middle of cam swap. need advice.
middle of cam swap. need advice. I tried using a 5/16 wooden rod to hold up the lifters, but i guess Im an idiot because I had one snap off. I was able to get it out with some needle nose pliers but Im not going to attempt that again. I've heard horror stories about the pen magnet method too... One of my lifters will not go up into the lifter cups, so Im contemplating using the magnet route, but having just broken off a dowel, Im scared shitless Im going to mess something up. need some help from the veterans. What should I do next? Im heading to home depot to get some steel 5/16 rods...
-Chris
-Chris
I'll start off with the response that will eventually come anyhow:
"I used wooden dowels dunno what to tell you man"
I did, I drenched them in some oil and made them JUST long enough to span the entire block with about 1" sticking out so I could extract them. If you wanna use steel rods, try that. The 2nd time I did it I did the same thing, but I pulled the AC up out of the way so it gave me a lot of room. Good save and nice job getting the broken part out with some needle nose. If I had to do it with no wooden dowels I'd definitely go the steel rod route, try to find aluminum and get some sanding barrels on a dremel to taper off the end going into the motor. Clean it off COMPLETELY (I would use some old oil which you have drained from your car), and make sure you are spinning the cam pretty good while putting the rods in. Don't be scared of it, just don't force the **** out of it if it aint going. Mark the rod where it stopped, pull it back out, and see how much further it has to go. Good luck.
BTW your car's stance is killer.
-J
"I used wooden dowels dunno what to tell you man"
I did, I drenched them in some oil and made them JUST long enough to span the entire block with about 1" sticking out so I could extract them. If you wanna use steel rods, try that. The 2nd time I did it I did the same thing, but I pulled the AC up out of the way so it gave me a lot of room. Good save and nice job getting the broken part out with some needle nose. If I had to do it with no wooden dowels I'd definitely go the steel rod route, try to find aluminum and get some sanding barrels on a dremel to taper off the end going into the motor. Clean it off COMPLETELY (I would use some old oil which you have drained from your car), and make sure you are spinning the cam pretty good while putting the rods in. Don't be scared of it, just don't force the **** out of it if it aint going. Mark the rod where it stopped, pull it back out, and see how much further it has to go. Good luck.
BTW your car's stance is killer.
-J
Update: Steel 5/16 rod went in to passenger side like it was supposed to be there. Drivers side is being a bitch. There is a lifter on the passenger side that won't stay in its cup despite me lecturing it.
Dunno, It just snapped (on closer inspection... i think I got the weakest wood I could buy.). Luckily, I got it out while i was having a heart attack. The lifter on the passenger side, 3 from the back just will not stay in its cup. I've been troubleshooting for hours and even when Im using the pen magnet to lift the lifter up, the lifter still rides on the cam. Funny thing is the steel dowel is fully in that side, so Im not sure why the lifter is moving so freely. i know the dowel is just there to catch the lifter from falling, but i don't know how its keeping in contact.
Thanks for the complement, and your honesty.
Im thinking of heading over to OSH to get some oak dowels that should be alot stronger. don't have the tools to sharpen or shave down the steel dowels. Im guessing thats my next best bet.
Thanks for all the help!!
-Chris
I'll start off with the response that will eventually come anyhow:
"I used wooden dowels dunno what to tell you man"
I did, I drenched them in some oil and made them JUST long enough to span the entire block with about 1" sticking out so I could extract them. If you wanna use steel rods, try that. The 2nd time I did it I did the same thing, but I pulled the AC up out of the way so it gave me a lot of room. Good save and nice job getting the broken part out with some needle nose. If I had to do it with no wooden dowels I'd definitely go the steel rod route, try to find aluminum and get some sanding barrels on a dremel to taper off the end going into the motor. Clean it off COMPLETELY (I would use some old oil which you have drained from your car), and make sure you are spinning the cam pretty good while putting the rods in. Don't be scared of it, just don't force the **** out of it if it aint going. Mark the rod where it stopped, pull it back out, and see how much further it has to go. Good luck.
BTW your car's stance is killer.
-J
"I used wooden dowels dunno what to tell you man"
I did, I drenched them in some oil and made them JUST long enough to span the entire block with about 1" sticking out so I could extract them. If you wanna use steel rods, try that. The 2nd time I did it I did the same thing, but I pulled the AC up out of the way so it gave me a lot of room. Good save and nice job getting the broken part out with some needle nose. If I had to do it with no wooden dowels I'd definitely go the steel rod route, try to find aluminum and get some sanding barrels on a dremel to taper off the end going into the motor. Clean it off COMPLETELY (I would use some old oil which you have drained from your car), and make sure you are spinning the cam pretty good while putting the rods in. Don't be scared of it, just don't force the **** out of it if it aint going. Mark the rod where it stopped, pull it back out, and see how much further it has to go. Good luck.
BTW your car's stance is killer.
-J
Im thinking of heading over to OSH to get some oak dowels that should be alot stronger. don't have the tools to sharpen or shave down the steel dowels. Im guessing thats my next best bet.
Thanks for all the help!!
-Chris
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,907
Likes: 1
From: Bergen County, NJ
If you have a bench grinder, grind a bullet shaped point on the end and grind one side a little flat. smooth it with a file just a bit to take any burrs off. Take off a little bit at a time and try it until the rod just fits (the flat side of the rods toward the lifters), then you can turn it counterclockwise to snug it up against the lifters.
I used aluminum rods from home depot cause it made the shaping of the rods easier.
I used aluminum rods from home depot cause it made the shaping of the rods easier.
If you have a bench grinder, grind a bullet shaped point on the end and grind one side a little flat. smooth it with a file just a bit to take any burrs off. Take off a little bit at a time and try it until the rod just fits (the flat side of the rods toward the lifters), then you can turn it counterclockwise to snug it up against the lifters.
I used aluminum rods from home depot cause it made the shaping of the rods easier.
I used aluminum rods from home depot cause it made the shaping of the rods easier.
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I used 1/4" metal dowel and wrapped it in velcro and it slid right in. Im hoping this will hold everything, as others have done it this way. That damn 3ed lifter from the back WILL NOT go up though... Its pissing me off. The magnet keeps getting stuck before I can bring the lifter up into the cup, and Im worried about the damn thing coming off on the lifter.
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did the magnet ever get stuck? not come off the head, but just stuck on the lifter (not stuck magnetically, but having something physically be in the way.)? mines been doing that every time it hits the lifter and I cant seem to raise it any...
edit: the lifter isn't always in contact with the cam, jut at the top of lobe. Is it ok to pull the cam and rotate it around the lifter to get it out or is this just asking for trouble?
edit: the lifter isn't always in contact with the cam, jut at the top of lobe. Is it ok to pull the cam and rotate it around the lifter to get it out or is this just asking for trouble?
Last edited by hpjunky98; Aug 18, 2008 at 06:11 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Las Vegas, NV
I could only get one rod in I so went the pen magnet route keeping the one rod inserted. I had to play around with the pen magnets, jiggling them, pulling up, etc. until the cam slid all the way in. It worked out for me so I would recommend that. There was no way I could get my driver's side rod in, so I had no choice really. Good luck!
I have both rods in, but i have one lifter that refuses to get off the camshaft. Ive tried to get it up off the top of the lobe 30 times or more and the result is always the same... it still touches the cam once per rotation. This is the only thing preventing me from moving on with my swap!!!! Im getting so frusterated. 
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,907
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From: Bergen County, NJ
If you have the rod in there, and the magnet on it and the magnet secured you should be able to slide it out and then once the cam is out, reach in there and push it up for the new install. Are you sure you gave the cam a good fast spin? Which lifter is it?
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Las Vegas, NV
If you can pull the old cam out you should be able to get the new cam in. Keep the magnet on the lifter though. You have nothing to lose really because you haven't got the new cam in anyway. Hard to say but it seems that way to me.
Worst case scenario is that you'll be shopping for some new heads. Perfect time to do a head swap.
Seriously though, hang in there! Keep trying, you'll most likely get it. It seemed hopeless for me but I eventually got the new cam in. Good luck!
Worst case scenario is that you'll be shopping for some new heads. Perfect time to do a head swap.
Seriously though, hang in there! Keep trying, you'll most likely get it. It seemed hopeless for me but I eventually got the new cam in. Good luck!
YESSSSS!!!
Got the damn thing out and the new cam in. The lifter was heald up by a pen magnet tied to the hood latch. Oh, and I ended up using a 1/4 inch steel rod wrapped in velcro for the drivers side.
Now Im wreastling with the oil pan to install the new oil pump / chain.
-Chris
Got the damn thing out and the new cam in. The lifter was heald up by a pen magnet tied to the hood latch. Oh, and I ended up using a 1/4 inch steel rod wrapped in velcro for the drivers side.
Now Im wreastling with the oil pan to install the new oil pump / chain.
-Chris
+1 ^^ Use a locking needle nose plier... the kind that is almost like a BIG tweezer... it can lock on the threads and you can hold it up easy while going at it with a gear wrench. Congrats and I like the description on how you held that ****** up 
-J
-J
