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Camshaft Polishing – The Definitive Guide

A camshaft is an integral part of any combustion engine. It controls the input of fuel and also expels exhaust fumes produced.

It is, therefore, necessary that camshafts be polished to the highest degree. They should have zero room for errors.

These errors could cost you a great deal in terms of engine performance.

Now, polishing camshafts can be intimidating. It can intimidate you, especially if you are new to the process.

However, in this article, you will learn:

• The fundamentals of polishing camshafts
• The benefits of polishing camshafts
• The advantages of polishing camshafts with mass finishing machines.

Keep reading this article to find out more.

1. How can I best polish my camshaft?

Now, the best way to polish your camshafts is by using a mass finishing machine, cleaning media, and polishing compounds.

Two primary mass finishing machines are ideal for polishing your camshafts.

The first one is the tub vibratory tumbler.

Figure 1 – Tub Vibratory Tumbler

This machine has a cuboid-like trough where you put your polishing media, camshafts, and polishing compound.

It polishes rapidly because of its strength. It has a robust motor that shakes the tub vigorously.

Now, shaking the tub vigorously generates friction when the target parts and polishing media rub each others’ surfaces.

The second mass finishing machine ideal for polishing camshafts is the centrifugal barrel finishing machine.

Figure 2 – Centrifugal Barrel Finishing Machine

This machine has four barrels that are fixed on a single flywheel.

This machine, as its name suggests, uses centrifugal forces to its advantage.

The four barrels and the flywheel all spin when polishing.

However, the flywheel spins in the opposite direction as that of the four barrels. This design enhances the polishing process.

It also uses polishing media and polishing compounds. It is a robust machine that completes the polishing process rapidly.

The best part about using the centrifugal barrel finisher is that you are not limited to polishing small-sized camshafts.

You can also polish big camshafts.

Bottom line:

Mass finishing machines are ideal for polishing camshafts rapidly and effectively.

2. What polishing media can I use to polish my camshaft?

Now, when polishing your camshafts using mass finishing machines, there are two ideal types of cleaning media that you can use.

The first type is the porcelain polishing media.

Figure 3 – Porcelain Polishing Media

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Porcelain polishing media contains some elements of ceramic media that make it sturdy.

They, however, do not make it too aggressive, which makes porcelain polishing media ideal for cleaning your camshafts’ surfaces.

The second type that you can use is plastic (synthetic) polishing media.

Figure 4 – Plastic Polishing Media

Now, synthetic polishing media is not as aggressive as porcelain polishing media.

It is, however, lighter and this attribute is an added advantage.

Your machine will not use a lot of energy when polishing your camshafts.

Plastic polishing media also does not crack nor chip under pressure.

However, it will not give you the shiny surface you look forward to having.

Check this out:

Both polishing media can come in different shapes and sizes. These dynamics aid you in polishing even the most intricate corners.

When choosing your polishing media, you need to select the right size.

It is necessary to do so so that they can polish the pockets and cavities of your camshafts.

Large polishing media will lodge in the cavities because they will be unable to go through these cavities.

Again, small polishing media will pass through your camshaft’s cavities without even cleaning.

It, therefore, renders the polishing process ineffective.

Correctly-sized polishing media ensures that every inch of your camshaft undergoes polishing.

3. How long does the camshaft polishing process take?

The duration that polishing camshafts takes depends on three primary factors.

Check this out:

The first factor is the level of damage on the surface of your camshaft. The greater the damage, the longer the time you’ll use to polish.

Figure 5 – Dirty Camshaft

The second factor is the mass finishing machine that you decide to use.

Centrifugal machines polish faster than tumbling machines.

However, running a centrifugal barrel finishing machine is more costly than using a vibratory tumbler.

The third factor is the polishing media that you choose to use.

Porcelain media polishes faster as it is more rigid and aggressive than plastic polishing media.

However, it is heavier than plastic media, making the machine use more polishing energy to complete the process.

Here’s the deal:

Polishing camshafts effectively is necessary. You can polish in any recommended way, using the recommended mass finishing machines.

However, the polishing process duration solely relies on your decisions, which significantly affect the length of the polishing process.

4. How can I effectively remove rust from my camshaft?

Now, rust will undoubtedly make your camshafts weaker, and it will affect your engine’s performance.

Figure 6 – Rusty Camshaft

Removing rust from the surface of your camshaft can be easy or challenging.

A vibratory finish is most appropriate for rust removal.

If the rust corrosion is too extensive, you can use a robust polishing media – porcelain media.

Polishing compounds also help a great deal. They enhance the polishing process.

Bottom line:

Vibratory tumblers are the ideal machines to get rid of rust.

Using compounds on a rusting camshaft will make the process easier and the final output impressive.

5. What are the benefits of polishing camshafts?

As you saw earlier on, camshafts are integral parts of combustion engines. It is therefore necessary to polish them.

There are several benefits of polishing camshafts.

Check them out:

The first benefit is that polishing your camshaft improves your engine’s performance.

Camshafts are responsible for fuel input and exhaust fumes output.

If there is an error with the camshaft, then, it will make your engine inefficient.

The second benefit is that polishing camshafts improves their surface looks.

The polish makes camshafts look sleek and new, thus appealing to the eye and fun to install.

The third benefit is that polishing get rids of corrosive elements that make your camshaft weaker.

It, therefore, makes your camshaft stronger.

Also, polishing gets rid of small burrs and blemishes, which would otherwise make the engine wear out quickly.

Bottom line:

Polishing camshafts is essential. It is beneficial for the performance of your engine.

It will also save you a great deal of money.

6. What are the advantages of polishing camshafts using mass finishing machines?

Now, there are numerous benefits of polishing your camshafts using mass finishing machines.

The first advantage is that you get to polish many camshafts at the same time.

Mass finishing saves a lot of time and energy.

The second benefit is that you get to polish your camshafts effectively and uniformly.

With the help of polishing media, you can clean even the most intricate cavities and pockets of your camshafts.

The third benefit of polishing your camshafts using mass finishing machines is that they clean rapidly.

Polishing camshafts rapidly is beneficial because you’ll not waste a lot of time as compared to polishing manually.

The fourth benefit is that these mass finishing machines retain the original shapes and dimensions of your camshafts.

Single damage on your camshaft will render it useless.

These mass finishing machines work by preventing part-to-part contacts, therefore reducing the risk of damaging your camshafts.

There are many benefits of polishing your parts using mass finishing machines. These are the primary ones.

You can be sure that the benefits of using a mass finishing machine surpass their downsides.