Camshaft indentations

[IanPaul]

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]

Timing Marks

[IanPaul]

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]

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]

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]

Probably has something to do with the balancing of the camshaft. Material was ground off in these spots to balance it.

[amdspitfire]

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]

Those cams are clearly defective. Better get some M3 cams in there stat! :D

[Toby B]

skagging marks from where the mold was filled. brutal, but normal.

never seen anyone balance a cam...

t

[IanPaul]

so there normal.. thats good

[EuroSportChi69]

Probably has something to do with the balancing of the camshaft. Material was ground off in these spots to balance it.

:confused

[dcwright]

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]

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]

...and am unimpressed. but that's me.

t

[medic1dl]

Not trying to impress I was just adding my 2 cents when the OP asked a question.

[IanPaul]

Thanks for the input, medic. You obviously know your stuff! I was worried about it, but alls good now

[medic1dl]

Glad we could help, after all helping out is what this forum is all about isn't it?

[IanPaul]

this is very true