Pretty sure I'm screwed
 

I was about to install my new cam and all seemed to be going well until we tried to put the new cam itself in. Got about 3/4 of the way in and it felt like the cam hit a wall. I'm looking for opinions here, but pretty sure its the worst (dropped lifter). I took a pic of what it looks like and we even tried to put the old cam back in but same thing. I have brake lines, and pen maganets holding the lifters up but something has gone wrong. Am I going to be ripping off the heads once again?
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...8/458854e3.jpg

I wouldn't imagine so... I would double check with the magnets and make sure the lifters are up, if not, that'll happen... I know mine were a bitch to get up and stay up... Good luck man... that is bad news. =(

Im a bit confused. If you got the brake lines installed all the way in, then there is really no need for magnets. If i were you, i'd pull out the magnets, take a look and see if you have dropped a lifter from there. Are you POSITIVE you got your brake lines all the way in the block?

TA

When I put the brake line in they seemed to go all the way into the block but I have nothing for comparison as last time I did a cam swap I had the heads off so they weren't needed. The maganets were used to hold up the lifters until the lines were put in.

The brake lines won't go in any further it seems but I wanna say they were probably not much longer than the cam itself. When I lift the back lifters with the pen maganets and try to push the brake line in it won't move any either any suggestions?

I had the same problem getting the cam in all the way. I just kept pulling up on the back pen magnets and kept trying to push the cam in. I had to play around quite a few times, pulling up the magnets, before the cam went in.

Ok well I tried messing with the back pen maganets and the cam went in about an extra inch. Do you have any other tips or techniques or should we just keep messing with the pens.

Another thing to try, which I did, was to partially remove the rods after I was 100% sure the magnets were holding the lifters. At least pull the rods out so they're clear of the lifters that are holding up the cam. It seemed that the rods were part of the problem. Then just keep fiddling with the magnets, pulling them up and jiggling them a little until the cam slides home.

Also, be patient, you might have to mess with the magnets quite a few times until the cam goes in.

Lastly, if that doesn't work, get 16 magnets attached to all the lifters, pull out the rods, then lift up on all the magnets and try to push the cam home. If it doesn't go in, try different combinations of lifting up on the magnets, if you get my drift. Try lifting all the magnets and not just the back ones.

Try to use a flashlight and look in there for a lifter. Maybe a bearing got damaged?

Well I have stopped working on the cam today due to other matters but its definatly gone further in. I will probably try messing with it some more tomorrow and try holding all the lifters with the magnets. Thanks guys.

Hope this all works out Jeff! Let me know whats up with installing and first start up and driving and i'll try to head down there if im not working

think positive thoughts and it will work out trust me. life is an experiment

yank the cam out and take a look down the hole, it sounds like a lifter has dropped down a little but not all the way. once you see the bastard use a stick or something, (I used a steel rod) to push it up, ive done this.

good luck.

if your lifters did indeed drop a bit, youre probably not gonna be able to pull them back up with the metal rode installed as theyll create additional friction on the lifter and you wont be able to pull it back up with the magnet.

Could also try removing teh intake and valley cover and using a bent clothes hanger to push up the lifters.

Do those brake lines hold the lifters tightly, or is it a looser fit? With those lines, I don't think you should have to pull the heads at all. What I would probably try doing first, is put some pushrods in on the back 4 cylinders and see if there is one lifter that is lower than the rest, then use a pen magnet on that lifter itself. You may have to remove that brake line slightly or rotate it to pull the lifter up with a pen magnet, then reinstall it to lock it back in place.

I don't use anything to hold lifters up unless there seems to be a few loose lifters. Maybe those rods are holding the lifter further down than desired. If you can isolate exactly which lifter it is, I think it would be easier to handle. Also as posted above, you might be able to just visually see which lifter it is by removing the cam and taking a look with a flashlight. If 15 are in their normal spot, and 1 is dropped down it should be pretty obvious.

ok well I put the pushrods in to check and see which lifter was sitting low and its the second from last one on the passenger side so its a bitch to get at but I'll try and work with it.

Well I played with the problem pushrod again and finally got the cam all the way in, thanks a bunch guys I'm psyched to get it finished now.

Good news man, glad you got it taken care of... I would've had blood pressure problems for sure if I were in your shoes.