First Cam Swap - HELP
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First Cam Swap - HELP Is there anything i need to be aware of? I am pretty mechanily inclined i do it all the time on older motors. Has anyone had any problrms with the lifters falling out into the motor on the LS1 when doing a cam swap? If one falls out into the motor how would you get it out????
go to home depot or lowes i beleive its 5/16 rod but a search will get you the correct size. they need to be about 22" long each and make a handle on the end to make it easier to pull back out . you havea 50/50 shoy of the lifters falling . you may get lucky and the holders will do ehat there susspose to do you may drop one . you usally have to drop the pan to get them out too unless its a rear one you may be able to fish it out . and i believe only the rear can actully go back in w/o removing the heads, its a bitch to slide it back up but can be done
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From: PA
The JPR tool works incredibly well, but you can buy the pen magnets for about a buck a piece and those still have some value after your done. The only value of the JPR tool after you are done is to lend it to friends. My first cam swap I borrowed the JPR tool, now I use the magnets.
If this is your first cam swap, just take your time, it is fairly easy to do. Personally, I'll take a cam swap over a head swap any day.
Make sure you have a tool to remove and instal the pulley too and a good spring tool if you are swapping those as well.
It is not rocket science, my first swap took about 12 hours, now I can swap one in 6 hours. If you get stuck, throw up a post, we'll help you...
Most importantly, no shortcuts! If you are missing or see a worn out part, wait until you get another one, do not rush the job.
Dave
If this is your first cam swap, just take your time, it is fairly easy to do. Personally, I'll take a cam swap over a head swap any day.
Make sure you have a tool to remove and instal the pulley too and a good spring tool if you are swapping those as well.
It is not rocket science, my first swap took about 12 hours, now I can swap one in 6 hours. If you get stuck, throw up a post, we'll help you...
Most importantly, no shortcuts! If you are missing or see a worn out part, wait until you get another one, do not rush the job.
Dave
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From: Orlando
When I did my cam, these lifter retaining rods weren't around like they are now but I used the pen magnet method. I was very much at ease doing it like that. Choose what works best for you but pulling heads 'aint my idea of a good time. Best of luck with the new stick. 
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From: Robertsdale,AL.
The only thing that i think i will have a little problem with is going to be readjusting the rockers. How would i go about doing that. I heard there was a process. What is it?
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From: BFE
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/381537-there-torque-sequence-rockers.html
This will help you.
Also study this site pretty well, after that we are here to help.
http://www.ls1howto.com
This will help you.
Also study this site pretty well, after that we are here to help.
http://www.ls1howto.com
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From: Robertsdale,AL.
Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=381537
This will help you.
Also study this site pretty well, after that we are here to help.
http://www.ls1howto.com
This will help you.
Also study this site pretty well, after that we are here to help.
http://www.ls1howto.com
USE THE 5/16" WOODEN DOWEL TO HOLD UP LIFTERS!
I tried pen magnets to hold up mine during my swap and had a lifter fall. A few days ago I was workin on a buddy's car .... .69 cents at Home depot for a wooden dowel and the actual cam swap was a piece of cake!
All you gotta do is just make a blunt tip on the end that u insert into the engine, cut the dowels to 24" long and you'll be set.
I tried pen magnets to hold up mine during my swap and had a lifter fall. A few days ago I was workin on a buddy's car .... .69 cents at Home depot for a wooden dowel and the actual cam swap was a piece of cake!
All you gotta do is just make a blunt tip on the end that u insert into the engine, cut the dowels to 24" long and you'll be set.
Sure fire way of not dropping a lifter is to spin the cam over 1 time as fast as you can. I believe that you can thread the waterpump bolts into the end of it and that will work really well as a handle. If you do that and get a buddy to insert the dowels right after you spin the cam over and the lifters will all be resting on the dowel rod and you can slowly start inching the cam out without having to worry about those little guys falling. Most cases they have a tendency to "stick" when pushed up toward the head, but every once in a while there will be a stubborn one that will keep wanting to fall. Maybe more than one. 
Make sure that you have a couple of sockets on hand for tightening those rockers down. We mushroomed three of them while doing mine, and 22ft lbs is freaking tough if you have a little torque wrench! 
Originally Posted by 02' hawk
OK thanks on the wooden dowels to hold up the lifters. So all i do is put the pushrods in, the rockers on, and bolt them down to 22lbs and nothing else!!
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I have some questions too...
1) Should I remove the valve springs and rocker arms before I spin the cam and slide in the dowels? I think yes but I just want to make sure.
2) After installing the new cam... before putting the covers on, the chain on, and finishing the valve train, how do I make sure that it's timed correctly?
Thanks,
somebody
1) Should I remove the valve springs and rocker arms before I spin the cam and slide in the dowels? I think yes but I just want to make sure.
2) After installing the new cam... before putting the covers on, the chain on, and finishing the valve train, how do I make sure that it's timed correctly?
Thanks,
somebody
Originally Posted by Somebody09
I have some questions too...
1) Should I remove the valve springs and rocker arms before I spin the cam and slide in the dowels? I think yes but I just want to make sure.
2) After installing the new cam... before putting the covers on, the chain on, and finishing the valve train, how do I make sure that it's timed correctly?
Thanks,
somebody
1) Should I remove the valve springs and rocker arms before I spin the cam and slide in the dowels? I think yes but I just want to make sure.
2) After installing the new cam... before putting the covers on, the chain on, and finishing the valve train, how do I make sure that it's timed correctly?
Thanks,
somebody
2)-as for the cam make sure its dot to dot. cam dot at 6 crank dot at 12
pretty straight forward
I have a question too that goes with this thread kinda. If you get new lifters then is there any need to hold the old ones up, or should you just take them out before you install the cam and then put the new ones in once the cam is in?