94bamf

I got my LPE GT2-3 cam installed over the weekend. For a guy used to working on Fords for a living and for play, I gotta say the GTO was a nice change. I can't believe how easy this car comes apart. To be able to change a cam without removing one accessory was amazing. Power steering pump, alternator, air conditioning compressor, etc all didn't move. Drain coolant, pull fan, disconnect radiator hoses/heater core hoses, pull radiator, yank belts, pull water pump, pull balancer and front cover and your there. Valve covers were cake too, pull the plastic covers, I removed the StrutTowerBrace too, few bolts for coils, pull the wires off, remove one connector for each bank of coils, few bolts for valve covers.....cake.

I used 5/16 wood dowels to hold the lifters, they worked great. Actually, I did the valve springs first, so as I applied air to each cylinder to hold the valves up, the engine would jerk over as that cylinder went to BDC. Come to find out, this put all the lifters up, so when I got the cam plate off and started spinning the cam around, I noticed no tension.........cool, the lifters were already up . Slid the dowels in. The pass side fit kinda tight, The driver side slid right in, no tension whatsoever, kinda worried me at first, because it sure didn't seem like it would hold anything up as loose as it fit, but everything worked out great. As stated in another thread, the timing chain had sh*t loads of slack in it, but I guess this is normal, because the car ran great before and after. It only has 3500 miles, so I know its not worn. The old cam came out pretty easy, rotating as I slid it out. The new cam went in easier than the old one cam out......again cake.

Let me say something about the valve springs.

The CRANE valvespring tool f*cking ROCKS. I can't imagine doing this without it. Doing two springs at a time saves assloads of time.

When I finished up, the car fired right up. I can tell the idle is just a bit rougher. No Lope or anything, but not quite as smooth as stock. Certainly an unknowing bystander would have NO clue the car has a cam. Seems to have a bit more power. Wide band will be here tomorrow, I will get the tune on......

If there are any questions, feel free....

I am sure I forgot to say something I wanted to anyway......

queso

Did ya have to fight the oil pump pickup tube?

I've heard that isn't cake at all...

94bamf

Nope, car only has 3500 miles, no need to jack with oil pump.

CHIWS6

iTrader: (31)

congrats man!!! i did mine as well this weekend but its not hard but time consiming!!!! all u need is tuning just like me!!!!! enjoy!!!

Silver6sp

iTrader: (2)

i know how you feel, i work for ford right now, all i do is mod motor rebuilds, to change one head you have to pull both valve covers, all front end accessories, except a/c....pain the *** engines, espically the dohc 5.4 in a navi that i have now, i love working on my ls1, i pulled my cam out in 2hours the other day, and thats taking my time.

DaddySS

Glad to hear it went well. How was getting the cam past the A/C condensor or is that not an issue on the GTO?

94bamf

Not bad, you just have to lift it up while you slide the cam in. I had an extra set of hands for that. About the only part you would need help with. A bungy cord probably would have worked to though.

Predator

Sounds exactly the same as an f-body cam install.

Congrats!!