Mid-Life Speed

I am down to removing the cam, and I have "home made" JPR lifter tools (5/16" rods). After spinning the cam a couple of times, I can hear that the lifters are not catching in the holders (still clicks on the cam). The left rod however will slide al the way in. The right one goes about half way in (very tight) and no more. I got suspicious about the left rod and put a pushrod in the number one cylinder intake. Spun the cam again and even with the rod in the left slot the pushrod/lifter seemed to be still riding on the cam !!!! Can the rod be inserted all the way without coming between the lifters and the cam ? Is the rod supposed to be betweent he lifter and cam ?? Am I doing something wrong ?

Any advice or help would be appreciated...

Steve

Mid-Life Speed

Anybody ??

Does anyone know how the JPR tool works to secure the lifters ?

Steve

Mid-Life Speed

I rechecked the passenger bank, and the lifters stay up after spinning the cam on this side. I managed to get the "JPR rod" inserted past cylinder 2, and as an experiment put the push rod in the intake, pressed on the pushrod and spun the cam. Even with the rod installed the pushrod/lifter seems to follow the cam lobe !??!

I definitely don't want to drop a lifter ... can anyone give advice ?

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

Are you spinning the cam pretty hard and fast? You really have to wip the cam around so that the lifters get stuck in the guides.

Mid-Life Speed

Yeah ... the passenger bank stays up, but the drivers side is not. In any case, with the "JPR rod" installed I can still push the pushrod/lifter back and feel the cam lobe when I spin the cam.

Shouldn't the JPR rod keep the lifter from riding on the cam lobe ??

FstBlkz28

iTrader: (13)

yea ... it should hold the lifters completely clear of the lobes. Maybe try slowly inserting the tool, spinning the cam fast trying to catch the lifters one at a time?

Other than that I'm not sure, they stayed up when I used the dowels on a friends car.

eallanboggs

iTrader: (1)

No, the tool does not go between the lifter and the cam actually creating a space as you imagine. The tool goes in the step in the side of the lifter. The step is about 1/2" wide so the lifter can move that amount. The tool merely keeps the lifter from falling out of the plastic retainer during the swap. The lifters do not "catch" in the retainers as you refer to it. The job of the retainers is to keep the lifter from turning on the linear axis while the engine is running so the roller stays in line with the cam lobe not to retain the lifters. The fact that the plastic retainers actually "retain" the lifters during during the cam swap process is just a side benefit of their design. GM does not recommend the methodology everyone on LS1 Tech uses to do cam swaps whether it be with the assistance of a "tool" or without a "tool" in their shop manual. I have always been leary of using a wooden dowel after reading about the difficulty people like yourself have inserting and removing the wooden dowel. The wooden dowel is probably bending as you insert it and hitting an obstruction keeping you from getting it all the way in. How about a metal threaded rod? Spin the cam both ways:CW and CCW. Work the cam out slowly. Turning it as you pull it out. You'll need to jiggle it up and down and side to side as you pull it out and rotate it at the same time. Can you do all of those things at once?

Mid-Life Speed

OK ... thanks ... that's the info that I needed. The rod doesn't go between the lifters and the cam, just keeps the lifters from falling into the valley. Once I get the lifters up off the cam and the rods (BTW I am using 5/16" steel rods) inserted I should be good to go. I think I can do all those things at once !!

Thanks,

Steve

2001bluerata

iTrader: (2)

Good luck, I had to pull my heads to get my cam out! I just swapped the cam yesterday and will be putting the heads back on tomorrow. I had to pull the retainers and lifters, and in doing so I noticed that some of the lifters were a little stiff in the retainer, while some would snug in tight once you pushed it allll the way in the retainer, and still even some that slide in and out very easily. I could not get the dowels or magnets to work. So I figured I would rather spend 130 on gaskets and bolts then 90 on the JPR tool and have it not work and have to spend the 130 anyways!

Hope that helps you decide, good luck.

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

what year engine are you working on? Some of the 01-02 had issues using the JPR rods due to casting flash. Do a search on it I think it was only 01-02.

Mid-Life Speed

Thanks for everyone's help ... the old one is out and the new one is in ! Mine is a 2000, and the passenger side hole was tight on a 5/16" steel rod, but I workit it around and finally got in all the way in. Once both rods were in , with a little wiggling and turning the old cam came out no prolem. I had to manually go throught the cam location and push a couple of lifters up in the number 3 cylinder to get the new cam in OK, but with a little effort in it went !.

While I was waiting on replies I did some of the springs, and now I'm installing an LS6 P&P oil pump, the Rollmaster timing set, then the rest of the springs.

Probably won't finish tonight, but still have tomorrow to work !

Thanks again to everyone who replied with advice !

Steve