I am trying to finish up the cam on my car and cannot find any pen magnets around my area at least the size i need. I was wondering if anyone ever used anything other then the normal cam installation tool to to stick in the block to keep the lifters from falling any help will be helpfull. Thanks

 

Where are you located??

 

shamokin pa,ive been to every auto store around

 

5/16 dowel rod, works. get from home depot or hardware stores

 

ok, Thanks alot !

 

Be a daredevil and just spin the cam and pull it out. Hope none fall. I wonder how many people have done this? My friend tells me to do it this way and it will be fine but I'm not taking any chances. I'm going to look for some pen magnets as well.

 

Use the 5/16 wooden dowels. they cost about 89 cents each and work better than the magnets. just got done with my cam install this weekend and they worked flawlessly.

 

Noway,rather be safe then sorry.

 

is there any special length i should get these dowels at?

 

they come about 3 feet long. i laid them down next to my valve covers to "measure" and cut them about 6" longer than the valve covers. this left about 6" sticking out of the block for me to grab onto. this is seriously the cheapest method out there (aside from the russian roulette method) and it honestly works the best

 

exactly.....

 

better to use metal dowels rather than wood

 

A zillion threads on this topic...search must be down again. Wood works, but metal is better and safer.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ferrerid=13535

 

Dont use the pen magnets. Ive had about a dozen of those and every magnet has eventually pulled out of them (except my torque angle gauge) i would hate for that to happen to a lifter. As mentined wooden dowels. $2.00 as opposed to almost $60.

 

yea i went and got the metal ones worked great, thanks guys

 

Search on LS1tech is still crapped out.

I need help on something.

The lifters are going to be positioned at varying heights before the cam is removed. How does the dowel work? Are there notches in the lifters that the dowel holds that prevents them from falling? After removing the rocker arms, is it nessecary to rotate the cam and slide the dowel in simultaneously?

I can usually help myself, but the rusted out search button is bogging me down.

Any advice is welcomed.

 

There is a step in the side of the lifter that the tool occupies during the cam remove/install process. You don't do it simultaneously, although you probably could. The idea is you spin the cam(rockers and rods removed which leaves the lifters unloaded except for gravity) and once the lifters are up you slide the metal rods in place. Some people like to spin the cam CW and CCW before sliding to tool in. Can't see any real advantage in doing that, but if it makes you happy do it. It doesn't hurt to place the crank and cam chain wheels at the DOT to DOT position(#1at TDC on comp stroke) BEFORE you pull things apart(cover removed at this point) and it's not a bad idea to spin the crank over manually from time to time during the reassembly process(once the new cam is in and the chain is in place).

 

Thanks, eallanboggs.

 

Ive swapped at least 30-50 cams in LS engines and never had a problem with the lifters. Also never had to use or make any tools....

I just leave the pushrods sitting on the lifters and roll the cam around and make sure none of the pushrods are moving as I roll the cam over 3-4 more times, telling me the lifters are in the trays. I then pull out the cam and stick in the new one right away. Never had an issue....

 

i also have never done anything besides spin the cam a few times to get the lifters up in the cups and then just pulled it out.