Please help with my cam install!!!! :(
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Launching!
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Salem, NH
Please help with my cam install!!!! :( I have the cam in, aligned the timing gear dot to dot, and put the timing chain cover on, and left it in the dot to dot position with the big sprocket dot in the 6 oclock and the small sprocket in the 12 oclock. But next when I put the pulley on, the crankshaft turned alot so now it is no longer dot to dot. So my question is how do I put the rocker arms on if the the timing gear is not lined up? Doe it need to be lined in order to drop the pushrods in and torque the rocker arms? If so, how do I get the timing lined back up? I hope I explained it good enough. Please give me as much info as you can, I am boned right now, and I don't want to take that pulley back off. Thanks
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From: SW Florida
Re: Please help with my cam install!!!! :( Brendon..
As long as the cam/crank was alligned dot to dot when the timing set was installed, you dont have any problems.
Even if the crank and cam has now been turned [after] the timing set was installed, you are good to go. No matter where it is now, just drop in the pushrods and install the rocker arms and torque them to 22 ft lb. Ideally, the rocker arms should be tightened/torqued when there is minimum valve spring pressure applied to them.
In other words; both the intake and the exhaust valve on the cylinder that you are torquing the rocker arm should be off the cam lobe (less spring press on the rocker arm). That position would be Top Dead Center (TDC).
If you are not sure of any of this, just torque the rocker arms all up to 22 ft lb, then turn the engine crank about a 1/4 of a turn. Torque the rockers again. Turn it another 1/4 turn and tighten them all again.
This way, all of the rockers will at least be torqued properly at one point in time when the rocker/pushrod/lifter was off the top of its individual cam lobe.
Good Luck,
Ron
As long as the cam/crank was alligned dot to dot when the timing set was installed, you dont have any problems.
Even if the crank and cam has now been turned [after] the timing set was installed, you are good to go. No matter where it is now, just drop in the pushrods and install the rocker arms and torque them to 22 ft lb. Ideally, the rocker arms should be tightened/torqued when there is minimum valve spring pressure applied to them.
In other words; both the intake and the exhaust valve on the cylinder that you are torquing the rocker arm should be off the cam lobe (less spring press on the rocker arm). That position would be Top Dead Center (TDC).
If you are not sure of any of this, just torque the rocker arms all up to 22 ft lb, then turn the engine crank about a 1/4 of a turn. Torque the rockers again. Turn it another 1/4 turn and tighten them all again.
This way, all of the rockers will at least be torqued properly at one point in time when the rocker/pushrod/lifter was off the top of its individual cam lobe.
Good Luck,
Ron
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From: SW Florida
Re: Please help with my cam install!!!! :( That document I sent you will be needed if you want to remove the valve springs while the heads are on the car, so as not to drop a valve in the cylinder.
If you have the cam cover already installed over the timing set (gears & chain), then you will not be able to find exact TDC as per those instructions.
Not the best, but, another way to find TDC on the #1 cyl (thats the most foreward drivers side cyl) is to first make sure the plugs are removed. Put your finger in the plug hole of that #1. Have someone turn the engine. When you feel air pressure start to blow out of that plug hole, you are then [approaching] TDC of the #1.
Once this is done, the best you can do then is to put a small metal pick or one of those real small screwdrivers in the plug hole. Then just rotate the engine a little more (very slowly) by hand until you feel the screw driver come up the farthest out of the plug hole (without starting back down the hole). That is very close to TDC on that cyl.
After that, you can just mark the bottom of the crank balancer with something white colored, and then follow the instructions in the e-mail attachment I sent you.
Bottom line; The piston has to be at the very top of its stroke when the valve springs are removed so as not to let the valves drop into the cylinder.
For God's sake, dont drop anything into that spark plug hole when you do this on the #1 cyl.
Good Luck,
Ron
[ December 15, 2001: Message edited by: Kimchee and Rice ]</p>
If you have the cam cover already installed over the timing set (gears & chain), then you will not be able to find exact TDC as per those instructions.
Not the best, but, another way to find TDC on the #1 cyl (thats the most foreward drivers side cyl) is to first make sure the plugs are removed. Put your finger in the plug hole of that #1. Have someone turn the engine. When you feel air pressure start to blow out of that plug hole, you are then [approaching] TDC of the #1.
Once this is done, the best you can do then is to put a small metal pick or one of those real small screwdrivers in the plug hole. Then just rotate the engine a little more (very slowly) by hand until you feel the screw driver come up the farthest out of the plug hole (without starting back down the hole). That is very close to TDC on that cyl.
After that, you can just mark the bottom of the crank balancer with something white colored, and then follow the instructions in the e-mail attachment I sent you.
Bottom line; The piston has to be at the very top of its stroke when the valve springs are removed so as not to let the valves drop into the cylinder.
For God's sake, dont drop anything into that spark plug hole when you do this on the #1 cyl.
Good Luck,
Ron
[ December 15, 2001: Message edited by: Kimchee and Rice ]</p>
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From: SW Florida
Re: Please help with my cam install!!!! :( As you may already know, ideally, pressurized air should be used to keep the valves from falling into the cylinders prior to removing the springs. What I wrote above is just an alternative method.
Ron,
Ron,
Teching In
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From: Ponte Vedra FL
Re: Please help with my cam install!!!! :( Brendon-
You can also just bar the engine over until you see the spring(s) at their most relaxed position. That will mean the pushrods are at their lowest position in that period where there is a little time of no movement right before they start to come back up. Just make sure you get every one. Mark them or make a sketch, don't forget any. You can start in any crank position you want, it doesn't matter. Remember that it won't hurt anything but your time line to torque them all more than once. The only thing that sux here is I just realized that both of the torque wrenches you have aren't real good at 22 ft-lbs (264 in-lbs).
You can also just bar the engine over until you see the spring(s) at their most relaxed position. That will mean the pushrods are at their lowest position in that period where there is a little time of no movement right before they start to come back up. Just make sure you get every one. Mark them or make a sketch, don't forget any. You can start in any crank position you want, it doesn't matter. Remember that it won't hurt anything but your time line to torque them all more than once. The only thing that sux here is I just realized that both of the torque wrenches you have aren't real good at 22 ft-lbs (264 in-lbs).
