Florida Man Goes To O’Reilly. Then He Spots A Worker Spray-Painting A Part He Shouldn’t Be: 'Adds 25+ Horsepower'

A Florida man visiting his local O’Reilly auto parts store encounters an employee spray painting an integral part of a car’s engine. Here’s what happened.

Facebook creator Ryan Lehning reposted a video from his friend AJ Fussell, who apparently “found the cam specialists.”

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.

Why Would An O’Reilly Employee Spray Paint A Camshaft?

In the comments section of the video, viewers offered a few solid hypotheses that could explain why anyone—least of all an O’Reilly employee—would spray paint a camshaft silver. Others simply cracked jokes.

"It looks like he's outside an O'Reilly, so it's probably a display," offered one helpful viewer.

"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." 

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. 

"He painted it to post on Facebook Marketplace as a new cam never installed," a second person suggested in jest.

Can You Paint Or Otherwise Coat A Camshaft?

The answer to that question is no. According to Engine Builder Magazine, there is a good reason that camshafts come without a coating, and that’s 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.

Aside from the issue with the spray paint, as viewers noted, it’s 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.

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 on Etsy. 

What About Making Art With A Camshaft?

A year ago, a person posted to the Facebook group Scrap Metal Art to ask members to post their scrap metal art featuring auto parts. Users responded with a series of interesting-looking art made from camshafts and other car parts.

One person indicated there is perhaps a reuse angle to this hobby. “I have so many camshafts so I’m interested in seeing ideas as well,” they wrote.

Motor1 contacted O’Reilly via email for comment.