Camshaft spalling, updated with pics

Re: Camshaft pitting

mikst said:

Hi,

I was checking the camshaft and there seems to be some small marks, "pitting"?, on it. They are small but you can see them. Shall the camshaft be replaced instantly?

Click to expand...

Hi Mikst,
If the camshaft is beginning to spall on the nose and / or flank then it is indeed time to replace said camshaft. Spalling is the result of loading which is amplified via the OEM camshaft profile.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Dale

Hi Mikael,

it´s not easy to recommend such things.
I think if I were you I wouldn´t replace it.
What should happen? Replace your rocker arm bearings
and assemble your engine.
Normally I use parts as long as it´s possible to use
them - maybe until they break.
But you can call me unproffesional, maybe it seems so,
but till now I never caused bigger problems cos of such a conduct.

By the way, I´ll send you a PM, you asked me some other questions, but
I think I need a bit more time to "create" my answer.

greetings

hribman

Begining of the end



As a general rule little time exists between minor spalling and that which is pictured.

Kind Regards,
Dale

Camshaft wear

I have to agree with Dale that this will often precede severe damage in a short period of time. How the cam was heat treated, (case hardened), will have a big influence on cam wear. Surface hardness alone is not indicative of cam life. I'm not sure how Husaberg hardens their camshafts, but I would be happy to show and tell if anyone wanted to donate a worn or un-usable cam for analysis. I can do the case depth study as well as detailed hardness measurements, and we can get a better idea of what they do to the cams and how they do it. Classic reverse engineering. Do it all the time, (hey, it's a living!) I've even seen cams that will wear aggressively at first, and then slow down, but that is not the norm. Personally, I would replace a cam that looked like the one photographed in this thread. Dale, any un-usable factory cores laying around? BD

Hi BD,
Once I wrap up Bergdaddy's Baja engine I shall put together a package and get it out to you.

Sincerely,
Dale

Thanks Dale, I think alot of folks here might like to see how a cam is made aside from the physical shape. I'll PM the ship to. BD

Hi guys,

oops, I never saw a cam like on the pics of Dale.
I wonder why, cos I had some Bergs before which had been ridden for lots of kilometers
and you can believe me, I also know some guys, some acquaintances and some friends of mine,
who also ride a lot on Bergs, and
most of us mostly ride under hard condition. That´s another reason why I can recommend the Berg
to other people who race.
My opinion is, the parts that last at our bikes must last at other bikes almost forever. I think we´re kind
of unofficial test riders.
Things I mentioned schouldn´t seem that I´m arrogant or too proud, I only try to explain the situation here.
So please don´t misunderstand me.
6 friend of mine have got Husabergs and I thought here, where I live it´s a kind of
central Husaberg nest. I think most of you can imagine what I´m talking about, because Husaberg
is not a too popular bike. I also thought I had seen all damages you can have with your Berg.
What Mikst called "pitting" I was thinking about some little roughness or unevenness.
Mikael, how does it really look?

greetings

Michael

Hi Guys,

Here is a picture of journal pitting on my OEM 55 cam from my 2000 FE501E, with 221.4 hours of operation.

http://www.husaberg.org/modules.php?ful ... _photo.php

Joe

Hi Mikst,

Those streaks on your cam lobes are normal I think. My Berg has shown traces of them on 3 different cams. On my cams the streaks were not harmful to the cam surface, it was just coloration. I blame them on minute particles of aluminum in the oil that got caught between the cam lobe and the cam follower bearing. I could be wrong though, Dale Lineaweaver would be the best source of opinion.

Joe