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IanPaul
11-20-2010, 09:43 AM
Hey everyone, I have 97' 328i recently removed the valve cover to replace the gasket. It was my first time changing it, everything went smoothly. But I noticed on the left cam shaft on two different locations along the shaft It looked as if they were shaved or that something had been rubbing them as they were rotating. It looks as if they had been shaved down to bare metal showing the metallic silver color associated with steel. There indented into the cam, oval and no larger than an inch and a half. I should have taken a picture but didn't get around to it.. Any ideas? Or are indentations normal?

medic1dl
11-20-2010, 09:53 AM
Timing Marks

IanPaul
11-20-2010, 10:19 AM
Timing marks? What do these look like?

There on the actual cams not on the lobes but on they grey rod that goes throughout the center

TCarlisle
11-20-2010, 12:28 PM
You really need to post a pic with a question like this. Probably normal, but can't be sure without seeing what is going on here.

IanPaul
11-20-2010, 01:01 PM
okay heres a pic http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9207/photons.jpg

and another.. http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4524/photo2kcd.jpg

they are found on various parts of the cam only on the grey areas though..

medic1dl
11-20-2010, 01:07 PM
Probably has something to do with the balancing of the camshaft. Material was ground off in these spots to balance it.

amdspitfire
11-20-2010, 01:13 PM
Probably has something to do with the balancing of the camshaft. Material was ground off in these spots to balance it.

yah... normal

BMW&PorscheDude
11-21-2010, 05:11 AM
Those cams are clearly defective. Better get some M3 cams in there stat! :D

Toby B
11-21-2010, 02:15 PM
skagging marks from where the mold was filled. brutal, but normal.

never seen anyone balance a cam...

t

IanPaul
11-21-2010, 05:46 PM
so there normal.. thats good

EuroSportChi69
11-21-2010, 05:52 PM
Probably has something to do with the balancing of the camshaft. Material was ground off in these spots to balance it.

:confused

dcwright
11-21-2010, 07:31 PM
Those are marks that were purposely made with a grinding tool, not wear marks from something going wrong in your engine. Nothing to worry about!

medic1dl
11-21-2010, 08:37 PM
skagging marks from where the mold was filled. brutal, but normal.

never seen anyone balance a cam...

t

http://www.precisionenginetech.com/tech-explained/2009/06/01/camshaft-%C2%ADbalancing-part-1/

http://www.aera.org/ep/downloads/ep1/EP012008_30-32.pdf

Now you have heard of it.

Toby B
11-22-2010, 01:00 AM
...and am unimpressed. but that's me.

t

medic1dl
11-22-2010, 08:43 AM
Not trying to impress I was just adding my 2 cents when the OP asked a question.

IanPaul
11-22-2010, 08:58 AM
Thanks for the input, medic. You obviously know your stuff! I was worried about it, but alls good now

medic1dl
11-22-2010, 09:54 AM
Glad we could help, after all helping out is what this forum is all about isn't it?

IanPaul
11-22-2010, 01:47 PM
this is very true