Magnaflux residue?

[Lionclaw]

I recently sent my cam/crank/rods/gears to ECI for overhaul. All came back with white/yellow tags, so I'm happy. The crank is even at new/std limits

I did notice the gears have a gray appearance and a chalky feel to them now. It seems to come off if i scratch it with my fingernail. Does this need to be removed/cleaned off before installing the parts?

Another concern I had pertains to the camshaft. There seems to have been perhaps a misunderstanding, and the cam was only cleaned and dimensionally inspected, as indicated by the white tag. The lobes are nice, smooth and clean, but do not have a highly polished appearance. Should I be sending it back? I was under the assumption it would come back with a yellow tag. Should the lobes have a mirror finish?

[Radomir]

Andy, all parts should be cleaned thoroughly prior to installation, regardless of whether it's dust, preservative grease, or something else on 'em now.

[terrykohler]

Andy:
Magnaflux, or magnetic particle inspection, is typically done by flooding a ferrous part with a fine medium suspended in water or oil. If an aequous solution is used, an anticorrosive is ususally added for obvious reasons. As already suggested, cleaning with a commercial degreaser should suffice. Don't remove until just before assembly. If you're not going to assemble for awhile or you live in a high humidity or coastal environment, I'd suggest using additional protection as well as frequent visual inspection. Don't handle with bare hands.
Terry

[RScott]

I'd call ECI: (210) 820-8101 ? (800) 324-2359

They will know what the residue is and answer your camshaft question.