real time camshaft install question

[semlin]

so i am installing the intake camshaft right now. my question is whether the valve position matters because the cam seems to be sitting very high at the front of the motor and I am afraid to bolt it down.

when i got it back from the headshop they had loosely attached the cams and had them aligned so the single dot on the cams was at the 25 degree angle instead of the double dot specced in the manual. rather than rotate the cams with the holders only half way tightened I just took them off. Now I am worried they have set it up with the valves lined up wrong as when i lay down the cam at the correct angle with the double dots lined up it lies down at the back and sits quite high at the front.

any help appreciated

 

[semlin]

ok well hopefully it was ok because i very gently bolted'em down and thing seem ok. the exhaust cam sat much more level than the intake. I do not recall the intake sitting like that coming it out so it must be the way they had set the valves up

 

[landtank]

you should have placed the cams in following the FSM and then installed the bearing blocks called for as well. BUt if you took your time and made sure the cam wall bolted in evenly front to rear you should be fine.

 

[DTAYLOR]

did you use IdahoDoug's dvd?

 

[semlin]

Rick I did follow the FSM process adding only the 2 specified covers first followed by the rest. unfortunately at that point I got rained out as the wind was blowing southeast today.

 

[IdahoDoug]

S - The valve setup would not matter. They set the valves up for clearances individually and the cam position does not matter for that purpose.

Where the cam position matters is when reinstalling the camshafts. The engine should be in the #1 TDC position. The Exhaust cam should have the lock bolt in its timing gear. The Intake camshaft goes on first (I think) and the purpose of the 35 degree (or whatever is spec'd) angle for the dots is so the cams of the two caps (you called them covers) you first install are in the proper position as they progressively push down the valve shims under them. When those two caps are down, the valves under those two are evenly pressured.

The other cam has a slightly different angle specified so that when you tighten its first two bearing caps down then the two cams under them are similarly pressing evenly on their valve shims. That's the whole purpose for doing it that way.

So, if you followed the FSM procedure you're fine. Not rocket science - just some steps to sequentially follow.

DougM

 

[DTAYLOR]

Doug,

Does your dvd show cam reinstall and timing procedures? I'm now waiting on the dvd to be able to proceed any farther on my HG job. Getting a little concerned about timing the cams / valves / distributer / plug wires all correctly.

I now have most of the top of the engine busyness apart, accept the intake system. I think there are three or four bolts and a nut left toward the firewall.

Is there an easy way to get the intake to head bolts / nut toward the rear? It looks like it is impossible to access them short of taking the intake apart, which brings up its own bolt access issues.

Is there a way to clean the camshafts without damaging them? Mine have some of that dark oil stain.

em me direct at dtpeople@sbcglobal.net

 

[semlin]

dtaylor

a combo of 1/4" ratchet/socket and a gear ratchet wrench will get those last intake manifold fasterners.

the camshafts can be cleaned (carefully) in a parts washer or by a washer at an engine machine shop but the dark stains on the cast would be pretty hard to get off.

doug

thanks. i did follow the manual carefully. I think that the valves must have been sitting up high so it needed am little pressure to seat them.

this job is painfully slow for me. soccer tourny two weeks ago, away a week ago, soccer coach clinic all day saturday and rained out sunday. I am going nuts.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Semlin,

Yes, the cams don't sit all the way down in their journals when just laying there. It takes the bolts in the two caps specified to push them down.

Dan,

The factory manual specifies this procedure though I have some comments and tips. The intake rear bolts/nuts are handled with a quality gear wrench though I also note a novel approach to this in the 'tips' sheet. You can also remove the head bolts and then tip the head up to easily access these bolts - a clever workaround from a prior DVD user.

DougM

 

[DTAYLOR]

Doug,

Thanks, I know I heard mention of "leaning" the head over for something. I saw you read my thread on the HG recall concept. I think this potentially will help you move a lot of dvd's if it works.