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Old 06-16-2011, 02:32 PM   #14
JFP in PA
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: It's a kind of magic.....
Posts: 6,273
Yes. Camshaft deviation values (timing or allocation in relation to ideal) at idle should be very steady, regardless of the reading values (see ther red and blue lines below). If they are swinging back and forth extensively at idle, or when the engine transitions from on to off throttle, it is the sign of something being very loose in the cam drive, most often the IMS bearing wobbling. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is rarely observed and then only purely by chance, resulting in very few engines getting caught as there are not other apparent signs of anything wrong. Usually, the first indication of a problem is also the last one, and a catastrophic failure results. To my knowledge, unfortunately no one knows how long, or how badly, this goes on before the unit fails.

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Last edited by JFP in PA; 06-16-2011 at 02:42 PM.
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