I've owned the car for exactly a year and only amassed about 1500 miles, since I've been pretty heavy on preventative maintenance this year. Rod bearings were just done, and vanos has been rebuilt with a Dr. Vanos revised disc. Just the other day I decided I'd go for a valve cover gasket replacement and do a valve adjustment while in there. As soon as i popped the cover off I noticed the tall side of some of the cam lobes have some strange wear on them. In photos it looks like a deep gouge but it doesn't seem to have any depth to it running a finger nail across it. It feels smooth to the touch. Has anyone seen wear like this, or have any idea what would cause it? The car has 135k on it for reference and has extensive records showing routine oil changes.
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That looks pretty similar to what I've got: https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...973#post120973
Unfortunately I don't have much to offer other than solidarity. Currently just sending it as-is. -
If the nail does not catch the is ok, what is your mileage? Some of the lobes on mine would show similar marks but not as noticeable. I will upload some images later. Do you see any flatness or gauging on the rockers as well?Comment
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I think that might be my plan as well, just send it and keep a close eye on it. Suppose I can just do valve adjustments more often to peek in there.Originally posted by Pklauser View Post
Car is at 135k! Seemed like excessive wear for that mileage, something I'd expect from 200k+. I'll try and grab some updated pics of the rocker arms asap this week, just waiting on few parts from FCP! Bit nervous to be honest, since I looked up some rough costs to replace both cams and rockers.Originally posted by maupineda View Post
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If you don’t hear abnormal tick noises then is fine, just quality oil regularly and I personally am a fan of LIQUI MOLY MoS2 additive or Ceratec, which ever you prefer.Comment
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You could feel the pitting with finger, but OP can't so his has no pitting but stain.Originally posted by Pklauser View PostComment
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Have the same issue w/ exhaust cam, except mine is ticking loud. Currently weighing out the cost of upgrading to Schricks.
I'm just wondering what could cause this type of uneven wear on the cam?Comment
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Don't forget the cost of those followers! Yeesh, those things are priceyComment
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have similar marks on my cam too. l definitely have them on my exhaust cam but not sure if they're on the intake cam. currently at 275k miles."your BMW has how many miles!?"
2003 M3 coupe - Imolarot/Black 6 M/T - JRZ - Ground Control - Volk Racing - Karbonius - SuperSprint - Recaro - Schroth
2007 GX470
build/journal
ig: @zzyzx85Comment
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Mine has little score marks too. Not as bad as yours but definitely visible. I first saw them at about 50k miles and now at 100k they haven't really changed. I wouldn't worry.Comment
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Isn't MoS2 in standard oil anyway, does that stuff really do anything? I thought liqui moly oil didn't have it in that's why the additive was recommended?Originally posted by maupineda View PostComment
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Not all oils have Moly, it depends. I know the general knowledge is that oils already have a balanced mix of additives, so the jury is out on whether adding more of an additive is actually good or not, but Moly is TUV certified so it has been tested to not be detrimental of the emissions system and the engine itself. Plus is cheap.Originally posted by Arinb12 View Post
there is a test in YT that shows that ceratec increases boron in around 700ppm and Moly in 400.
all else properties were very much the same, in the case of ceratec it seemed to increase viscosity index a bit, making a 30 weitgh oil more of a 40.
i see all of the above as good.
the main controversy is the effectiveness of moly in the presence of calcium which is a detergent.
but again, any extra protection is welcome in my viewComment
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I appreciate all the input guys. I just wanted to give a small update and a correction on my earlier comment. I definitely CAN feel the marks with a finger nail, although they aren't very deep. I checked the followers and they all had corresponding marks, but no flat spots and no corrosion. Still at a loss as to what caused this, but just have to assume some sort of contaminant/abrasive was in the oil at some point. I plant to just keep up on frequent oil changes and inspect the lobes seasonally and track the wear. I also read over @Pklauser journal and took his suggestion to pick up a Dimple magnetic drain plug as a small safety net!Comment
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Too much clearance can lead to hammering followers and cam lobes, then wear, and this just get worse faster. Replace both with good parts or it will get worse faster.Originally posted by genesis View Post
I tried to stay on the tight clearance: 7-ELEVEN.Last edited by sapote; 01-14-2022, 09:33 AM.Comment
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At first this is what I suspected too, and it definitely could be the case. To me I'd expect to find flat spots on the lobes or followers with too much clearance, and I'd find all the varnish rubbed off the backside of the lobes with too little clearance. I don't really see evidence of either myself. To me it looks more like a surface level abrasion from some sort of contaminate. Totally could be wrong though, this exceeds my knowledge level. Either way, I would love to replace the parts, but it's honestly cheaper to replace the entire head considering just the followers are ~$120/each x24 (nearly $3000). With that being said I do have a spare S54, but will just ride this one out and see how the wear continues, or doesn't. Fingers crossed!Originally posted by sapote View PostComment
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