A Florida man visiting his local O\u2019Reilly auto parts store encounters an employee spray painting an integral part of a car\u2019s engine. Here\u2019s what happened.<\/p>\n
Facebook creator Ryan Lehning reposted a video from his friend AJ Fussell, who apparently \u201cfound the cam specialists.\u201d<\/p>\n
The video shows the exterior of what is reportedly an O’Reilly store. A man in a green shirt who appears to be an employee is standing over a piece of cardboard with a camshaft on it. The camshaft was very recently spray painted silver.<\/p>\n
Why Would An O\u2019Reilly Employee Spray Paint A Camshaft?<\/p>\n
In the comments section of the video, viewers offered a few solid hypotheses that could explain why anyone\u2014least of all an O\u2019Reilly employee\u2014would spray paint a camshaft silver. Others simply cracked jokes.<\/p>\n
“It looks like he’s outside an O’Reilly, so it’s probably a display,” offered one helpful viewer.<\/p>\n
“Maybe for some sort of project?” wrote a second viewer. Another person replied, “I’ve seen them bored out so the wire can go up the middle and [they can be] made into some cool lamps with the timing gear as the base.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Others couldn’t offer any legitimate explanations, so they just cracked jokes instead. “He’s returning the used one for a full refund,” wrote one person.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“He painted it to post on Facebook Marketplace as a new cam never installed,” a second person suggested in jest.<\/p>\n
Can You Paint Or Otherwise Coat A Camshaft?<\/p>\n
The answer to that question is no. According to Engine Builder Magazine<\/a>, there is a good reason that camshafts come without a coating, and that\u2019s because the component is in constant motion and subject to a lot of force. Over time, pretty much any coating would break down and clog the system.<\/p>\n Aside from the issue with the spray paint, as viewers noted, it\u2019s possible that a person with ill intentions could spray paint a cam silver in order for it to look new for the resale market. Of course, there is zero evidence that the person shown in the video has any involvement in illegal activity.<\/p>\n Therefore, it seems like the commenters who suggested the spray-painted camshaft was intended as a display or destined for an arts and crafts project could be onto something. In fact, there are several handmade camshaft lamps currently for sale<\/a> on Etsy.\u00a0<\/p>\n What About Making Art With A Camshaft?<\/p>\n