V8 Camshaft Position Sensor and CEL

[V8BoatBuilder]

Well after being away on a sailing trip, I'm back

My Check Engine Light came on recently. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it was a few miles after I had some fun redlining the old V8.

Autozone pulled the code as P0340 - Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Failure

I purchased a new sensor from Carquest (Autozone's computer said they had some, but couldn't find any!!!)

On the way home, the CEL disappeared. I had driven about 100 miles since it first came on. The truck does not seem to run any different from normal now or when the light was on, with the exception of a slight sudder when coming to a stop. I feel this is unrelated, however.

Can the CMP be cleaned? How can I test it? What could have caused it to fail? Should I leave it alone now? Can a failed CMP cause engine damage?

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Bump... I know this is a weird question... but someone must know!

 

[dogfriend]

Here is a link at autozone.com that may be useful:

Dead Link Removed

My understanding is that the CMP is used to help determine injector timing. It is a Hall Device (I think, there are two types used), so it uses a magnet and rotating vane to determine camshaft position and send a signal to the PCM.

Also this post may help Dead Link Removed