Cam install........PITA OMG!!
07-11-2010, 11:05 PM
#1
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Cam install........PITA OMG!! So, got all my delivered to me, and have everything ready for the install....install includes
*Cam
*Creative steel motor mounts
*Ported LS6 oil pump
*Springs/pushrods
*UUC Short Throw Shifter
*CAI
*Kooks Longtubes
*New Timing Chain
*etc, etc just the normal stuff that you would replace
So...I got to say, this car was the BIGGEST PITA to tear apart as any car I have ever worked on...just so you get an idea....we figured this would take about 6-7 hours, as I have a friend that has done cam installs about 6-7 times on his TA. There are 3 of us working on this at this time. We started around 1:00, and I just left at 10:00, and we still have not got the car completely torn down. Right before we stopped for the night, we were getting ready to take off the timing chain, ya havent even got the stock cam out yet.....We have the heads ready to go back in and everything....but we are still working on everything.
Just to give everyone an idea on how much a PITA everything was with us, 6 of the spark plug wires were torn to shreds by the time we got them out....the harmonic balancer did not want to come off at all, you know the 3 claw thing that you use to take it off? We had a socket on the end to make it longer, and we still ended up almost running out of threads on it, before it came off....oh and this was claw number 2, the first one we used, snapped one of the claws in half and we got it with the second one...I cant think of what else we were having issues with, but it was no good....so tomorrow morning on our way back over to friends shouse (basically a second house that is 95% shop and 5% house, has one room besides the shop, with everything in it lol) But hopefully we will get most of it, if not all, back together tomorrow and can get it done.
/end rant
*Cam
*Creative steel motor mounts
*Ported LS6 oil pump
*Springs/pushrods
*UUC Short Throw Shifter
*CAI
*Kooks Longtubes
*New Timing Chain
*etc, etc just the normal stuff that you would replace
So...I got to say, this car was the BIGGEST PITA to tear apart as any car I have ever worked on...just so you get an idea....we figured this would take about 6-7 hours, as I have a friend that has done cam installs about 6-7 times on his TA. There are 3 of us working on this at this time. We started around 1:00, and I just left at 10:00, and we still have not got the car completely torn down. Right before we stopped for the night, we were getting ready to take off the timing chain, ya havent even got the stock cam out yet.....We have the heads ready to go back in and everything....but we are still working on everything.
Just to give everyone an idea on how much a PITA everything was with us, 6 of the spark plug wires were torn to shreds by the time we got them out....the harmonic balancer did not want to come off at all, you know the 3 claw thing that you use to take it off? We had a socket on the end to make it longer, and we still ended up almost running out of threads on it, before it came off....oh and this was claw number 2, the first one we used, snapped one of the claws in half and we got it with the second one...I cant think of what else we were having issues with, but it was no good....so tomorrow morning on our way back over to friends shouse (basically a second house that is 95% shop and 5% house, has one room besides the shop, with everything in it lol) But hopefully we will get most of it, if not all, back together tomorrow and can get it done.
/end rant
07-11-2010, 11:14 PM
#2
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Yeah, the cam and heads took me about 6 hours, that was a PITA. MM and headers took me about 4 hours. It should go back together alot faster once you get everything out.
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
07-11-2010, 11:37 PM
#3
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Wish you would have taken pics and added a tutorial on the cam teardown/buildup. It would be nice to have a V to go off of instead of the ls1 cam install guide. As I'm still waiting to save funds to get it installed.
07-12-2010, 10:04 AM
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We were going to take pics and document everything, but we all got pretty frustrated, so I stopped in the middle lol
07-12-2010, 10:16 AM
#7
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First rule is:
It ALWAYS takes longer than you think.
I've started to double my time estimates and go with that because I like to take breaks. Your install was obviously going to take way more than 6 hrs since there were so many parts going in. Are you swapping heads?
Also sounds like you got a bad claw puller which can really be frustrating. Just keep at it and it'll be worth it once she's back together.
Having the right spring tool ahead of time will save literally hours.
I assume you had to remove the radiator and just lifted the condensor to get the cam in?
It ALWAYS takes longer than you think.
I've started to double my time estimates and go with that because I like to take breaks. Your install was obviously going to take way more than 6 hrs since there were so many parts going in. Are you swapping heads? Also sounds like you got a bad claw puller which can really be frustrating. Just keep at it and it'll be worth it once she's back together.
Having the right spring tool ahead of time will save literally hours.
I assume you had to remove the radiator and just lifted the condensor to get the cam in?
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07-12-2010, 02:33 PM
#8
lol, talk about a nightmare we were doing those, in a shop that is about 1,000 square ft, and completely open, part of the shop has just junk everywhere, and the other part just has tool boxes and what not. When installing 2 of them, we lost our grip and the springs and all the parts went flying everywhere, talk about trying to find those little parts that flew all over the place lol
We were going to take pics and document everything, but we all got pretty frustrated, so I stopped in the middle lol
We were going to take pics and document everything, but we all got pretty frustrated, so I stopped in the middle lol
moveing the a/c coil is a pain to, I wish I just took it off instead of trying to work around it.
What specs cam are you running , and are you doing some work to the heads?
07-12-2010, 07:03 PM
#9
yea + 1 why in the living hell did you take the heads off?
cars in general take 3 times as long as you first plan lol. Hopefully it'll be worth it for you when it's done. Funny thing is i had a shop install my cam, melling oil pump etc and they could do the entire thing in about 6-7 hrs start to finish.
cars in general take 3 times as long as you first plan lol. Hopefully it'll be worth it for you when it's done. Funny thing is i had a shop install my cam, melling oil pump etc and they could do the entire thing in about 6-7 hrs start to finish.
07-12-2010, 08:45 PM
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yea + 1 why in the living hell did you take the heads off?
cars in general take 3 times as long as you first plan lol. Hopefully it'll be worth it for you when it's done. Funny thing is i had a shop install my cam, melling oil pump etc and they could do the entire thing in about 6-7 hrs start to finish.
cars in general take 3 times as long as you first plan lol. Hopefully it'll be worth it for you when it's done. Funny thing is i had a shop install my cam, melling oil pump etc and they could do the entire thing in about 6-7 hrs start to finish.
and now for more news....got there today to "finish" everything up.....and we were having trouble getting the last bit of the cam out, so we decided to take the very top part off, to make sure there was nothing blocking it....and doing so, one of the bolts fell into the block
My friend accidentally did it, and as he is helping me i couldn't really be too pissed.........so now we have pulled the motor out, and found the bolt....and are in the process of putting everything back on it while it is out of the car, which will make everything go A LOT faster putting it all back in. Good thing I have a spare car to drive, so its not too big of issue. As for the cam specs:
226/230 .598”/.600” 113LSA +4 advance (with 1.7 ratio rockers)
Comp EPS/EPS lobes 54-000-11 3 bolt cam core
13117R/13118R HR113LSA +4 advance (109 installed intake centerline)
07-13-2010, 03:04 AM
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07-13-2010, 08:14 AM
#16
as for ride quality your taking away weight by porting the heads so the ride will be less stiff......totally kidding.
07-13-2010, 08:46 AM
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if the car is a DD, most people dont want to ride to be harsh. still want to keep the cadillac ride, but with good power on tap. i know it was me, i wouldnt want a harsh ride everyday while i go to and from work. espically if you have a long comute and an *** load of traffic to drive through.
07-13-2010, 11:11 AM
#18
if the car is a DD, most people dont want to ride to be harsh. still want to keep the cadillac ride, but with good power on tap. i know it was me, i wouldnt want a harsh ride everyday while i go to and from work. espically if you have a long comute and an *** load of traffic to drive through.
only thing i can think of is bucking and surging from a bad tune or a huge cam effecting ride quality since its a pain in the ***.
07-13-2010, 12:10 PM
#19
you dont have to pull the motor to get that bolt...ive had that happen before too and i just got a telecopic magnet and fished it into the hole the bolt fell in and it was out just as fast as it fell in...but if you want to pull the whole car apart...it'll be a learning experience
