JDM engine camshaft rust! Is it Ok?

Hey everyone.


I am working on replacing my 1991 Toyota Previa Engine with a JDM replacement. Before buying, I asked the seller for pictures of the inside of the engine. At first, it looked great!


Attachment 4964


Once I actually received the engine, i noticed some grit on the camshaft lobes that wasn't coming off with the rub of my finger! It looks like rust!

Attachment 4965


I mean, the engine looks great otherwise, but you can see some more rust on the cam gears. Sorry for the blurry pictures. Was taken on my phone in a hurry.


Attachment 4966

Guys, is this a problem, or do you think this engine will be a ok to install? I could use my old cams, but they have 200k miles on them, and they are heavily tarnished, but the engine ran before pulling. What do you guys thing? Thanks!

I would clean them up before installing it. 3M green scour pads work well.
As long as they're not pitted, you should be fine.
Measure your old to determine if they're with in spec should you need it.

agreed. They look fine to me. A little rust staining like what I see in the pictures will not be an issue for you. I wouldn't even bother to try to remove it. Once the engine is running it will vanish. Banish it from your list of concerns first!