Cam removal with frozen motor

[Soul_Man]

Tried taking my cam out. I'm tearing down my motor so I can paint it and have it rebuilt. I wanted to put in an aftermarket cam.

I already have the pulley etc. off, and can't get any leverage on the motor to turn it so I can line up the two bolts with the holes in the timing gear. Motor has been sitting for about 7 years now (garaged) and I don't think I can move it.

Should i just let the machine shop do it when they take it all apart (I wan't going to disassemble the crank/pistons) and give them the new cam to install with the rebuild?

 

[zebrabeefj40]

You could hand the shop the parts. Or you could pull the gear off the crank if you have the tools. Probably be better if the shop did it though so they know how it all went together.

Nick

 

[Pighead]

You can do this.
Is the head off? Is the pan off?
You can put the BFN back in the front of the crankshaft so you can put a big wrench on it...pull the main caps, pull the rod caps. Just keep taking stuff off untill you can turn it.
I would not like to piss off my machine shop by giving them a seized engine, nor pay the shop rates for them to disassemble. They already know how it goes back together.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Having worked in a motor shop I can tell you that most will not know how a Cruiser motor is supposed to go togther. SBC, Ford 5.0 sure but not an old school Cruiser motor.

Nick

 

[honk]

You can do this.
Is the head off? Is the pan off?
You can put the BFN back in the front of the crankshaft so you can put a big wrench on it...pull the main caps, pull the rod caps. Just keep taking stuff off untill you can turn it.
I would not like to piss off my machine shop by giving them a seized engine, nor pay the shop rates for them to disassemble. They already know how it goes back together.

Agreed. They might bill for a difficult dissassembly but even if they don't they'll be surly about it.

Get the head off and all the valve gear out including the lifters and your cam will slide out unless it's broken and the reason for the sieze up. If it is then you'll need the crank out so you can work pieces out that you don't find in the pan.

 

[Doug_S]

I could be wrong here, but the cam followers need to be out for you to take out the cam. I would assume that they come out through the "top" of the engine closest to the head.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Lifters are behind the side cover on the side of the motor. As long as the push rods are out the lifters can come out. As long as they are not stuck in the block anyway...

Nick

 

[Pighead]

The cam won't slide out until he unbolts the cam retaining plate, which he can't access until he can rotate the engine so he can get to those two bolts through the holes in the cam gear...

Get the head off and all the valve gear out including the lifters and your cam will slide out unless it's broken and the reason for the sieze up. If it is then you'll need the crank out so you can work pieces out that you don't find in the pan.

 

[Soul_Man]

Thanks guys. The head is off, the lifters are out.
I'm going to drop the pan next.

I'll try to re-install the big nut on the shaft and give it a turn....

I sprayed some penetrating oil in all the cylinders to at least unstick the rings.

Shouldn't be majorly seized: it has just been sitting for years, was running prior to storage. I just don't have any leverage on it since it is mostly stripped apart.

 

[andrewfarmer]

At the risk of stating the obvious (because I didn't see it mentioned) why not just pull off the crank gear - then you can spin the cam wherever you want...

 

[honk]

At the risk of stating the obvious (because I didn't see it mentioned) why not just pull off the crank gear - then you can spin the cam wherever you want...

LOL! (Smack my forehead) I had assumed it was already gone and that's why I didn't mention those plate bolts.

You're right, Andrew, it isn't safe to assume anything in a forum.

 

[Soul_Man]

I tried pulling the timing gear (on the cam), but it wouldn't budge (and I did remove the clip ).
Does the crank gear need to be removed anyway for the rebuild? If so, I think my puller would fit on that one better than the gear on the cam...

 

[Poser]

Remove the CRANK GEAR....I use two bolts threaded into the gear...where it is threaded to do so...I do not pull on the teeth of the gear.....but that is just me.




Remember to remove the key from the front pulley.


Good luck!


-Steve