Enjoy a Longer Engine Life With A Healthy Camshaft

Out of the various significant components of engine, 'Camshaft' is one of the most significant parts. It plays a crucial role in high performance of automobile engines and its vitality can't be ignored at all. It contains a number of cams or lobes attached to a cylindrical rod rotating perpendicular to its axis. Every cam is linked to a valve, which gets opened/closed by a pressurized movement of the cams. These valves are responsible for the intake and exhaust of air-fuel mixture. So, camshaft indirectly controls the opening and closing mechanism of these valves. Hence camshaft is connected to the crankshaft via gear or through a belt or chain.

In some of the modern engines, the fuel-injection mechanism is also controlled by camshaft. Any damage in camshaft can seriously affect the performance of engine, and the performance level of the car gets deteriorated. Few of the camshaft damages can be prevented by taking some easy go measures discussed here.

Troubleshooting the Camshaft

Camshaft is linked to the engine and it works directly or with the help of push rods or rockers. In the traditional vehicles system, the camshaft does its job directly, causing too many damages to the engine. But modern vehicles have camshaft on top of the cylindrical head. The number of camshafts may vary according to the requirement of the engine, for example, V engine has four camshafts attached to it. Some of the common failure to the camshaft and its repair tips are as follows:

• Bearing Wear-Out - Most of the camshafts failures can be linked to bearing wear and tear in the camshaft. The bearings should be checked for excessive dust or debris and it should be cleaned properly. Bearings may also get dried-up due to excessive usage, so gentle oiling should be done to make it smooth. However, if the bearings are completely damaged, then it should be replaced with the new ones. This can be carried out with the help of rubber plugs or other suitable tools.
• Damage due to Sliding Friction - There is always a considerable amount of damage done due to continuous rubbing of the camshaft and valves. This sliding friction causes a significant wear-out in the form of heat. This can be minimized by applying the appropriate lubricants in between the sliding site. This can also be reduced by putting rollers in place of contact, as rolling friction is always less than that of sliding friction.
• Structural Imperfections - As camshaft is an arrangement, disturbance in any part can affect the whole apparatus. Thus the whole arrangement should be aligned with each other. Various connections in the apparatus must be properly made and any mismatch must be diagnosed and treated appropriately.

Apart from these tips, there are some general suggestions which involve an adequate cleaning of the whole apparatus with rust proofing. Accurate structural uprightness must be maintained to ensure a flawless working of the camshaft. If the issues related to camshaft doesn't resolved manually, then treatment by a qualified engineer is recommended.