[snapped camshaft! and low compression update...]

[losinit@usa.net (Cathy Boyko)]

"Michael Abatzis" <abatzis2@hotmail.com> wrote:
i was having low compression probs with my car (2l 16v, p/p and decked 1.=
8 =

head w/ schrick 268/276's). i did a leak down, and it seemed like i was =

getting intake valve leakage. pulled the head, everything looked fine. =

decided i'd put a new head on, and see if that would cure it. took an old=
 =

head, cleaned it up all nice and shiny, and started to install my cams. w=
hen =

i started tightening down, i noticed the cam marks didn't line up (always=
 =

takes me about 2-3 tries to get it right).  started unscrewing the bearin=
g =

caps when i noticed my schrick intake cam was now in 2 pieces. shit.  bro=
ken =

in half right at the junction of one of the cam lobes (pix if anyone's =

interested).  anyone had this happen before? don't know what the hell =

happened. tightened/loosened exactly per bentley, and it wasn't even all =
the =

way tightened down before i noticed it was off.

anyway, i decided to install my old 1.8 with the euro intake instead. wow=
! i =

knew the car was running a bit slow before, but it feels real strong =

now--that compression thing must have been killing it. i forgot how much =

mid-range those cams sucked out; feels nice now. also, the idle is sooooo=
o =

much better. didn't realize how bad it was till i switched back. of cours=
e, =

now the car is sometimes bucking at about 6k rpm. i'll fiddle more tomorr=
ow, =

set mixture/timing/etc. to see if that solves it. seriously though cathy,=
 =

just admit that my car's way worse than yours. what's it going to take?



-Michael Abatzis
Hotlanta! GA
1988 Scirocco 2L 16v RIP-->parting, finally taking orders: =

www.learnlink.emory.edu/~mabatzi/mikes_page1.html
1987 Scirocco 2L 16v...




Okay, I WAS thinking of admitting to it when I read the subject line.
(although if you want to do a matched pair of broken cams, I have one out=
 in
the garage) =


You may now refer to it as "the silver NEPITA" - mine had that title brie=
fly
before reverting back to simply the "headache" designation. In case you a=
re
wondering, NEPITA is "never ending pain in the a@$". With Craig's blessin=
g,
perhaps you should consider "silver nightmare" or perhaps "silver migrain=
e"?
Sounds along the lines of cluster headaches to me, which are often descri=
bed
as suicide headaches.

Either that, or just paint the damn thing red.



Definition time: Scirocco: "A hot dry wind which causes severe headaches"=


I just wish I remembered where I found that, but it was just as I found o=
ut
about the dead crank keyway. Yours hasn't gone south yet, has it Michael.=
=2E.


Cathy, with deepest sympathies, but you should have never let our cars "t=
alk"
at Daun's.