I am trying to find truth in an argument I am having with someone.

If you didn't remember to put loctite on the cam bolts, would those bolts start to back out after a year of driving or would they come out pretty quickly?

If those bolts were loose, would you still be able to start the car repetitively and even drive it?

TIA

 

My question would be, why even chance it? That person that did that might want to consider going back into his/her engine and putting the locktite for the added insurance of not having to worry about the cam walking back...

 

The situation is in the past, and it is alleged. I am just trying to find an answer to those specific questions.

Thanks for your time, though.

 

Drill the bolt heads and twist safety wire between them. Then you won't have to worry about it. You would think that after those bolts backed out so far they would begin to scrape the timing cover and create one hell of a racket unless the sprocket fell off first.

 

I am not asking for a solution. I am asking if those things are possible. THIS WAS IN THE PAST AND NOT MY CAR.

Thanks.

 

I've done the install several times with no locktite and everything was fine. Its probably more likely they will back out, but its not a black and white type of issue. It could take anywhere from a day or two, to 10 years, to never, to back out.

Forgot to add, more often than not (say, 10-15 times) I do it with locktite.

 

Yes, it is extremely possible. I've seen two engines ruined by the cam bolts walking out. One was done by a sponsor. It can and does happen. The torque specs from GM are not suffecient. Either take them to 30# or loctite the hell out of them. I loctite and overtorque. Once you pound the lifters out of the block with a hammer thanks to the cam moving like Katherine Hepburn in a paint shaker, you start getting those suckers tight.

 

Okay, but does the cam position sensor not stop the car from starting once the cam moves a little bit?

Thanks for the replies.

 

The cam position sensor is not necessary for engine operation. It just helps the engine fire a little quicker when you are starting it.

 

ZaneO, Please don't delete threads on the board when you are done with them. Maybe next time somebody wants to ask something similar, they can find it in a search.