3.8 V6 cam woes

Topic: 3.8 V6 cam woes (Read 3232 times) previous topic - next topic

3.8 V6 cam woes

December 30, 2011, 10:33:42 PM

Here is my wiped cam lobe and lifter. Has anyone else had a cam lobe wiped on 3.8L V6? I don't recall seeing a cam lobe wiped on a 3.8L V6 before. I worked in a Ford dealer in the mid 80s and then again in the mid 90s. I had a heck of a time finding a cam. I have it torn down almost cleaned up. Just waiting on parts now. Does anyone know when they started putting a timing chain tensioner on the 3.8?

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #1 – December 31, 2011, 02:41:51 AM

What year engine, and front wheel drive? All the oils no longer have lubricants for the older solid lifter cams. Diseil oil still has the lubricant additives and will help out a lot. There.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #2 – December 31, 2011, 03:45:13 AM

Quote from: Fordracer08;376541

Here is my wiped cam lobe and lifter. Has anyone else had a cam lobe wiped on 3.8L V6? I don't recall seeing a cam lobe wiped on a 3.8L V6 before. I worked in a Ford dealer in the mid 80s and then again in the mid 90s. I had a heck of a time finding a cam. I have it torn down almost cleaned up. Just waiting on parts now. Does anyone know when they started putting a timing chain tensioner on the 3.8?

Yes, I've seen one at the local machine shop...oil pump went bad, spun mains etc. The 3.8 got the time chain tensioner in '89, regardless of FWD or RWD...don't forget the '87 3.8 blocks did NOT have the balance shaft, the '88 blocks DID, and then in '89 they removed them again. Weren't used again till '99, and that was in the Mustang only (AFAIK).

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #3 – December 31, 2011, 02:11:47 PM

It is an 86 T-Bird. The engine has 69K original miles and is very clean inside. I have owned two other vehicles with a 3.8L V6. Another 86 T-Bird and a 85 LTD. Both had 200K miles on when I sold them. I was only ever in those engines to replace intake gaskets. I have a 91 F-150 with a 5.0 and it has 149K on it and is doing good with its flat tappet cam. I bought this T-Bird after Thanksgiving this year. It ran great but I only drove it two days and it developed a miss which turned out to be the cam. It is just kind of strange. Everything else seems OK at this point. I am replacing the timing chain, gears and thrust button too. A 90 year old lady owned the car. She bought it new. She was giving up driving and wanted to sell it. I thought the 3.8 got the timing chain tensioner somewhere in the late 80s but I wasn't sure. I believe the 3.8 in the Taurus got a balance shaft too at some point. Thanks.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #4 – December 31, 2011, 04:40:06 PM

91 f150 with 5.0 would have hydralic roller, as all 86 and up 5.0's did. Only other thing I could think of would be bad valvetrain, or like mentioned, oil flow.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #5 – December 31, 2011, 06:24:51 PM

I believe the 5.0 in trucks didn't get a roller cam until 93 or 94. I did check the valve guide to see if it was tight. It looks to be OK. No other wear found in the valvetrain (rocker, pushrod, etc.). It is a strange deal. Hopefully everything is good from here on out.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #6 – December 31, 2011, 06:30:06 PM

All of our cougars/birds/crownvics and everything else with a 5.0 got hydralic rollers, generally in 85. I said 86 because 85 was a transition year. The 351 (5.

was the engine that did not always have provisions for a hydralic roller until 94 or so. Around that time, most if not all blocks had the dog bones and casting for them.

Your lifter is what wiped out the cam. It would almost have to have more wear then the others.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #7 – December 31, 2011, 11:18:31 PM

That's what did in my 'original"(Rebuilt) engine in 2008.. It started knocking like crazy one night, and when I tore it down I found almost a quarter of a lifter missing, but I don't think the cam was wiped totally flat, but it was definitely damaged. Since that was about the weakest 3.8 to roll off the line I retrofitted an '03 3.8 in it's place instead of rebuilding.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #8 – January 01, 2012, 12:57:49 AM

please dont forget to replace the oil pump presure regulator which is inside the timing chain cover.
The oil pump is external on the 3.8L and within the cover is a freeze plug you pop out to replace the valve.

It is likely the reason you lost some lube, got jammed up in the aluminum cover and restricted oil flow.

I had great luck on the 3.8L but i didnt drive them like they were all mighty power dogs either, I drove them like they were intended and that was for transportation to and from. I always got the same mpg as a 5.8 though oddly enough.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #9 – January 01, 2012, 12:58:58 AM

Quote from: Haystack;376556

What year engine, and front wheel drive? All the oils no longer have lubricants for the older solid lifter cams. Diseil oil still has the lubricant additives and will help out a lot. There.

Rotella oil and i get a long because of this, they still have ZDDP

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #10 – January 01, 2012, 12:15:32 PM

There was alot of material worn from the lifter. I swear it was almost worn through to the cavity inside the lifter. I did disassemble the oil pump to check it's condition. It still looked pretty good. I believe the majority of the material worn from the cam & lifter ended up in the oil filter. I had changed the oil and filter right after the miss started as I had heard a lifter clatter randomly. I thought maybe I had a lifter collapsing. The engine maintained oil pressure throughout the whole ordeal.

jcassity can you purchase the pressure regulator valve separately? I always seemed to get 20+ mpg with my 3.8s I have owned. I didn't abuse them they were my daily driver.

Hey jrad265 what was it like to switch a split port engine into an 83 T-Bird? I see though you have a carb. Right? How did you adapt the carb?

Haystack You may be right. I will have to refresh my memory on when the roller cam got used in what engines. I always remember the Mustang usage but am cloudy on the rest.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #11 – January 01, 2012, 12:21:28 PM

I love the split-port, but it definitely involves a bit of work. My car was actually carbed from the factory, only it was a 2Bbl. I am in the process of re-installing fuel injection on it for various reasons. The main problem with doing the swap the way I did is that the manifold I used is built for high rpms, so it is a touch gutless off the line with a stick, but once you get it spinning she really sings.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #12 – January 01, 2012, 01:29:15 PM

Quote from: Fordracer08;376664

jcassity can you purchase the pressure regulator valve separately? I always seemed to get 20+ mpg with my 3.8s I have owned. I didn't abuse them they were my daily driver.

it will come with the gear set.
the oil pump resides directly in front of the oil filter.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #13 – January 01, 2012, 02:13:13 PM

jrad235 That's right your 83 would have been carbureted. What intake did you use on the split port? I will be interested in how the whole injection swap turns out for you.

jcassity Where can you get just an oil pump gear set? Most places I have seen sell the timing cover/pump together.

3.8 V6 cam woes

Reply #14 – January 01, 2012, 09:28:02 PM

Hey jcassity, I seen online that Autozone sells oil pump gear sets which includes the relief spring.