Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
Hey, I got a pair of camshafts I wanted to use... but I've had them in storage for so long, they've accumulated rust.
What's the best way to clean up a camshaft?
What's the best way to clean up a camshaft?
- Nd4SpdSe
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
Stroke it?
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2011 Mazda Mazda2 GS - 1.5L Manual : Yozora Edition (1 of 500)
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
Get a 3M abrasive pad and a use it wet with some mineral oil. Not the green Scotch Brite pad. The grey abrasive pad.
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93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
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Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
like brillo pads?
Or not like brillo pads... cuzz they have all that soap built into them...
Or not like brillo pads... cuzz they have all that soap built into them...
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.
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- _-Night-Shade-_
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I hope that was a joke lol.projectzemx3 wrote:put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.
Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I can't see why that wouldn't work. If there's rust on the lobes it'll get scraped off. If there's rust on the body then that's ok too, I've seem plenty with a bit of rust on them even if they weren't taken off._-Night-Shade-_ wrote:I hope that was a joke lol.projectzemx3 wrote:put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I suppose if you don't care about the condition of the bearings it would be fine.
94' RS/GS/MS/CF Monster Turbo...coming soon.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
- Daveb
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I d try and clean em up with something non-abrasive, maybe scrub with rag and some loosenut (I dunno is CLR good?)
Wash thourougly after, even with soap and water, rinse and then put a pile of WHITE LUBE, what engine rebuilders use.
If the cams look at all worn, replace, stock one should be cheap at scrap yard if your on a budget (or online here).
Good luck
Wash thourougly after, even with soap and water, rinse and then put a pile of WHITE LUBE, what engine rebuilders use.
If the cams look at all worn, replace, stock one should be cheap at scrap yard if your on a budget (or online here).
Good luck
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1993 RS 5 speed SOHC with 89,000 original KMs! (rising fast though).
1994 RS 4 cyl auto- running parts car with 104,000 KMs
- _-Night-Shade-_
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I would be concerned with all the crud falling off and contaminating the engine.Mad Cow wrote:I can't see why that wouldn't work. If there's rust on the lobes it'll get scraped off. If there's rust on the body then that's ok too, I've seem plenty with a bit of rust on them even if they weren't taken off._-Night-Shade-_ wrote:I hope that was a joke lol.projectzemx3 wrote:put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.
Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I had a dream where all the rust came off the camshafts, but the lobes were "ribbed" really badly and had to get the camshaft ground down.
I think they were junk in the dream, cuzz the journals were "ribbed" as well.
Then I woke up and no, they were still rusty
I'll clean them up with a very mildly abrasive pad. I used it to clean the head gasket off the head, and it didn't harm the aluminum, so I don't see why it'd harm the camshaft.
I fear the journals being rusty will cause some no-no's especially, so i don't believe placing them in rusty is a very good option.
I think they were junk in the dream, cuzz the journals were "ribbed" as well.
Then I woke up and no, they were still rusty
I'll clean them up with a very mildly abrasive pad. I used it to clean the head gasket off the head, and it didn't harm the aluminum, so I don't see why it'd harm the camshaft.
I fear the journals being rusty will cause some no-no's especially, so i don't believe placing them in rusty is a very good option.
Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
"Hey SuperK, what did you dream about?"
"... Camshafts."
"... Camshafts."
- _-Night-Shade-_
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- onlytrueromeo
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
I wouldn't use chemicals on them to clean them up, just WD40 to keep further corrosion away once theyre cleaned. A mild abrasive pad like wytbishop suggested is what you want. The green ones leave chunks behind, I don't believe the grey/white ones do (from what I've seen). You will be able to free the majority of the surface rust w/o much effort, but to get the rust color out of the surface of the metal will require more effort, and I would not scrub that hard on the lobes for fear of scratching something.
A little rust in there will not hurt things. A good filter will keep the engine clean, and you should change the oil/filter after a hundred miles or so anyway when installing new parts like this. WD40 over everything before you install it back in, will displace the water and hopefully any fibers left on the camshafts too!
A little rust in there will not hurt things. A good filter will keep the engine clean, and you should change the oil/filter after a hundred miles or so anyway when installing new parts like this. WD40 over everything before you install it back in, will displace the water and hopefully any fibers left on the camshafts too!
- Ryan
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Re: Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?
Question:
Why didn't mazda use replaceable bearings in the camshafts? not enough stress?
Why didn't mazda use replaceable bearings in the camshafts? not enough stress?
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Black '93 BP RS - wrecked, parted, scrapped.
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Black '93 BP RS - wrecked, parted, scrapped.
Green GS - Sold.
Black GS - Summer DD/Race car - Fancy KLZE
Red GS - K8-ATX -> MTX-KLDE - Frakencar. Scrapped
White GS - Rusty. Parts. Scrapped
1997 BMW M3 - my summer baby
2002 BMW 325Xi - sold
2003 Forester Xti - EJ20K swapped.
Feedback