Cam Bearing Failure @ 282 Miles On Reman Engine (With Pics). *&^%(!!

[1987Comanche]

Went back in to change the leaky rear main on Maura:

http://comancheclub.com/topic/27930-my-1990-and-some-pics-of-the-old-87/page__st__20

 

and found this:

 

 

So it looks like my engine has to come back out. The parts store is getting another one for me but to say I'm ticked off would be an understatement. I can only think of 3 reasons the bearings would self destruct like that:

1. Too much runout in the cam

2. Wrong bearings

3. bad surface finish on the cam

 

Anyone else know why the bearings would do this??

[Biotex]

The bearing was installed without the oiling holes aligned. More common than you think...

[Eagle]

The bearing was installed without the oiling holes aligned. More common than you think...

 

^^^

 

That was my first guess.

[jpnjim]

Since you are calling it a reman engine,

I guess it was bought remanned from someplace,

Vs farming out all the machine & assembly work yourself?

 

Hopefully the next one is much better.

I just don't trust these do-it-all reman factories to put out consistent quality work.

 

It is tough to beat their prices for a ready to bolt in, warrenteed, rebuilt engine.

 

In the end,

provided they stand behind it,

I guess it'll only cost you a little time & effort to redo the swap.

 

Good luck!

[1987Comanche]

Yep, it was an ATK reman long block, purchased from the local parts store. I shopped around for price as I found out that all the stores (Advance, Auto Zone, O'Reilly, etc) get their engines from ATK. My original plan was to rebuild the engine from another '90 that I helped a friend pull but the block was cracked at the threads for the passenger's side bellhousing bolt. Not including the crack the work estimate was $2200 and the ATK rebuilt was $1200 with a 3yr/36K warranty.

ATK's original answer was that I'd have to put the engine on a pallet, ship it back, and wait 4 weeks + until they got around to tearing it down. If they agreed the issue was their fault they'd send me a replacement. The parts store intervened and authorized them to ship me a replacement engine. I yanked reman #1 out yesterday morning and swapped them for reman #2. I'm talking to the store about replacement gaskets & fluids now...

[jpnjim]

Yep, it was an ATK reman long block, purchased from the local parts store. I shopped around for price as I found out that all the stores (Advance, Auto Zone, O'Reilly, etc) get their engines from ATK. My original plan was to rebuild the engine from another '90 that I helped a friend pull but the block was cracked at the threads for the passenger's side bellhousing bolt. Not including the crack the work estimate was $2200 and the ATK rebuilt was $1200 with a 3yr/36K warranty.

ATK's original answer was that I'd have to put the engine on a pallet, ship it back, and wait 4 weeks + until they got around to tearing it down. If they agreed the issue was their fault they'd send me a replacement. The parts store intervened and authorized them to ship me a replacement engine. I yanked reman #1 out yesterday morning and swapped them for reman #2. I'm talking to the store about replacement gaskets & fluids now...

 

Awesome!

 

It's hard to argue with a bolt in complete, rebuilt engine for $1200.

Even with the extra work involved.

 

Hopefully the guy who installed the last engine's cam bearing called in sick the day they built your new one :)

[1987Comanche]

That was exactly why I went for the reman engine to start with. I had $2200 in the engine/trans rehabilitation before reman engine #1 had to come back out.

Yes, I hope the guy in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico does a better job this time around...