Did I mess up?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Did I mess up? Hello group,
I am doing a cam swap in a 2004 5.3. I pulled the push rods. I lined up the marks on the cam and crank gears. Unbolted the cam gear and took off the timing chain. Unbolted the cam retainer. Bolted the cam gear back on the cam and spun it a couple of times. Then I slowly worked the cam out. As I was doing this, I heard something inside the engine drop. It sounds like a bolt or a spring or something dropped. I took a look inside and all the lifters were still up. I oiled up the new cam and put it in. Bolted up the cam retainer. Then put the chain on and moved it back and forth until the marks on the crank and cam gear lined up again. Tightened up the cam bots. At this point, I have not buttoned it all up, I thought I would check in.
1. Did I miss a major step in the cam swap process?
2. Can you think of something what would have dropped internally when I pulled the cam out?
3. As long as the marks on the cam and cranks gears are lined up, I am good. Right?
Thanks in advance. JEB
I am doing a cam swap in a 2004 5.3. I pulled the push rods. I lined up the marks on the cam and crank gears. Unbolted the cam gear and took off the timing chain. Unbolted the cam retainer. Bolted the cam gear back on the cam and spun it a couple of times. Then I slowly worked the cam out. As I was doing this, I heard something inside the engine drop. It sounds like a bolt or a spring or something dropped. I took a look inside and all the lifters were still up. I oiled up the new cam and put it in. Bolted up the cam retainer. Then put the chain on and moved it back and forth until the marks on the crank and cam gear lined up again. Tightened up the cam bots. At this point, I have not buttoned it all up, I thought I would check in.
1. Did I miss a major step in the cam swap process?
2. Can you think of something what would have dropped internally when I pulled the cam out?
3. As long as the marks on the cam and cranks gears are lined up, I am good. Right?
Thanks in advance. JEB
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 967
Likes: 53
From: Winter Haven FL
Maybe a piece of a cam bearing fell off. Or you chipped a lobe on the cam and it fell. Most likely though it was just something completely random that didn't actually happen inside the engine.
Trending Topics
You made the mistake of not putting wooden sticks through the lifter galley to hold the lifters up. Hopefully with a strong enough magnet you can pull the lifter back up into the tray and get your cam installed. GL
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Banned
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 252
Likes: 84
From: USA
Thats a hell of a pull to chip a piece of the cam lobe off. You're joking right?