Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Hey guys, I've been making videos documenting my process working through my 1931 Ford Model A engine. In this one, I break down the camshaft.
Let me know what you think! https://youtu.be/dScpz6dvEQA |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation btt
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Next, you showed a camshaft and then used someone else’s text to describe your own camshaft. You mentioned pitting but did not discuss the hardening process nor did you show how to use a micrometer to verify lobe wear. At that point you should have given the specifications so your viewers could compare their own. I might also add that I briefly watched your video on how to remove a oil pump. Your information on removing the valve cover and then the lower distributer shaft before removing the oil pump had me shaking my head. I did not want to leave a thumbs-down or a critical comment on your videos, so I just closed the videos and the channel. If you want my opinion, turn your channel into a ‘follow along’ channel instead of a ‘how to’ channel. Experience should be the prerequisite for any ‘how to’ segment. If the content provider has not had several past personal experiences to pull from prior to instructing others, the likelihood that they will be spreading false information in almost inevitable. We all know that is out of control on the Model-A social media pages. Again, while I applaud you for your efforts in being a content provider, my suggestions are to forget about your channel being a how-to place and more of a follow-along channel. Otherwise, find you several knowledgeable advisors who have the credentials to be knowledgeable advisors. |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Thanks, Brent. My thoughts exactly. ken
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Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation I concur with the other two. I was not impressed.
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Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Listen to the experts. 4 out of 5 doctors smoke camels. Thats why I do.
At a glance that cam is fine, run it.(very nice points). To make a cheap valve tool grind a open end of a half inch wrench to make a wedge shape. weld that wrench to another wrench. then hand that gig off of a manifold stud. Watch out I lost some finger tip skin when it slipped. You can always buy one if your not a cheapskate. Before trying to get better stuff for your engine. Get it running tip top first. Its a journey. I have been experiencing ups and downs with performance. all stock other than a b cam because its a late crate(1941) and hats how they were sent. at 4:23 in the video i notice a metal baffle? in the skirt of the piston. any one see those before? is it to help cyl oiling? https://youtu.be/dScpz6dvEQA?t=263 |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation First off, all of this should be taken as *constructive* critiques. I think everyone here agrees that YouTube has huge potential as a teaching tool and a way to promote the hobby, particularly these days with many clubs staying home during the pandemic. I know I personally will watch just about anything on YouTube that has a Model A in it. So I appreciate that you're putting yourself out there, making the videos, trying to contribute. That's good and we should encourage it.
There are lots of ways these videos could be improved. Brent touched on some above, but what caught my attention was that it just felt like you were taking a lot of shortcuts and it was evident on screen. For example:
You posted this engine in the swap meet as being parted out, so am I to understand that you're taking it apart but have no intention of putting it back together? If so you should disclose that in the videos. If you want to continue making Model A content, my recommendation is to look at other Model A creators doing work right now, like Paul Shinn, Jack Bahm, Ryan Burkhardt, the guy who does the "richpin" channel and his glorious accent. Watch their videos and make notes about what works, what doesn't. How do they use the camera? How do they make sure the audience understands what's happening? What are they trying to communicate and does it succeed? That'll help you learn these techniques for your own channel. |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Brent, thanks for your feedback. I was under the impression this forum was so we could all learn from each other and improve? I mean, that's literally the reason I joined this community. Impressing the group is not the goal so much as learning from your many, many years of personal experience so it can be passed on and appreciated by further generations.
Regarding the fuel pump vid, what would you have added between the valve cover and lower distributor shaft sections? Mike, very interesting tip regarding the valve tool grind. I'll look into this further and let you know how it turns out! Thanks for your input. |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Your title line includes the words "Inspection and Evaluation".
1) How much measured wear is on each bearing journal? 2) How much bend/ runout when the first and last bearing are on V blocks? 3) How much wear is in the dizzy drive helix and is it even? 4) With a degree wheel and indicator do all intake & exhaust profiles match each other and are they index-timed correctly? The above would require actually removing the cam and evaluating. You only did an in-place visual. Lots of talk and reference to others but nowhere did the viewer actually see you do anything that would remotely qualify as a true evaluation. They only saw a 'I guess it looks OK'. It is work like that that makes half (maybe more?) of the A's on the road run like cement mixers full of rocks. I do agree with you using "Sh*t" in the series title. Descriptive of the content. |
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And I know, i'm still getting my camera set up down. I need to get the adapter for my tripod to hold a phone- last video I did balanced on a pair of pliers and a pocket knife. I'll get there! As for naming the parts, this definitely something I want to further develop. I was thinking of using a single image with callouts on them? This is the mockup I started the other night for a future video- what do you think? (attached) |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation Hard to see b/c the attachment is so small, but it's a start. What we've got here is that your engine has obviously sat for years and would need a complete restoration, but it's not clear either that you intend to do that restoration or that you even could. So if the goal of this video series is just "I'm taking this engine down piece by piece and I'm just going to talk you through what I find"... that's a legit topic, but take it seriously. Don't just toss off "here's this part, I dunno what it's called." Think through what you're doing to hold the audience's interest. Why are they watching?
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Valid point and I appreciate it. I'll definitely make a point to get labels and names for everything ahead of time. I've also started loosening some pieces beforehand too, just because how loud the drill gets. I think that's what my goal is, basically I'm tearing it apart and let's see what we find. I find in a lot of videos, especially regarding older engines, there's not much info to things to expect ahead of time (dowels, pins, clips, etc.) as well as there'll be videos that are geared more towards professional machinists or require expensive tools. I'd like to lean closer to the "backyard mechanic" I guess you'd call it. Again, I appreciate your constructive criticism. Thanks! |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation One of the hardest things about this type of video is that you usually have a dataset of 1. I see a lot of videos where it's clear that the guy owns one Model A or one engine and probably that's the only A or 4-banger that he's really closely examined. So a bias creeps in because the creator doesn't have a clear sense of what's normal/abnormal, what's missing, etc. If you can do the background work to, e.g., reference the Andrews book to ensure your fasteners are really to spec, review the parts vendor sites (not MAC's, a good one), that'll help you give more context to your audience. For example, mike657894 flagged a mysterious baffle in one of your pistons. You should check that out.
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This forum IS for learning and sharing experiences. The hang-up that some have is reading (-or viewing) non-factual information. For example, using your video as an example, if a newbie wanted to remove his engine's oil pump and he were to use your video as his guide, it is believable that he would feel he needed to remove the valve chamber cover, the oil drain-back tube, the carburetor, along with the oil pan just to remove the oil pump. Nothing could be further from being factual in learning from that video. I trust you see my point. Quote:
FWIW, I have viewed your videos too. Add yourself to the above list of content providers. I do want to ask the question, ...at what point is a content provider experienced enough to be a teacher? Is doing the same task on multiple vehicles enough to be able to speak of the various scenarios that someone might encounter? Should someone actually have completely restored their own vehicle with their own tools be necessary? I personally think so if it will be construed as a 'how-to' video where the intention is to give instruction to others. For example, Les Andrews did not write a book as a teacher when he was a newbie. Les brought many years of experience that he obtained restoring multiple Model-A vehicles before he was considered a qualified and knowledgeable content provider. |
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We can have this discussion about who should be considered an authority in the field, but it should also be noted that very few of the people that I think you would consider an authority (certainly none in the area of precision machining) are currently out there making Model A videos. The gatekeeper argument is a lot stronger if you can point to elder statesmen who are making the content already. |
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And, ...the information for most topics, -along with answers to most questions can be found if someone will just search here, -or take the time to read any of the printed material often referenced here (RG&JS, Les' red book, etc.) however it appears that to most new hobbyist, even that is more work than most are willing to participate in. So I don't know what the best answer is, but I do know that what this hobby does need is less misinformation. Facebook's Model-A pages have the misinformational thingie well covered!! :D :o :D . . |
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There's no easy solution, but we do need to recognize that video will have a role to play in the future of the hobby, replacing to some extent the in-person skill transfer that used to happen from father to son or from older club members to younger ones. Obviously that still happens, but we depend on it at our peril. Written material, either in dead-tree binders (Les's book does have a few errors that were never corrected) or poorly-organized forums like this one, can only go so far. For one thing, it's rare in forums to have someone give a complete step-by-step procedure the way Les's books do. I personally would pay some amount if you wanted to start a pay-subscription video series. Just a thought. ;) |
Re: Ford Model A Camshaft Inspection and Evaluation I thought this was supposed to be about camshafts, not a critique on the video???
My evaluation of the pictured cam is that the lobes are very regrindable, if there is such a word? The minor pitting of the lobes will easily be removed while re-grinding the cam. A more important thing is the diameter of the center lobe, this is the one most likely to have wear. Questions asked by MikeK are: 1) How much measured wear is on each bearing journal? 2) How much bend/ runout when the first and last bearing are on V blocks? 3) How much wear is in the dizzy drive helix and is it even? 4) With a degree wheel and indicator do all intake & exhaust profiles match each other and are they index-timed correctly? My answers are: #1, I recommend a minimum diameter of 1.556". #2, a cam is very unlikely to be bent unless it has been hit by a broken rod. #3, very important, but oversize dist drive gears are available #4, Extremely unlikely to be off. In re-grinding a cam, the process is 1, straighten the cam. 2, grind the lobes, using #1 lobe as the starting/locating point. 3, re-straighten the cam. Often grinders then put a coating on the cam to lessen any chance of wear on break-in. When I grind a cam I first machine the nose where the thrust button contacts it, if needed and almost always is. Second is re-machining the cam where the gear mounts, if needed, they are occasionally nicked or shows signs of mis-treatment. Third is to check the fit of the dowell pins, usually OK unless a pin is missing. I occasionally need to machine a pin that is larger in diameter than stock. When I make a new pin, I also make it longer than stock, for more stability. BTW, all pins are not the same diameter where they press into the cam. Note: Not all cam nuts are identical in thread diameter, I try to send the original nut with the cam I have re-ground, when possible. Model A/B cams are made of very good steel, and do not require heat treating. |
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