Camshaft disaster

Post by **jimmyt** » 25 Mar 2006, 22:50

I broke it!! .......fitting new cam belt and trying to undo the camshaft sprocket bolt, a big chunk broke off the end where my locking plate was fitted. Heres a pic of the damage....

http://james-thorogood.fotopic.net/p27292495.html

Whats the best course of action, will a second hand camshaft go straight in or is it not as easy as that ? I'd have to find one first of course.....

I'm not getting a good vibe from this van at the moment ( oh ..its a 89 1.6 TD JX ) it seems to be fighting me all the way....just had injection pump repaired/overhauled at great cost

Any thoughts gratefully received

Jim

Post by **andysimpson** » 26 Mar 2006, 09:20

A second hand camshaft will fit and work no problem.

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 26 Mar 2006, 09:51

Remember to set the bucket and shims though.

Post by **jimmyt** » 26 Mar 2006, 13:48

Right, not so bad than, just need to find one, who should I call ? ( I've already tried the A-team ).

Thanks for info Andy.

Thanks for the reminder Simon, I was going to do that though, honest!

Jim

Post by **HarryMann** » 26 Mar 2006, 14:52

http://james-thorogood.fotopic.net/p27292495.html

Gordon Benito!

Anyone fancy writing up changing the cambelt and avoiding such an event, for the Wiki?

Post by **jimmyt** » 26 Mar 2006, 21:44

Gordon Benito!

I said something a little stronger, but i do like a good swear every now and then.

It would be good to have something in the Wiki about changing the cambelt although it should be straight forward

, in fact, there appears to be an entry already but no actual content.

I'd like to know where I went wrong with mine, putting to one side my inexperience of working on the motor, I think the problem was with the tool that I made for locking the camshaft. The correct tool looks something like this:

http://www.samstagsales.com/images/vw_matra_2065a.jpg

I used a straight piece of steel ( all be it a piece of gauge plate that I ground on a surface grinder to be a precise fit in the camshaft slot ). I think the shape of the tool is important with the 'feet' that spread the load over a wider surface area which prevents the tool from lifting up and buggering up your camshaft. There was a lot of force going through my camshaft as the sprocket bolt was F tight so it needs to be securely locked.
Lesson learnt, get the right tool for the job, and if your going to make the tool, make an exact copy of the tool as they are designed a certain way for a reason.

Of course I could be talking a load of BS, perhaps someone who does know what they're talking about could suggest where I went wrong ( apart from buying the van in the first place ).

Jim

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 26 Mar 2006, 22:38

I have the tools, and have done a shed load of belts without that problem!
When people say they have the correct tools, then go on to say it's a bit of bar they had... I wince every time.
Im sure theres loads of people out there that have done the same without problems but Im a great believer in using the right tool for the job.
Thing is, to do the job properly you have to shim the bar up with equal amounts of feeler guages either side of the setting bar to get the cam timing bob on, with a bit of mild steel flat bar the thing is just going to bend and I know it's not going to be a mile off but... Im kinda anal like that, I want it right, if I've gone to the trouble of doing the job and getting that far whats the point on skimping on something s critical as that..
Anyway, it's done.
Mind you, I wouldn't fit a second hand camshaft, the journals will be worn to match the old cam, a second hand cam could be worn in different places, could cause some oil feed problems, probably won't, again just me being anal.

Post by **HarryMann** » 26 Mar 2006, 22:54

Jimmy, have started the Wiki with your breakge and might add some of Simon's comments to it too, so hope you don't mind (saving someone else the need to shriek... Gordon Bloody Benito!... a good cause?)

Simon, Jimmy did say Gauge Plate, which I imagine is hardened stock or toughened steel. So imagine it was the design or way it took the load. Sounds like everything has to be pretty well right though.

Post by **jimmyt** » 26 Mar 2006, 23:06

Well, its a lesson learnt for me, although in my defence I did post a question regarding this tool last week and the reply was to use a flat bit of steel. I used a decent lump of gauge plate ( as opposed to mild ) and did shim the tool with feeler gauges as per Bentley. As you say, this approach probably works most of the time but unfortunately didn't work for me, or I just boll$$$ed it up.
I'll stop making excuses now, and concentrate on trying to undo the damage. I did suspect that there might be problems with different wear patterns on a second hand camshaft but if those problems are likely to be minimal I can live with it!!...and my wallet will be happier.

Jim

Post by **jimmyt** » 26 Mar 2006, 23:11

Go for it HarryMann, give it a a subtitle like ' How not to change a cambelt'.
Worth putting up though just to show how it could go wrong.

Jim

Post by **R0B** » 27 Mar 2006, 01:06

i have that exact tool here should anybody want to borrow it in future..
sorry jimmyt i would of posted it to you had i seen your earlier post..

The correct tool looks something like this

Post by **jimmyt** » 27 Mar 2006, 12:16

Not to worry, thanks for the offer though