View Full Version : HKS Cam Shafts Snapping - Common Problem?
Just like to know if there is a known problem with the HKS cam shafts & snapping.
I've had 2 snap, I think Michel has had 2 arrived via post & both of them have arrived snapped, & I seem to recall a dispute on here where a cam was sent via post & arrived snapped (think it may have been Jamie who sent it - sorry Jamie if it wasn't you).
I realise they aren't invincible, but a stick of candy rock seems to have more chance of making it through the post. How common is this?
It's giving me deep reservations about putting a HKS crank in a new build, esp after the horror stories about Leon G snapping 2. Think I might follow CW's advice & go for a JUN 3.2 setup with JUN cams.
Think that'll pay it's own dividends in the end bud.:)
Two snapped cams were "discovered" in "the post" by Turbofit so you can't count their testimony as they also stand a chance of snapping if "installed incorrectly" by "muppets" if you see what I mean.
But still, an impact from an angle they aren't designed to endure could snap any camshaft, but snapping during normal operation when correctly installed? Surely not. And dropping a stick of candy rock has a much lower impact than dropping a pair of cams as they weight a few kilos rather than a few grams...
The crank is a different matter. JUN would be lovely if you've got the money to burn and the need for what it gives :)
-Ian
Does "incorrect install", mean torquing down in the correct order etc. Are there any special instructions for installing the HKS cams?
The 2 cams I was on about wasn't Turbofit, so does that mean 7 cams in total now.
I had a pair sent to me by a member that snapped in the post, he refunded my money so all was ok, they are hollow iirc:)
Does "incorrect install", mean torquing down in the correct order etc. Are there any special instructions for installing the HKS cams?
The 2 cams I was on about wasn't Turbofit, so does that mean 7 cams in total now.
No special instructions, just torque the bearing caps down in the right order.
-Ian
Its not a problem with the camshafts in a car persay, it lies with HKS's shipping methods. They are shipping camshafts without a box around them and if you have dealt with HKS cams, you know the boxes they come in have 0 padding in them.
I've been on the horn this morning with folks and I should have a few more sets come monday morning :p.
Well, I got my HKS cams from a US trader while on business in US and they came in individual HKS boxes which, are double walled boxes. Very sturdy. My US supplier also boxed them up with air bags inside the outerbox so, no problems there. I then put then in the hold of the aircraft after a short trip via the US TSA department :( and they made it OK.
My installer did not see any issues either.
Its not restricted to HKS, I had a JUN cam which was snapped in the post.
Yep those are the HKS boxes, double wall or not, they should be packaged in a foam/peanuts/air bags inside another box still. Thats how i ship them after I get them :)
So, it's nothing to do with the Cam design/strength....it's how they are shipped which, is the issue.
michel lane
25-01-08, 17:12
for sale "HKS chopsticks" low milage only one owner , even length . POA.
Chris Wilson
25-01-08, 20:18
If they get dropped, or banged against anything hard, they break. cast iron is very brittle. Sent by post they need wooden packing boxes or alloy strips around them, IMO. Poor Wes, how I dreaded telling him about his JUN shaft, but he's a cool guy, and just shrugged it off :)
If they get dropped, or banged against anything hard, they break. cast iron is very brittle. Sent by post they need wooden packing boxes or alloy strips around them, IMO. Poor Wes, how I dreaded telling him about his JUN shaft, but he's a cool guy, and just shrugged it off :)
If they've been incorrectly hardened it can make them very vunerable - even after they've been installed correctly and are running.
Letting the lobe hardness go too deep and penetrate into an undercut can create an area that is very easy to fatigue.
Its not restricted to HKS, I had a JUN cam which was snapped in the post.
I've posted lots of sets of HKS camshafts from here and had no problems. Wez's was the first JUN cam I posted and it arrived broken :cry:
I now wrap all cam boxes in many layers of bubble wrap to avoid another expensive accident.
Some of the Yanks have had HKS cams snap once installed. Snapping in the post however, can be expected if they are not treated right.
Terminator
26-01-08, 10:38
No special instructions, just torque the bearing caps down in the right order.
-Ian
The more passes you make, in the right sequence of course, reduces the chances of putting undue stress on the shafts.
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