SStolen

iTrader: (22)

I am getting ready to install a TR230/224 cam and TR cam kit in my car. My friend is going to let me borrow his More performance valvespring tool. When I go to install these things, what do I need to do? I know I have to find TDC so the valves dont drop but once I'm there do I just compress the rocker and carefully remove the retainer and slowly release the spring? When I re-install the new spring do I have to measure anything or just pop it in there? I remember hearing about pre-load... does that pertain to this? Anything I should know that will help out? Any special techniques or tricks of the trade to make it easier? I hear the springs under the cowl are a bitch.

Last Yellow Bird

iTrader: (1)

Go to LS1howto.com There is an excellent cam swap instruction there. Should give you everything you need to know.

eallanboggs

iTrader: (1)

Compressed air helps a lot to hold the valves up during the swap. If your changing the springs the rockers are already off so spinning the crank over is a breeze. Just be sure to lock the crank before you apply the compressed air or the crank may try to spin. I have a manual trans so I just put the trans in gear for each spring I changed. I used a chop stick I got at a Chinese resturant to find TDC. I used two spring compressor tools at the same time. It saved a lot of time. I bought a couple of spare keepers and one extra retainer. I put the retainer on one of the new 918 springs and compressed it with one spring tool and then removed the stock spring with the other spring tool. The compressed air had already been applied by this time. I was then able to immediately install the new spring rather than remove the old spring from the tool and the put the new spring and retainer in the spring tool, compress it and finally install it. This saved a lot of time. The extra keepers will come in handy because you will eventually drop one during this job. You have to handle 32 keeper twice each, once during removal and once again during installation of the new springs and if you can do all that without dropping a keeper your a better man than I.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

I did it witout dropping a single keeper Here's how: put a pen magnet against the keepers before you even remove them. That way, as soon as they pop free, they stick to the magnet. Put them back in the same way and you will never drop one.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Rotate the crank clockwise until you see the exhaust valve open then close, and imediately after that the intake will start to open; stop here. This will be easy to recognize because if you barely turn the crank either way, either the exhaust or intake will try to open, so just put the crank in the middle where they are both closed. This is TDC for this cylinder. There is another TDC also, but this one is much easier to recognize. If you do it this way you will have no need for air or taking plugs out, so you save that much more work. You will then compress the spring about 3/8 inch and the valve will hit the piston and pop the keepers loose . . . do not pop them loose any other way! If they don't pop loose when the valve goes down, you know you screwed up and didn't get the piston at TDC to start with. So go back and do that, then try again. Otherwise you could drop a valve all the way into the cylinder, then you have to take the head off.