cam install

[ellik]

from the diagrams and info ive found so far, a cam swap soundes pretty strait forward. my biggest question is getting at it. do you have to pull the engine, or can you unbolt the radiator and move it out of the way to pull the cam and swap. anyone done their own swap have some info?

[GPFish]

For grand prixs, we lift the car, drop the engine, and pull the passanger tire off to get to the cam. Since the engines are mounted opposite, maybe it is possible to get to the engine from the drivers side.

[slacker69]

I have done 2 cam installes on a 3.8L camaro
1.you have to move the fans off the radiator can stay.
2.You have to take off the altenator and TB and coil packs first
3.then I would get the crank pully bolt off. I use a long breaker bar and then slid the jack handle over the breaker bar to make it even longer. Then get a friend to jam a screw driver between the flywheel and the tranny housing to lock up the motor. You have to take off the starter to get to a good spot. This bolt is tough so dont get pissed.
4.Then take off the map sensor it is two torx bits.
5.Then you will want to take off the upper intake then the lower intake.
6.Then take off the valve covers.
7.If you are not doing heads then you are now ready to take off the crank pully whice you use a pully puller.
8.Then you will want to take off the front cover pretty easy. But when you take it off try not to turn the gear thing in the hole where the crank goes through. If you do it is a pain to get lined back up when it is time to assemble.
9.Then take off the timing dampener one bolt no problem. Good idea to replace this part for proper timing.
10.Then take off the cam sproket bolt. now you can take the cam gears and crank gears off. dont loose the little tab on the cam.
11.Now you will want to pull the pushrods and lifters out make sure when you put it back together to use new rocker bolts.
12.Now pull out the cam best to put the bolt back into the cam so you have something to hold onto. slide out carefully dont bang up any of the bearings. once it is out you can do whatever with it but i would keep it clean and unbanged up just incase you have to put it back in later.
13.Now you can put the new cam in pour alot of heavy oil on it. once again dont bang up the bearings slid it in as smooth as possible.
14.once it u need to start putting the cam gears and crank sprocket. make sure the dots line up on all the gears if they dont you will have messed up timing and could mess up your car. So pay close attention to this
15.make sure there is the cam magnet in the cam gear it looks like a little black button.
16.Now begine to re put back all componets in the reverse order that you took them off. Make sure you do all your TQ specs right esspecially the heads(if you do them) The cam gear, and the rockers arms.
17.double check everything make sure all your fluids are full like your radiator and oil and everything
18.make sure all your sensors are on and all the vac lines are hooked up
19.time to start it up and have fun. Be easy on it for around the first 500-1000 miles.

Guide by Kris Thomas
a.k.a Slacker69

More info and pics can be found here also.
http://www.dxsoftware.com/magnus/v6headscam.htm

[ October 23, 2003: Message edited by: slacker69 ]</p>

[ellik]

thanks!!

[slacker69]

no problem