A floating valve has just been pushed too far by a camshaft turning too fast, and when hit by a piston will result in backlash against the cam, the severity depending on the contact point with respect to the lobe.
I should have combined my replies I guess, but to restate my original point:
I knew this engine had been over-revved, so looking at a piston/valve collision and a broken camshaft, it seemed far more likely to me that the former occurred first, as opposed to the camshaft breaking under only the load of valve spring compression.
This is probably getting overanalyzed though.
We can invent 1001 theories of what could have happened, but practical side of affair will rotate around few things:
- Car is 11-12 years old, so the suggested repair can easily exceed the remaining value of the vehicle, so the practical dilemma may be selecting between “junk it” and “repair it”
- Dealer is the most expensive option, why not to ask for independent assessment and estimates?
- Most likely, one head repair can get the vehicle back on the road (given engine is not sludged), why not to entertain this avenue with the shop who is not afraid to do it (seems like dealer is in “replacement” business, not “repair”)
We have 1 post from Larry, 4 days ago, then 20 posts of guesswork and no replies from OP… thread can become boring with no feedback… @LarryKwiatkowski, get back to us with your take !