So im working on this engine right now in school. Sence its just a school engine were re using all the bolts and gaskets and stuff. Even the head bolts. I have asked my instructor he said to sand the cam bearing and i sanded the **** out of them. It still wont go in. I tried motor oil and it didint work. We dont have any engine assembly lube so i just put wheel bearing grease on the lobes. Does anyone have any advise iv been trying to get it back in the block for 30min now and i cant get it started!

 

Sanded the bearings ?!?!?!?

 

Use the schools cam install hammer

 

Are the heads off? The lifters might not be all the way up.

 

Take a straight edge from journal to journal and roll the camshaft. See if any of the lobes are taller than the journal.

Ive only seen it once, and Ive done a TON of cams. But it made it so there was no way the camshaft would install!

 

why is e telling you to sand the bearings? i mean no offense to the teacher and i know its just a mock up engine but that seems like he may be teaching some poor installation techniques... can you see into the block like are the heads off? try to see where the cam is getting hung up on how far is it going in before it gets stuck

 

I'm glad this engine is just a mock-up for school. But ya, sounds like the lifters aren't staying up. You'll have to pull the heads to check and put a couple dowel rods in the front to hold the lifters up. But if you're going to build an actual engine for use, don't use wheel bearing grease (it won't liquify in the engine and plug oil passages) and never sand bearings. Get the right ones and there's no need to sand.

 

I know my teacher is retarded some times. He tried telling me a 6 lug rotor was for a dodge caravan.... He also said that they made ls1's for trucks in cast iron... I dont listen to him much. He also said to put transmission assembly lube on the retainers... But it was stripped down to the block now were assembling it. All thats in is the crank rods and pistons. We messuared the cam and it is within spec. I cant figure out what im doing wrong haha.

 

Im about to go with the cam install hammer haha

 

I've done a couple ls cams and never really had an issue lol. Are you sure the lifters are all the way up in the bores? Once you know for sure they are (or they are out of the motor) i attach the 3 bolts into the cam a bit then lube it generously with thick gear oil and slide it in slightly rotating it as I go and I never have an issue but as others have said if a lifter is hanging down it will cause issues

 

Everything.

I read your first post and thought this was a joke....reusing gaskets and head bolts? bearing grease?

 

Update now hes making me pull all the bearings back out and sand them some more... This is so stupid... they must be the right bearings because they are the original ones out of the engine

 

Its a school engine... thats donated obviously i wouldent do any of this on mine or some one elses engine... I have to make do with what i have lol. The lifters are out of the block. All thats in is the crank rods and pistons.

 

What kind of engine is this? I really hope it's not an LS1. Or any LS at that.

 

Is the motor ever supposed to run? Or are you guys just doing this to see how to tear down a motor and put it back together?

I hope that your teacher is teaching you guys that you should never do any of the things ya'll are doing to make the cam go in. One of the bearings is probably damaged, bent etc and not completely round which is keeping the cam from going in. Is it the same cam? Did you guys measure the journals on the cam and measure the bearings too to get a clearance spec?

 

What kind of school teaches you to shortcut and do things wrong?

Wow.

 

hahah you guys crack me up my school is retarded lol.l You should see how he goth the pistons in hahaha he cut a wooden broom handle and just wham wham wham on the top of the piston i was like... That cant be right lol he was using a ring compressor but it was ghetto and broke. Oh and he just made sure the bearings are straight lmao. He put them on the cam journels and hit them with a hammer hahaha. The only reason im here is to get an internship and i only have 3 more weeks till im out thank god. But i hate to tell you guys. Yes it is an ls1 lol. He said it had never been ran but you can see where the valves have hit the pistons... He said it was a 2003 and 4 but it said 97 on the heads. It was engraved when it was donated...

 

Lord please help these students.

 

Oh and yes we messured the journels and lobes but not the bearings. No the engine will never run and end up being crushed when he gets rid of it.

 

They did make iron blocks for GenIII V8s in trucks. Hence why the iron 6.0 is so popular for builds.