Cam bearings wear-looks like orange peel

[casadejohnson]

I have never seen this before. I broke down the 5.8 I'm getting ready to build and the cam bearings have an orange peel texture. Oddly, the cam itself looks pretty good. What would cause this? just a poor quality / defective bearing? Lack of proper assembly lube? Engine tag says it was a Ford Remain engine done in 2000. Engine is a junkyard find so millage is unknown. All other bearings in the engine just show normal wear. The photos make it look worse than it is texture wise. To get the photo, I had to shine a light down the cam bore.

 

[inthmtns]

YOW! I've never seen that before! Is it on just the top of the bearings or all the way around?

Best guess I'd give is that the motor sat for a long while and either moisture or the acids present in the oil etched the bearings... but that is just a guess, not a diagnosis.

The mains don't seem to show that etching.

 

[casadejohnson]

YOW! I've never seen that before! Is it on just the top of the bearings or all the way around?

Best guess I'd give is that the motor sat for a long while and either moisture or the acids present in the oil etched the bearings... but that is just a guess, not a diagnosis.

The mains don't seem to show that etching.

The bearings do have a more normal wear pattern on the bottom, so yes the tops are the most pronounced with the etching. And as you said, Mains don't show this at all.

 

[bmc69]

I can't tell if that is overlay fatigue or cavitation damage...or maybe some of both? Are all five of them pretty much the same?

 

[casadejohnson]

I can't tell if that is overlay fatigue or cavitation damage...or maybe some of both? Are all five of them pretty much the same?

Yes, all of the cam bearings look like that. The front one seems to have the least damage. I spoke with my local machine shop today and he thought it could be caused by heat. He said cam bearings are the softest and most easily damaged (I Didn't know that). His diagnosis was based on my verbal description, not actually seeing it so he has asked me to bring it in so he can look at it.

 

[red hot71]

I wonder if that's from anti-freeze. A new motor had a leak from the get go, and during early break in. I hear anti-freeze is bad on bearings.

Or I wonder if they are made that way, maybe to retain oil or assemble lube during break in. Sense the bearings are softer and the cam has all it's force pressing down. I have to say it would be hard to guest why, or to create that pattern from a spinning camshaft.

 

[kbank6]

The funny thing is that you do not see any smooth surfaces like you after many miles of run time.

 

[broncodriver99]

That is weird. That looks more like something that happened while the engine was sitting.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Almost looks like the block was hot tanked with the bearings in place, but the engine isn't clean enough. Never seen them like that before. Put new ones in and go.

 

[Ourobos]

Antifreeze

 

[bmc69]

The funny thing is that you do not see any smooth surfaces like you after many miles of run time.

Cam bearings wear on only the "lower" half because the applied radial load is from above only (chain drive and pushrods). I've seen them completely worn through to the block, on the bottom, whilst the top half still looks fine.

But I haven't seen any that look quite look these in the OP...

 

[bmc69]

He said cam bearings are the softest and most easily damaged (I Didn't know that).

First time I've ever heard of that....same bearing materials as the mains. ?:?

 

[Skiddy]

First time I've ever heard of that....same bearing materials as the mains. ?:?

me too, i have never seen an engine bearing like that

 

[casadejohnson]

First time I've ever heard of that....same bearing materials as the mains. ?:?

I felt a little like he might be feeding me some BS. I spoke to a couple friends of mine today that are long time drag racers and they called BS on the softer bearing material theory. I also thought about the antifreeze possibility but I think if it was antifreeze all of the bearings would look like that.

 

[Letsgocrawling]

probaly bearing issues themselves, just my thought, coolant contamination shows different issues relative to all of the bearings in cases that i've seen

 

[Tomdee]

Replace bearings, after breaking in and before changing oil, have the oil tested!! that is what I would do!
Good Luck!!