Rusty Camshafts. Best Solution?

[SuperK]

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?

[Nd4SpdSe]

Stroke it?

[wytbishop]

Get a 3M abrasive pad and a use it wet with some mineral oil. Not the green Scotch Brite pad. The grey abrasive pad.

[SuperK]

like brillo pads?

Or not like brillo pads... cuzz they have all that soap built into them...

[projectzemx3]

put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.

I hope that was a joke lol.

[Mad Cow]

put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.

I hope that was a joke lol.

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.

[wytbishop]

I suppose if you don't care about the condition of the bearings it would be fine.

[Daveb]

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

[_-Night-Shade-_]

put them in anyways they will smoothen themselves up.

I hope that was a joke lol.

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.

I would be concerned with all the crud falling off and contaminating the engine.

[SuperK]

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.

[SuperK]

"Hey SuperK, what did you dream about?"

"... Camshafts."

[_-Night-Shade-_]

[onlytrueromeo]

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!

[Ryan]

Question:


Why didn't mazda use replaceable bearings in the camshafts? not enough stress?