2002ws-6

iTrader: (5)

Just wanted to write a little about the install. some tips and tricks and tools that worked well for me and may help you
I started earlier in the week, and pulled the freon 134a out at work. I have read a whole lot of people just moving the condencer out of the way. Just remove the 134a and pull the fans, radiator and condencer out together. It took like 15 seconds to pull all three out once the hoses and wires where disconected. Had I not had access to an A/C machine it would have been worth $75 to have it done for me.
I have the P/S cooler and left it connected to avoid having to bleed it later. just zip tied it to the abs unit.
Water pump comes off easy, just use 1/4" sockets on the one bolt behind the pully, or take the pulley off.
Ignition coil brakets are not too bad just the pass side rear bolt is a pain, and the 15mm bolt on the back of the drivers side head that holds the braket on. Just use a stubby 15mm wratcheting box end wrench on that one.
The crank pully was not bad either, used a 8" $7.99 3 jaw puller from harbour freight, and a 16mm by 2.0 by 160mm long bolt. I put the jaws on facing inward first and this didn't fit so I turned the jaws to face outward and slipped it in and turned it a 1/2" to lock it in place. The pulley came off no problem.
After taking the timing cover off I put the stock bolt back in and turned the motor to TDC, (lots easirer with the plugs pulled and the motor in neutral) then back to the valve covers. Pulled all the rockers, off just use a 6pt 8mm socket. Put them in a tray in order, along with the pushrods. I bought the crane valve spring tool and I would recommend doing the same, if it seems pricey I'll save you a few bucks later on. Now at true TDC cyl 1&6 are up and the valves can only drop about 1/4 - 3/8". I put two pen magnet heads, (just the heads) onto the top of the crane tool. When I compressed the spring far enought the keepers just stuck to the magnets. Loosening the tool and taking the bridge of the tool off there you have four keepers and, now you can use a little grease or vasoline to prep the keepers for going back on. Once done with those two cyl. rotate the crank 90 degrees and do the same to cyl 8&5 the 90 more and 7&4 finally 90 more and 3&2
Now that there is no load on the lifters, I took the cam pulley off after I had put the motor back to TDC. The dowel was at three o clock, and the timing chain just dropped in to the pan. My car was low milage and has great oil pressure and I was only doing a z06 cam. You may want to do a new chain and oil pump while your in there. So I used the W/P bolts and spun the cam around while a buddy put 5/16" by 24" wood dowels in the holes that are exposed after you take off the cam retention plate. Once they where in aprox 18" The dowels are now holding the lifters up. The 4 foot 5/16 dowel cost $.54
I then used two more W/P bolts to put into the cam to give better leverage to pull the cam out. Dont pull too hard you dont want to nick any bearings, you will more than likely have to spin the cam a little while pulling it out, keeping it level. Coat the new cam with oil and reuse the bolts to put the new one in. Then its time to put every thing back together.
I torqued everything to spec, and used medium strenght threadlock where needed. the specs are listed on this web site. The cam retainer plate, next I put the cam dowel pin at three 0 clock and used a W/P bolt to line the cam pully to the cam and look at that it slid on and the two dots lined up perfect. I put the three cam gear bolts in and the rotated the motor untill the dotd lined up again, just to make sure. I you use a non OEM cam I would now degree the cam in. Just need a Piston Stop Tool for the a spark plug hole and a degree wheel. Also a Vise grip based dial indicator works great.
I put a dab of silicone sealant on the coners of the oil pan and timing cover joint. I put a new crank seal on the timing cover. I used a hydrolic press for this but there are many ways to do it. Put the cover on and put all the bolts in snug then up but make sure the cover can still move a little. Use the long bolt from the removal of the pully and reuse it with about an 1 1/2" of washers. This will press the pulley on, once its about all the way on. Re-use the original crank bolt and torque to 240 ft lbs. (car in gear with somebody pressing the brakes) This is to ensure the pully is all the way on. Next I removed the bolt and put the new one on, torque to 37 ft lbs the 140 degrees. Putting the pully on should center the timing cover, so now you can torque the cover.
Put the new pushrods in and put all the rockers back in and torqued to spec rotate the motor 180 and retorque the rocker bolts. I don't think there where any more tips or tricks while putting the rest of the parts back together, just crank the motor without the fuel pump relay in to make sure everything was put back correct. Put the relay back in and crank her up.

This was just a write up of how I did my cam install. I read a lot, and got a lot of info off LS1Tech.com I planed ahead and had no problems surface as I did my install. I'm sure there are many other tips and tricks. This was my First LS1 cam swap but by no means my first cam swap. Started saturday at 8:00 am, took a breakfast break, an hour for lunch, and several breaks to look at the neighbor girl in her short shorts. Was finished by five and had my dinner and a couple of rounds of beer.

GR33N GoblinM6

iTrader: (14)

you want people to read this whole thing??

hammertime

iTrader: (1)

There's lots of info in there I haven't seen in other write-ups. Most of them say to plan on spending the whole weekend, so if he really did it all from 8-5, then maybe its worth reading.

2002ws-6

iTrader: (5)

Yes, I did the cam and spring install from 8:00am - 5:00 p.m. on saturday sept 30th with at least an hour and a half worth of breaks. My reason for writing this is to have people new to puting a cam in do a search in the future and find the info they need. I just hated reading peoples threads on "How my cam Install went wrong"

RooRnZ28

iTrader: (14)

sounds good....hows she run? i just did a cam swap as well.... and i love the new cam

2000Hawk

iTrader: (5)

Definetly a nice write-up worth reading, i am planning to install my MS3 real soon so thanks for the heads up. Yeah its long but for anybody who is going to attempt their first cam install its something they should also read.
-Joel
**By the way, why does LS1 How To say to unbolt and remove/move aside the AIR Pipes connected to the exhaust manifolds?**

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

so you used the pistons to hold the valves up when removing the springs ?

gillbot

iTrader: (27)

Yes, it's called the TDC method.

Copied from LS1-Howto

Option 2
Top dead center method
This method requires you to put the piston at the highest position in the bore, so that when you start to compress the spring, the valve can only drop until it hits the piston. When the piston is at top dead center, the valve can't move very far at all.

There are several ways to accomplish this:
A) You can place a small stick/rod/straw/something into the spark plug hole and have a buddy turn the crankshaft by putting the stock 24mm crank pulley bolt in and turning the bolt with a wrench. You should be able to feel when the piston comes up to the top.

B) This method is a bit more elegant. Rotate your motor over by hand until your cam gear and crank gear are dot to dot like you set them up as earlier. At this position, piston 1 and 6 should be at top dead center. You can change the 4 springs on these 2 cylinders now using the instructions below. After you change those 4, then, rotate the crankshaft a full 90 degrees, and the cam gear dot will turn 45 degrees, as if it is pointing to 7:30 if it were a clock. Now piston 8 and 5 are at the top and can be changed. Rotate another 90 degrees on the crank and your cam gear dot will now be at 9 o'clock. Piston 7 and 4 can now have their springs changed. And FINALLY, rotate the crank another 90 degrees and the cam gear dot will be at 10:30. You can now change your remaining four springs on piston 3 and 2.

Once again, that's 1 & 6, rotate 90, 8 & 5, rotate 90, 7 & 4, rotate 90, 3 & 2.

Also listed here for easy refrence:
http://dayton-fbody.com/DFBAbb/viewtopic.php?t=1557

2mffZ28

nice...................

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

if you get a tough keeper the valve can dig into the piston.....cylinder air adapters are cheap

prplhaz

Thanks for taking the time to write this up!

8banger

iTrader: (16)

Classic.

I've done four or five cam swaps and this is pretty much exactly how I've done it, down to the dowel rods and TDC method.

I've done two springs swaps with the TDC method and it works perfectly for me, so much easier and less worry than the other methods, IMO. I've done springs swaps with the heads off the car and I hate it in comparsion. A lot of good, sensible knowledge in this write up.

Jordan S.

iTrader: (17)

If it takes you a whole weekend to swap a cam you have no business doing it IMO.



Nice write up you got there.