Rusty Camshafts

[MariosBMW2024]

Hey folks, a couple of questions. While I was replacing the valve cover gasket as well as the Valve cover I noticed there was rust on the camshaft. Should I be worried? (There are pics to show the rust) I was told to replace the lifters and the camshaft and also I should be concerned with the bearings due to how the engine looks. Also, I'm replacing my plastic valve cover with an aluminum valve cover and I was told that was a bad decision. The aluminum pan tends to warp overtime and it'll start to leak. Has anyone dealt with that issue before? BTW, I'm not the one who put her in this condition. I'm just the guy who purchased her 10 days ago who is trying to revive her.

[Walt White Coupe]

I don't know what to say other than you should be extremely worried about that engine.

[MariosBMW2024]

At this point, I am. I've gotten alot of feedback and none too good.

[Opie55]

The crud on the springs is as bad a sign as the rust is. It looks like the prior owner followed a 100,000 miles or 10 years, which comes first, oil change regimen. It looks like the rollers that follow the cam are also rusted. I think I'd be looking for a used engine.

[JBF650]

Originally Posted by MariosBMW2024

Hey folks, a couple of questions. While I was replacing the valve cover gasket as well as the Valve cover I noticed there was rust on the camshaft. Should I be worried? (There are pics to show the rust) I was told to replace the lifters and the camshaft and also I should be concerned with the bearings due to how the engine looks. Also, I'm replacing my plastic valve cover with an aluminum valve cover and I was told that was a bad decision. The aluminum pan tends to warp overtime and it'll start to leak. Has anyone dealt with that issue before? BTW, I'm not the one who put her in this condition. I'm just the guy who purchased her 10 days ago who is trying to revive her.

good grief I'm no mechanic but the very last place you would expect to find any kind of rust and corrosion like that is on the cams! wow and the value springs look sludgy as well. id have to agree with our other forum mates that doesn't look to be a healthy top end.... maybe its had water ingested ....??? does it actually run ? and if so not well id image ....

be interesting to know how it pans out , good luck with it.

[MariosBMW2024]

Yea I'm not 100 sure of the full history of the vehicle. The carfax doesn't state it was in a fflood. I know I have my work cut out for me. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

[Opie55]

To give you some hope, my favorite all-time car resurrection thread was a Mercedes CLK 550 from about 2008 that some guy in rural Ghana bought as a flood-damaged car from Houston and had it shipped to Africa. During the boat road or while unloading it looked like another car fell on the hood. It was a mess, and then he posted a series of hilarious pictures of what looked like photos from National Geographic as these African men in colorful robes and sandals sat in the dirt and beat those panels with hand tools and somehow sourced a used engine, and then painted the car blue outside on the bare ground. And that car actually looked pretty nice and ran great.