Cam Install-Do my Heads need to come off? I think my shop is dicking me around.
08-06-2004, 11:33 AM
#1
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cam Install-Do my Heads need to come off? I think my shop is dicking me around. I have my 98 in for a cam and intake install. The shop said they were held up because they had to take off my heads to get the retainers off. That there were these little plastic grommets holding them on from underneath the head.
Is this BS, or is this normal? Is there a special tool they are supposed to have used instead of removing my heads? It seems like they went thru a lot of trouble, or say they did so they can bill me more.
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Dave
Is this BS, or is this normal? Is there a special tool they are supposed to have used instead of removing my heads? It seems like they went thru a lot of trouble, or say they did so they can bill me more.
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Dave
08-06-2004, 11:38 AM
#3
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can you provide some details, cause I'm not going to pay them anything over 8 hrs labor if that is the average charge time for a cam. Please help!!!
Trending Topics
08-06-2004, 11:57 AM
#8
Need more details from you. What cam and springs are you having installed. (be specific) Did you tell them that you want the lifters changed or are they telling you that you need to have the lifters changed for your spring and cam combo. The lifters are held in by plastic retainers under the heads. You have to pull the heads to change lifters on LS1s. It's just that most cam changes do not require it.
08-06-2004, 12:01 PM
#9
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I found an interesting article... http://www.houston-f-body.org/tech/LS1Cam/cam.html
This should work fine.
This should work fine.
08-06-2004, 12:01 PM
#10
TECH Enthusiast
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Bloomfield, NM
Posts: 508
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i went to the freakin pontiac dealership today and they told me the exact same thing! that the heads and manifold would have to come off. my dad thought they would know being they sell the things. i guess not. im doing it myself
08-06-2004, 12:13 PM
#13
!LS1 11 Second Club
Originally Posted by Ravenous T\A
www.ls1howto.com print the instructions out for them and then call them DUMBASSES
Stay away from that shop.
Even better, do the cam swap yourself. It's rather simple. You just need patience and the right tools (and preferrably a friend who's already done it before
). Last edited by SouthFL.02.SS; 08-06-2004 at 12:19 PM.
08-06-2004, 02:07 PM
#14
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK someone correct me if I'm wrong. To pull the cam the lifters need to come up. This can be done without removing the heads, by spinning the cam so all the lifters go into the up position, then sliding the tool in to each bank to MAKE SURE THEY DONT FALL DOWN. Thats why they make a tool to slide in each bank for 80 bucks.
08-06-2004, 02:26 PM
#15
If the lifter retainers are in good condition, they will hold the lifters up when you spin the cam. The tool you are talking about or pen magnets can be used as insurance that they stay up when you change the cam. I use the pen magnets and clothes pins.
08-06-2004, 03:00 PM
#18
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I called and asked them what happened. They said they couldnt get the cam out because a few of the lifters were not sliding up far enough to yank out the cam. Is that possible? He said they tried using magnets to pull them up, but that they were stuck on rust or something. If my lifters would not go up enough to take out the cam, wouldn't I have noticed something when the engine was running.... like that it was fuked up?
08-06-2004, 03:04 PM
#19
!LS1 11 Second Club
If your lifters were resting on the cam, and they pull the cam out, they will be fishing for lifters in the oil pan.
What kind of a situation have you gotten yourself into?
It sounds like these guys do not know what they are doing.
What kind of a situation have you gotten yourself into?
It sounds like these guys do not know what they are doing.
Last edited by SouthFL.02.SS; 08-06-2004 at 03:16 PM.
08-06-2004, 03:11 PM
#20
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exactly, they said that the lifters would not go up enough to get the cam out... so they pulled the heads off and took out the lifters so they could get the cam out.