Started my cam install!!! got a question
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Bloomfield, NM
well, today was a very rough day. im not finished, and unfortunately im going out of town until sunday. changin valvesprings sucks! i have the back four on the passenger side left, and i only took me like 4 hours and 5 billion obscenities to get the other 12 out. i got a nice gash on my arm from trying to reach to get the very back one on the drivers side. having an air compressor is nice, the stems dont move, but pulling the plugs is a pain! and then trying to get that extension in for the air is even worse! oh, and the oil pump! i was ready to throw that little ****** across the street, and then slice the o-ring into tiny little peices and set them on fire. what a bitch! only took me like a half hour to get it situated! well, i figure that after a few days of rest, relaxation, healing (my poor hands!), and getting to see Boston in concert, i should be able to come back and finish it all in a few hours. so, to be continued...on monday
GoT, sounds like you are having a bloody blast. 
Glad to hear you are making progress. I too was a little worried about your situation when you came in asking where the starter is and what does it look like. But, it sounds like you are catching on fast. Good luck. BTW, Boston is having a concert?? I didn't know they were together anymore. That outta be a blast to see and hear. I was a huge fan years ago and still crank them up from time to time.
Glad to hear you are making progress. I too was a little worried about your situation when you came in asking where the starter is and what does it look like. But, it sounds like you are catching on fast. Good luck. BTW, Boston is having a concert?? I didn't know they were together anymore. That outta be a blast to see and hear. I was a huge fan years ago and still crank them up from time to time. i thought the valvespring swap was easy, i did the whole pass. side in 2 hours, first time doing springs
the larry tool helps a lot and is really easy to use, and i thought the air compressor hose thing was easy to use, i took a compression tester, and removed the schradder valve from the hose so that it would blow air through, this little short hose worked great cuz you could turn the end of the hose and it would screw it in.
the larry tool helps a lot and is really easy to use, and i thought the air compressor hose thing was easy to use, i took a compression tester, and removed the schradder valve from the hose so that it would blow air through, this little short hose worked great cuz you could turn the end of the hose and it would screw it in. Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Bloomfield, NM
ive never worked on a car before, so i had no idea what to even look for! lol, but i do feel im learning a lot this way, and besides, everyone around here insisted the heads would have to be pulled to do the swap. wasnt about to pay for that. yup, going to see Boston tonight in Albuquerque, maybe ill post some pics when i get back, should be fun. cant wait to get back and finish the car though. i really couldnt say what spring tools im using, they like hook on the bottom of the spring and push down on the top as i turn a ****. my hands feel kinda raw today. and maybe im just clumsy with the air hose, but oh well, im still getting it done. im leaving now, gotta pack.
Originally Posted by God of Thunder
ive never worked on a car before, so i had no idea what to even look for! lol, but i do feel im learning a lot this way, and besides, everyone around here insisted the heads would have to be pulled to do the swap. wasnt about to pay for that. yup, going to see Boston tonight in Albuquerque, maybe ill post some pics when i get back, should be fun. cant wait to get back and finish the car though. i really couldnt say what spring tools im using, they like hook on the bottom of the spring and push down on the top as i turn a ****. my hands feel kinda raw today. and maybe im just clumsy with the air hose, but oh well, im still getting it done. im leaving now, gotta pack.
pretty big install for your first time working on a car. good job 
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From: Las Vegas, NV
It sounds like the hell I went through swapping out my intake manifold. It was my first somewhat major install on a car, and everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. I pinched my KS wire, had a massive egr leak, forgot to do the GM TSB KS fix, etc. When I pulled everything apart again, it went so much smoother, and I wondered why it was so tough the first time around. I've always looked at that install as an initiation by fire, so to speak. Since then, everything I've tried has gone really well. I think we have to go through that in order to earn our stripes as a "genuine DIY mechanic." Since that nightmare, I feel confident enough to attempt a cam and spring install, like you, and I believe it will go well because I feel I already payed my dues. Did I mention the header install? 
Hang in there man, it will all be worth it in the end.
Hang in there man, it will all be worth it in the end.
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Originally Posted by God of Thunder
oh, and the oil pump! i was ready to throw that little ****** across the street, and then slice the o-ring into tiny little peices and set them on fire.
Sorry man, I just cracked up so ****** hard when I read these lines that my face started to hurt. I don't think I ever cursed on anything as much as I did to that damn pick-up tube bolt. Make sure its seated right though or you'll have to tear it back down if you have low or zero oil pressure.
Actually, I am in the middle of putting an LS6 intake on, that's why I was wondering what he meant. I figured out what the KS wire was when I was removing the clips. Never heard of a TSB fix for that though. Thanks!
Originally Posted by glennhl
KS is the knock sensor wire. Don't worry about it unless you take off your intake manifold.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by HavATampa
Actually, I am in the middle of putting an LS6 intake on, that's why I was wondering what he meant. I figured out what the KS wire was when I was removing the clips. Never heard of a TSB fix for that though. Thanks!
I was referring to being careful about routing the KS wire when reinstalling the intake.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Bloomfield, NM
back at it! got home yesterday and got started right away. everything seemed to be going fine. got two springs/seats/seals changed within about a half an hour and was on my second to last spring (on cylinder #8) on the passengers side. took me three hours to finally get it. my dad and i had to make our own tool to push it down. then the locks got stuck too far down on the stem. then my air compressor fitting came loose and all my air went out of the cylinder. i still dont know how the valve didnt fall all the way, maybe the piston was at tdc, didint check. well i was positive i was going to break a bolt off in the head as i now had to really compress that new, dual spring to get far enough down to put the locks on. finally got it though. then quit for the night. started again this morning. used our tool and got that last spring done in under an hour. got almost everything back together. just need to fill radiator and put air filter assembley back on, the try it out. everything seemed to go smooth. engine turns over by hand fine, im pretty positive i had it dot to dot. hopefully tomorrow i can have a new thread titled, "finished my cam install!!" wish me luck!!!! oh yeah, and today was my first day back to work at dairy queen. one of the newer kids got a brand new lightning, and he wants to race after he gets it broken in. how do you thin ill do? thanks
Originally Posted by God of Thunder
and for anyone that is planning on changing their cam, a 5/16" metal rod works like a charm to keep the lifters from falling.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Bloomfield, NM
what i did was i got 2 5/16 inch rods and cut them into 22" peices. i put them in a vice and used a hammer to bend three inches on one side of both peices for a handle. then i ground bullitt tips on the other ends and on one rod i ground a flat surface the length of it, that one went on the passengers side. spun the cam a few times and the lid them in. i was too skeptical about the magnets, especially after reading some of the failure stories. make sure to get at least one magnet though if you plan to change valvesprings. helps pull the locks out. good luck
