As a few of you know, i recently purchased a cam and intake for my car. Im going to start in hte morning on friday and swap intakes, then on saturday, I have a friend coming over to help me do the cam. Im excited and hes nervous lol. We both work at Caterpillar Large Engine Center in lafayette, In building HUGE diesel engines everyday and hes nervous to do a cam swap haha. But anyway, I printed off the How-To and ready to do this!

Here is everything that ill have for the install. Let me know if I'm good to go. Also i have a few questions...

Parts..

-Torquer V3 Cam (231/234 .648"/.598" 111LSA As printed on cam card)
-PRC Dual valve Springs
-7.425 Hardened push-rods
-Titanium Retainers/Spring Seats and new valve stem seals
-LS6 Ported Oil Pump
-LS2 Timing Chain
-GM Basic Cam install gasket kit
-ARP Crank Bolt
-BBK SSI Intake Manifold (reusing stock coolant lines and o-rings)
-Red loctite
-Blue loctite
-6 Quarts of oil + Filter
-Assembly Lube
-New radiator Hoses
-New Belts
-New idler pullies (not necessary, but mine are squeeking like mad)
-Wooden 5/16" dowels to hold lifters up
-1 Gallon of Dex-Cool

Am i missing anything?

Questions

1.As long as the timing mark on the crank gear is pointing straight up your good to go? i dont need to turn the motor over to get a certain cylinder TDC or anything like that before trying to put the cam gear on correct? Then just position the cam so the alignment dowel looks like itll go right on the gear while the timing mark is facing straight down right?

2. Any tricks on how to not drop the oil pick up tube bolt?

3. would it be a good idea to install my intake, then start the car up to make sure everything is sealed, considering im doing the cam the next day?

4. the previous owner had the coolant system flushed, but it looks as if he used regular antifreeze and not dex cool. Should i stay with that antifreeze or go back to dex cool?

5.last question! Are the valve spring compressors from the parts store reliable? Ive heard of them breaking bolts off in the head, and i dont have time to order a nice one, nor do i want to....Anyone used them before?

Thanks! ill post a video of it when i get it done,.....and of course pictures!

 

If it had regular antifreeze in it I'd stay with that.

Put your crank dot strait up, cam dot strait down (the cam sensor will tell the engine which cylinder to fire)

Get some fishing line and when you loosen the pickup tube bolt loop and tie the string around the bolt, then finish unscrewing it....pull the bolt out with the line.

Might want to have a pen magenta handy just in case

Good luck!

 

Sounds like a great swap, I am doing a swap very similar to this soon, I also have the same question about the autoparts store valve spring compressors, are they any good?
Oh and by the way, did you get the cam package from Texas Speed?

 

If you need a valve spring compressor tool just purchase one from jegs or something..... got mine for like 29 dollars and its the small low profile one that fits under the cowel

 

If you got the tool that looks like a crow bar then yea I haven't heard good things about them. I picked mine up from the autoparts store and it twists onto the spring compressing it. Seems to work ok. Intakes use a onetime use gasket you'll need a new one of those if you don't have one already. Like stated before if your dots line up you won't have and issues. Depending on mileage you might want to spend a few extra bucks on lifters and suck. Your cam isn't too big though if the miles are low you shouldn't have any issues.

 

What are you doing to hold the lifters up? ARe you trusting the lifter cups to hold them? If you want some added insurance you can get 16 magnet pens and put them int he pushrod holes to hold the lifter up or under the cam retaining plate theres some holes that you can get some wooden dowel rods and shove them in those holes and they will sit below the lifters to hold them up incase the retainers lets one go.

NVM: I re read your post and saw your dowels listed, good choice, I think thats the best way to do it.

 

I just did head and cam and could not get the dots to line up. They were a tooth off no matter what I did which I read is acceptable. I turned the motor by hand and everything seems fine. The pick-up tube bolt actually wasn't that bad, I got it out and in on the first try. I even read where a guy did it without dropping the pan...must have been a bitch.

I have that same cam and my paper work says a .643 lift. I've seen both numbers flying around. Maybe someone from TSP can confirm. If funds allow might as well do a smaller crank pulley for another 10hp.

 

Are you going to degree the cam after the install ?

 

Can u show me alink? i cant find it, i need it tomorrow, uckily they are a day away shipping for me thanks

ill do lifters when i do heads in a few months

Thats teh advertised specs, but due to machinging, sometimes ur lift and duration can be off a little.

Not at this time




Do i really need to intake gaskets, i was told by the ws6 store to reuse my old ones...

 

you should be able to line up the dots. If you cant seem to get them to line up just move the crank a hair one way or another and theyll fall into place.