webshop and our experts can help select other timing components recommended for replacement with a camshaft.