View Poll Results: How many of you did your own cam install or plan to?
Voters: 374. You may not vote on this poll
DIY cam install?
DIY cam install? I will be getting a cam and valvetrain upgrade soon. I was wondering how hard a cam install would be for the moderatly mechanically inclined individual.
It has been about 13 years since I really got into working on cars. This past weekend I installed LTs on my Z and actually enjoyed it. It got me thinking if I could handle my own cam install. I have read the ls1howto.com write up several times and it "looks" simple enough.
So my question is how many of you that are mechanically inclined did your own cam install?
How many are planning your own cam install?
How many would never do a cam install?
Thanks for your .02
Jason
It has been about 13 years since I really got into working on cars. This past weekend I installed LTs on my Z and actually enjoyed it. It got me thinking if I could handle my own cam install. I have read the ls1howto.com write up several times and it "looks" simple enough.
So my question is how many of you that are mechanically inclined did your own cam install?
How many are planning your own cam install?
How many would never do a cam install?
Thanks for your .02
Jason
Responded in your other thread, but I'll throw it in here as well.
Did my own back in May. Heads and cam...wasn't that bad. Just take your time and do you research.
Check out LS1howto.com
Lot of good info on there...good write ups on all sorts of jobs.
Did my own back in May. Heads and cam...wasn't that bad. Just take your time and do you research.
Check out LS1howto.com
Lot of good info on there...good write ups on all sorts of jobs.
I did it on my brothers car with him 2 years ago using magnets b/c we didn't take the heads off. I will be doing mine when my parts come but will be dropping the motor and trans so I can change mt TC also.
If the car is not yoru daily driver, Expect a nice and easy / liesurely weekend or two to get it all done. If you need your car to get you to work monday, expect to fight it the whole way through. Its not difficult so much as its time consuming, and rushing to meet a deadline only leads to catastrophe, and Ive run into way to many of those!
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I plan on doing mine myself (or with friends helping). I've read the various guides and can see nothing that's extremely difficult, but as said before, just time consuming. I expect the valvesprings to be a big pain in the ***.
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On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 183
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From: edgewater, fl
vavle springs are not to bad if you have the right tools, if you dont pull the heads the easyest way to do it is pressurize the cyclinder to hold the valves up and get a good vavle spring tool and its a piece of cake. just my .02
Originally Posted by GuitsBoy
If the car is not yoru daily driver, Expect a nice and easy / liesurely weekend or two to get it all done. If you need your car to get you to work monday, expect to fight it the whole way through. Its not difficult so much as its time consuming, and rushing to meet a deadline only leads to catastrophe, and Ive run into way to many of those!
i just did my cam install but i think it was easier than anyone elses by far. motor was brand new(no oil) so i flipped it upside down to prevent the lifters from falling, that worked perfect. As for the valvesprings, I bought the $30something dollar tool that i believe someone here sells and i just put each piston to TDC one at a time using a piston stop tool. Valves couldnt fall in enough to cause any issues. It went very fast for me.
I've never done one for my car, but I've done 3 for friends....plus heads/TC/clutch.
Here's a good tip: If you're doing a clutch and cam at the same time make sure you remove the balancer bolt before you remove the tranny
Here's a good tip: If you're doing a clutch and cam at the same time make sure you remove the balancer bolt before you remove the tranny
I've done my own cam install, plus several others. Once you get enough under your belt, you can do it in one afternoon (~7 hours). For your first time, be sure to take it slow and triple check everything like someone else previously mentioned. Having the right tools makes this job easy.
bought my SS with a little TR224 cam in it already, i have since put a much larger one in and some patriot heads, i've also done another one for a friend. i'm 19 and have a halfway decent box of tools, it's not that hard, just need some patience and some beer....wait i mean soda, i'm only 19
just plan on nothing going as planned, expect it to take twice as long as you originally thought and don't be suprised if you break something along the way, common procedure for any garage job i've found
just plan on nothing going as planned, expect it to take twice as long as you originally thought and don't be suprised if you break something along the way, common procedure for any garage job i've found
Originally Posted by Smokingss
i just did my cam install but i think it was easier than anyone elses by far. motor was brand new(no oil) so i flipped it upside down to prevent the lifters from falling, that worked perfect. As for the valvesprings, I bought the $30something dollar tool that i believe someone here sells and i just put each piston to TDC one at a time using a piston stop tool. Valves couldnt fall in enough to cause any issues. It went very fast for me.
I've done 2 of my own cam swaps and they aren't that bad, just time consuming...especially if you are changing valvesprings. Like mentioned before, if it's your first time just follow the directions from ls1howto.com and take your time. Just go ahead and try it and there are always people to help if you have any problems.
I think the tool on here that was referred to is the Tim's valvespring tool. Personally, I bought the Crane tool, which has been great and does 2 springs at a time.
I think the tool on here that was referred to is the Tim's valvespring tool. Personally, I bought the Crane tool, which has been great and does 2 springs at a time.
Work slow double checking everything your first time. Main point is to keep everything in order or marked and the most important is to keep everything clean. Work the old cam out slow and new cam in slow as you would with a virgin on prom night. Don't want to nick a bearing.