Looking at my Haynes Manual, it says to pull the camshaft I should
remove the gear. I am replacing my valve shims and hushers and want to
know if I have to disassemble all of this, or can the timing belt be
removed and the cam just unbolted and removed as a unit?
I have all new front seals and tensioner (less than 500 miles), and
just need the cam out of the way to do the valves.
Having never pulled a camshaft, is this even possible?
Thanks.
Jamie
IF this is an F motor:
Remove the top section of the timing belt cover.
Turn the the motor to the alignment marks. TDC #1 firing.
Using a counterhold of some type, or simply a small impact gun remove
the cam pulley bolt.
Slacken the nut on the belt tensioner. Using a prybar against the
jackshaft pulley collapse the tensioner spring and retighten the lock
nut.
Slip the belt forward away from the pulley.
Remove the pulley. Note the position and condition of the roll pin that
locates the pulley on the cam shaft.
Note the direction of the cam shaft caps and if they aren't numbered
number them so they can be reinstalled in the proper orientation without
any
fuss on reassembly. If a cap is installed backwards it won't complain
until you go to the final torque and then split clean across the top
center. You don't want that. Caps aren't available separately so you'll
have to find a junk head, get another cap, dismantle the head, find
someone with the tooling and alignbore the camshaft tray with the "new"
cap onstalled.
Slacken the nuts on the cam caps evenly a few turns at a time. Use sort
of a criss-cross head bolt pattern. The idea is to keep the shaft as
parallel as possible to the head since there is a lcating or thrust ring
on the shaft that limits the front-rear travel of the shaft in the head
and if the shaft cocks to much you can crack the locating lands. As you
remove the tension on the nuts the spring pressesur from the open valve
will push the caps off their dowel sleeves and studs. If a cap is
sticking just tap it with a small hammer and it will pop loose.
Remove the shaft and set it aside.
For now, wipe off the shims and mark them 1-8 from from to back. Remove
the tappets and shims together and set them aside in order. As a general
rule a tappet should always live in the bore it was born in. The same
goes for valve springs, valve spring seats and retainers. It helps to
mark a piece of cardboard with the numbers 1-8 and set all the
components on it.
Scrape the remnants of the old dampeners off the underside of each
tappet. Fish the broken bits off the valve stem and from around the
spring. Use a dab of STP or clean wheel bearing grease to hold the new
dampeners in position on the valve stem. Top hat down, brim up.
Brush some lube in the tappet bores and install them in order.
[Since you already know what shims you're going to use with which
tappets change them now. Brush some lube in the tappet shim recess
install shim, brush some lube on the shim, install in head.]
Brush some lube on the cam bearing surfaces and set the cam in place
with the roll pine pointed roughly in the same direction it pointed when
you pulled it out a few minutes ago.
Brush some lube on the bearing surface of the cam caps and set them on
the cam in proper order. Set the wave washers and nuts on as many of the
studs as you can and staart them finger tight.
Look at the cam shaft. You will see that two cam lobes are holding the
cam "up." you want to tighten the nuts on the caps either side of these
lobes slowly and consistently until the cam is fully seated in the cam
tray portion if the head.
NB: Since this is an F motor and the valves will not touch the pistons
you can turn the cam through 360* and not worry about collision. If the
head has been planed or milled in excess of 0.030" or had E or K motor
raised top pistons installed this is not true and the valves will hit.
Anyway you can turn the cam by hand (install the pulley and use a
wrench, turn in the normal direction of rotation) and check the
clearances. You will notice that the correct clearnce will feel very
tight compared to the way it felt before the dampeners were installed,
so check the clearnces where the shim hasn't been changed first to get
an idea of what you feeling for.
When you're satified with the clearances, test all the cam caps nuts for
tight. Turn the cam to TDC #1 firing, check the crankshaft alignment
mark. Set the belt back on and release the tensioner nut and retighten.
Turn the motor through two turns by hand and recheck the timing marks.
If they're correct button it up. If not adjust the belt one tooth one
way or the other follwing the steps above. Retest. Button it up.
No muss, no fuss. Actual time working steadily: 1.5-2.0 hrs. Flat rate
time: 2.9-4.1 hours.
Tips. If you do the dist seals and such, set the distributor in place
before you tighten down the rear cam cap. That way you can see what
you're doing and you only have to turn in the two hold down screws after
you set the cam cove back on.
When installing a new cam cover gasket add a dab of sealer in the
"corners" where the gasket rises over the front and rear cam caps, both
top and bottom. Replace the oil cap seal at the same time, It's about a
buck and will keep the top of the cover clean and dry for another 30K
miles. Don't forget the two braided ground straps on the rear two cam
cover bolts. Run the motor for fifteen minutes, let cool, tweak the four
front and rear nuts on the valve cover.
Bob
