What causes a random bent cam gear.

[g4ebguy90]

I have read alot of threads, but people just say to replace it, which I plan on doing.

I want to know why the intake cam gear on these cars bend. I drove this car for a while... One day at start up it made a small chirping noise, it contiuned through out the day. I always thought it was a acc. belt.

Well 2 weeks later it was driving me and my gf crazy so, I decided to investigate, found the PS belt rubbing, so I took it off. No fix...

Took of the cam cover and told my gf to crank it, bout 5 seconds later I ran to the front seat myself , screaming, turned off the car, all to the sight of my gf's WTF face.

The timing belt was moving back and fourth VERY close to the edge of the gear, I started it again briefly and noticed the intake cam gear was wobbling, I retorqued it and it still wobbles. So apprently it is bent in some way or another, I just don't no how. Car runs fine.

Any ideas? only thing I noticed was that the cam cover for the top seemed to rub a bit on the gear, but it's plastic I can't believe it would bend a hard metal gear.

 

[99gst_racer]

I've never seen one bend before, and I've dropped several on the concrete.

Post a video. I want to see this.

 

[Jstue]

id like to see this as well. a pic at least. never seen a bent cam gear..

 

[94talontd]

Never seen one either, thats a pretty solid piece to bend.

 

[Bill Hincher]

its not bent, the cam gear came loose and the cam end is bad now, you need to replace the cam as well as the gear so it doesnt re occur

 

[kidtsi]

mine bend when i forgot to torq it you cant tell by looking at it but it was bend. i replace it with a new set of aem camgears and problem resolved.

 

[KAOI]

its not bent, the cam gear came loose and the cam end is bad now, you need to replace the cam as well as the gear so it doesnt re occur

I agree. Replace both and make sure its torqued up to spec.

Ive dropped the hood on the gears without the cam gear cover and they didnt bend. Its hard as hell to bend them.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

mine bend when i forgot to torq it you cant tell by looking at it but it was bend. i replace it with a new set of aem camgears and problem resolved.

You sound drunk.

I'm sure that something along the lines of torsional whip could cause a Cam Gear to warp. As far as Paul claiming he's dropped several on concrete.. Paul, do you know how many I've accidentally shattered by dropping them? Why don't I have the luck you do? Every Cam Gear I pick up, I handle it like it's peanut brittle.

At any rate, think of it like this - Those Cam Gears have a LOT of stress on them. If they have any sort of free play, the belt pulling against them at an angle ( / ) will cause the Cam Gear to deform. It's the same concept as with your Flywheel if one of your flywheel bolts back out and there is improper torque load, or if you have the incorrect torque specs on it. Just ask Shep about that as he was the one who brought that to my attention himself a few years ago.

When you think of the basics of it, however, it's a very rudimentary concept. Just make sure that the Cam Gears are within spec and torqued accordingly and viola'. No more problem.

 

[galantlvr34]

I have read alot of threads, but people just say to replace it, which I plan on doing.

I want to know why the intake cam gear on these cars bend. I drove this car for a while... One day at start up it made a small chirping noise, it contiuned through out the day. I always thought it was a acc. belt.

Well 2 weeks later it was driving me and my gf crazy so, I decided to investigate, found the PS belt rubbing, so I took it off. No fix...

Took of the cam cover and told my gf to crank it, bout 5 seconds later I ran to the front seat myself , screaming, turned off the car, all to the sight of my gf's WTF face.

The timing belt was moving back and fourth VERY close to the edge of the gear, I started it again briefly and noticed the intake cam gear was wobbling, I retorqued it and it still wobbles. So apprently it is bent in some way or another, I just don't no how. Car runs fine.

Any ideas? only thing I noticed was that the cam cover for the top seemed to rub a bit on the gear, but it's plastic I can't believe it would bend a hard metal gear.

Do you use the upper timing cover?If not something probably got in there and bent it.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

Do you use the upper timing cover?If not something probably got in there and bent it.

.....Like what, exactly?

 

[LandoAWD]

A crowbar.

Subscribing for vids.

 

[97gst_spyder]

Bolt/nut between the belt and gear?

 

[kidtsi]

"XiKeiyaZI" Sorry i'm actually drunk but willing to help.

 

[98mitsubishigst]

Pics/Video, or i didn't happen.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

A crowbar.

Subscribing for vids.

Haha. A rogue crowbar randomly flew into the closed engine bay and bent the CAM gear. I need to make a flash video of that.

"XiKeiyaZI" Sorry i'm actually drunk but willing to help.

You're a helpful drunk.

 

[Lil' Shaun]

the truck i had with a 4g63 head on it had a bent cam gear.

 

[kidtsi]

Haha. A rogue crowbar randomly flew into the closed engine bay and bent the CAM gear. I need to make a flash video of that.



You're a helpful drunk.

Yeah and my cam gear bent because i didn't torque it after the build and the belt somehow deform the camgear.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

Yeah and my cam gear bent because i didn't torque it after the build and the belt somehow deform the camgear.

I can't sense the sarcasm here.

 

[Calan]

I'm with Paul on this; I've never seen a bent gear, and I think it would take a lot to bend one...a lot more than a t-belt could put on one against valve spring resistance before it snaps, unless it isn't in proper alignment. And I'm willing to bet that if a cam gear did manage to get bent to a large degree, there would be more serious damage that went along for the ride.

But, I've seen a few that wobble because the guide pin is fubared or the camshaft/cam gear interface wasn't flat and clean...which causes them to not tighten up properly and wobble.

 

[miguelmcv]

I don't think a bolt or some kind of hard stuff got into it to bend it.

If it would off be a bolt or some hard thing, It mostly like to break something inside, like the Crank Gear or rub the head or break it, which the hear is more weaker then the Cam Gear.

I am agree with (XiKeiyaZI), You might had the bolt loose which the belt applied uneven force to the CAM Gear.

I had a crack Cam Gear from the middle section, but never had bend it.

 

[kidtsi]

I can't sense the sarcasm here.

No sarcasm here. That is what happened to mine a couple of months back.

 

[g4ebguy90]

I will get a video in a little bit, to top it off, I have already removed all the covers and acc belts, the water pump is off, but the car will be ok to run for like 5 seconds to make a video i assume.

Video in a bit.

The strange thing is, that car ran fine for weeks. Then one day it started making a high pitch pulley type noise that raised with rpm, and then there it was the bent timing gear. BTW the gear was not loose. It was on there really snug....

VIDEO!

POS dsm bent timing gear - YouTube

 

[LandoAWD]

No lower covers either? Dude... (ignore...checked first post)

That does look a bit warped, or improperly seated.

 

[Calan]

I just want to yell "HOLD THE FREAKIN' CAMERA STILL SO I CAN LOOK AT IT"

 

[g4ebguy90]

No lower covers either? Dude... (ignore...checked first post)

That does look a bit warped, or improperly seated.

No they were on, I took them off today for better inspection.

I just want to yell "HOLD THE FREAKIN' CAMERA STILL SO I CAN LOOK AT IT"

I had to take a dump so I was trying to hurry.