Cam change w/o engine removal?

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Sep 10, 2006 | 09:03 PM

jst

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From: ohio

Cam change w/o engine removal?

Is this normanlly done while the motor is in the car?

Sep 10, 2006 | 09:05 PM

fergymoto

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From: Rock Hill, SC

You can, but you have to take out the AC condensor. I didn't want to drain my AC since I don't know how to work on it, so I just took my motor out.

Sep 10, 2006 | 09:11 PM

Ar0ck

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From: New Jersey

Since I deleted my A/C the cam install/swap was a since with the radiator out of the car!

Basically you just have to remove everything from the front of the block. radiator/ac condensor/Accessories/water pump/opti/timing chain cover.

Sep 10, 2006 | 09:42 PM

96capricemgr

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Now granted my car is a Caprice not an f-body but after doing one cam swap in the car I swore from then on I would pull the engine and I did when I did the heads and cam last fall, that will be how I do it in the future.

Sep 10, 2006 | 10:01 PM

the_merv

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From: The Beach...

Dropped the Engine out of the bottom and did mine, alot easier.

Sep 10, 2006 | 10:04 PM

mumu_624

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From: Charlotte

yea...if you want to keep the motor in and do it

its going to give you HELL

It will be alot easyer if you drop the motor. and save you form going throw hell

Sep 10, 2006 | 10:06 PM

the_merv

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From: The Beach...

It's really not that bad to drop the Engine.

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Sep 12, 2006 | 06:58 PM

rkinney

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From: Hebron, Oh

^^^^
I agree. I have done two cam swaps and both with the motor in the car. Not bad at all. Took my time over a weekend both times, no problems at all.

Sep 13, 2006 | 10:35 AM

#10

TurboZ28

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From: Arlington TX

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armyman2445

Did mine with the otor in the car. That only hard part I had has messing with the oil pan and front seal with the K member in the way. Just be very delicate with the stock oil pan. It's amazing how flimsy those stupid things are. I ended up with a pretty nasty oil leak from pushing and pulling too much.

If I did it all over again I'd go ahead and buy an aftermarket pan with the cam.

Sep 13, 2006 | 10:50 AM

#11

MetallicTrans96

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From: Loudonville, Ohio

Can you drop the motor with LT's still attached??

Sep 13, 2006 | 12:28 PM

#12

TAEnvy

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From: DFW

So an in motor swap isnt to bad if you dont have A/C

Sep 13, 2006 | 12:49 PM

#13

Razor_Blade

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From: Florida

I have no experience with LT-1 cars, but I have done many in car cam swaps on old school small blocks. The worst part for me was trying to get the timing cover and oil pan to seal back up. Do the LT-1s require loosening the oil pan to R & R the timing cover?

Sep 13, 2006 | 01:01 PM

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emerica4601

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From: king of prussia, pa (home) and williamsport, pa (school)

sounds like a nightmare

Sep 13, 2006 | 02:02 PM

#15

camar0corey

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From: Spring Hill, FL

yeah I thought about doing a cam swap when I replaced my head gaskets, but I didn't want to drain the condensor. We ended up breaking a a/c line anyway!

Shouldn't you replace the cam bearings when doing a swap or no?

Sep 13, 2006 | 05:42 PM

#16

fergymoto

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From: Rock Hill, SC

Cam bearings are usually very low wear parts in a motor. Sometimes the front bearing is worn on LT1s, but more times than not they all are fine in pretty much all small block Chevy motors.

Sep 13, 2006 | 07:35 PM

#17

Matts94Z28

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From: Charleston, S.C.

anyone know of a good write up to pull the motor from the bottom? Im doing a swap in december and im also doing the 95+ opti. i have dyno max headers which are a nightmare and i really want to seat the valves an air chuck rather than doing the TDC routine.