looking at doin a cam install on my 2000 trans am, was looking at the ls1howto sight's cam install walk through and seemed pretty easy to follow, was wondering if that is a pretty complete walk through on that site or is there any small surprises i might come across, and is it basically as easy as it sounds or can it get pretty bad pretty quick? first time doing it feel confident enough in doing it just wanna get the procedure in check first, if anyone has run into anything doing theres too let me know, thanks

lookin at following this just as they did

http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23

 

I followed it and it was good, But when you get to reinstalling the pulley do not use your crank bolt to pull it on. It will work sometimes for some people (worked once for me, then the second time stripped my crank threads) Buy or rent a crank pulley installer.

 

One thing they do wrong is torque all the rockers down to 22ft lbs. You should either use the gm procedure, eoic method, or tdc method so you torque them down while on base lobe of the cam. And for your second question yes it is pretty easy, but it can also turn bad quick if your not carefull. Just take your time and make sure your doing it right.

 

I went by that write up doing it on my truck. I didn't remove the oil pump so I don't know about that part. The hard parts are:
Getting the balancer bolt loose. I just put a crow bar though the spokes on the balancer and let it stop on the frame or the ground to keep the engine from turning. Made quick work out of it.
Changing valve springs is easy but takes a long time.
Just go to Home Depot and buy some 5/16 wooden dowel to use for lifter holders. You don't need the $100 tool the y use in that write up.
It really is pretty easy, just a little time consuming. Oh, don't forget, you will need antifreeze. You lose a lot in this process.

 

Also this^^^. There are ALOT of threads showing this exact thing happening all the time.

 

Thinking of putting breakable wood in my engine is scary

 

^ i used metal rods

 

I get that, but they were easy to put in, and easy to get out. No fear here. I'll always do it like that.

 

ight cool thanks guys, for the wooden/metal dowel procedure ur basically sticking it in, lift a lifter slide further in let it sit on dowel and then next lift lifter up slide in more etc etc?

 

Once you have taken all the lifters off, you turn the cam and the lifter trays hold the lifters up. Then you can just slide the rods right in. They're really just a highly recommended safety precaution so you don't drop a lifter.

 

dude take it from me DO NOT GO RAMBO ON THE LIFTERS. It like having sex with a bitch with aids without a condom, it good at first then after you ****. It's a bitch to fish the lifter out the oil pan, and dropping oil pan NITEMARE. Then a simple cam swap turn into head and cam swap happen to me dude. Secure the lifter before you pull the cam out its pretty easy if you do it the right way. The hard part for me was taking the crank bolt off. Also buy a crank pulley installer, be safe not sorry cause if you break the bolt in crank you are so fukked and get a arp crank bolts there reuseible. You will be fine good luck.

 

ight, thanks guys, this looks like its gunna be my kinda winter project lol

 

If you have a fastenal store near you, you can pick up an m16 allthread, a few nuts, and a stack of washers to make your own pulley installer much cheaper. And for removing the crank bolt, an impact wrench is great if you have the room; no need to hold the flywheel.