Cam install tips/tricks?

[mdivincentis]

Alright-

I have a cam, cam install tool kit, and head studs (good idea Merrick!) coming from piers. Do you guys have any tips, tricks or suggestions for me before I tackle this job?



I am also replacing my front case at the same time because of the KDP.



Also, any unusual tools I may need?







Thanks a ton!

Matt

 

[Evil Otto]

what tools are in the install kit?



ED

 

[mdivincentis]

Evil-

The tool kit comes with dowels, magnet, and the trough for R & R the lifters. That's it.





Thanks!

Matt

 

[RHARVEY]

This is one job that I may be doing on 2 trucks this fall... Take some pictures and make plenty of notes please. .



Rick

 

[Evil Otto]

well guys i have done it all ready and i hope you not afraid to rip into the eng. i did mine with the head on and it was not a 1,2,3, kind of job took some time and alot of tools. just to let you know this is what i do for a living. it was not a hard job but it is not one i would want to do for book time. it is not a money maker if you know what i mean. the first thing you need is a bore scope that made it a breeze dont know how it would of went with out it. because you can have some trouble dropping the cable and the dowels down the push rod hole. it can get crossed and you will not know it. and you will have a hard time trying to pull in the new liftes. it will also help you see the lifter when you pull it in they like to slide past the lifter bore and jam. when they go in they just fit. the book says that you can remove the chanel tool and let the lifter swing free and you just pull it up. that seemed like a great way to drop the lifter right into the crank case and a one way ticket to pull the eng to remove the lifter from the oil pan. you have to pull 2 at a time with some thin cable with screw eyes atached at both ends with small peices of dowl screwed onto the endsthat are pushed into the lifter. any other ? just pm me with your phone # and i will give you a call.



ED

 

[kentdiesel]

My advice is take your time and be patient. I made my own install kit so maybe this will help someone who makes theirs. I made the lifter plugs from short pieces of dowel rod. Taper them so they fit tight enough to hold the lifter during install but not so tight they break your string when you are ready to pop them out. Test your plugs for holding power and removel ease in a lifter. I started to use screw eyes but it made the lifter and plug longer so I drilled a hole thru the dowel and ran nylon string thru it and tied a triple knot. If you do it this way, drill a hole barely large enough to get the string thru.



I recommend installing the lifters in Cylinder # 6 first and working your way forward so you don't have to crawl over your lifter support strings.



I tied a medium size rubber band to each lifter support string and hooked the rubber band over the bolt that holds the dip stick tube at the air horn. The rubber band had just enough tension to keep the lifter up against the block and out of the Cam tunnel.



When you have your lifters hanging and remove the trough to install the Cam it feels like tight rope walking without a net.

It's a relief when you get the cam in and pop the last plug out.



If you want some pics PM me with your email address.



Hope this helps,

Kent

 

[DSiemens]

I've used Piers kit. Set #1 piston to TDC. You will have to remove the inj pump to change gear housing. Are you running stock or advanced timing as advancing timing when motor is opened up is an opportunity. Check that timing pin is at true TDC.

Sharpen the wooden dowels. Do a dry run to test for lifter pick-up/retention on one of the new lifters. There are plugs under the cowl which when removed will aid valve gear train removal. You can tell by feel when the dowel is secured in the lifter. Secure dowels in groups of two. With the lifters off the cam and secured, remove camshaft. Slid in lifter trough. One at a time, pull on a dowel to drop one lifter. Use supplied hook tool to upset lifter onto its side. Remove and repeat. Back cylinder # 6 is hardest to do.

Install. Thread supplied rubber plug/string down lifter bore. Trough is in, mouth up. Use hook to capture plug/string. Secure lifter to plug and pull string to bring lifter up into lifter bore. Lifter pulls easier if it is on its side. Once lifter is up in the bore, turn trough 180 deg. and pull on string to set lifter onto the trough. Use dowel pin to secure lifter and lift it. Repeat until all lifters are secured.

Make sure you remove the engine oil from the head bolt holes before installing studs. A medical type q-tip works well. Regular q-tip is too short.



Dan

 

[mdivincentis]

Kent & Dan-

Thank You! That is very helpful. Might be a dumb question, but why do I need to remove all the oil from head bolt holes before I install the studs?



As far as timing, I am at 17 now, is 20* too much after the head studs with N2O and H2O, and 42-45# boost?



Any tips on R & R the cam gear?









Thanks again!!

Matt

 

[MCummings]

Hey Matt,



To R&R the cam gear. Have a machine shop pull the gear off the old cam, and press it on the new cam. Don't do this yourself unless you can get the entire gear hot. (Using an Oven)

Do not use a torch to heat the center of the cam gear. It will eventually break. (That would be bad)



The Head Studs bottom out in the bottom of the block. Oil is not compressable, so any oil left in the bottom of the threaded holes wil keep the stud from properly bottoming out. (Essentially hydrolocking the stud before it reaches true bottom)



Will your head have O-Rings? If so, 20* should be fine. If not, nitrous, with water/meth might advance timing too much.



Nitrous + Water/Meth will advance your timing ~2-4*



I think you'll be fine running ~18* with nitrous and water/meth.



(Please get a second opinion on the timing issue as I'm only a newbie 12v'er. )



Merrick



EDIT:

The Cam can be a pain to remove becuase it's ~3' long, and all you can grab is the sharp toothed gear. Practice with the new cam holding it up level to see how much pressure it will really take to hold it level.

Good friend of mine took him 30 minutes to get the cam out once he got it all ready to pull.



The cam will slide about 2' out, and then all at once each cam journal will slide out of it's cam bore in the block. At that time the cam will drop down about 1/2". It's your job to hold the very back of the cam level with the very front of the cam. I found it very helpfull to give the cam 1/2 turns (left/right) to make the cam lobes help level the cam by guiding the journals into the cam bore/bearing.



Be very carefull with the front cam bearing, it's a soft copper and the cam is heavy. It is easily damaged when installing the cam. Each lobe and journal is a risk to the bearing.

Rest a little easier, the front cam bearing is the only cam bearing in the motor. All the other bores are just block material, and do not have bearings.



The new front seal can be a pain to put in the front cover. Take your time, and make sure it's straight.



I shoot the nose of the crank with some brake cleaner and wipe it down with a lint free rag, then slide the seal/cover over it, and put a couple bolts in the cover to keep the weight of the cover off of the seal.



The new front seal should come with it's own install tool. (Usually a biege piece inside of the seal) It's job is to expand the seal before it contacts the crank. This prevents damage to the seal.



There is no gasket for a 24V front cover. I don't remember if you have a 24V or 12V. To the best of my memory (My memory and me are not best friends), the 12v front cover does have a gasket, but the 24v does not. Just use "create-a-gasket" stuff. I got some red jelly looking stuff from Cummins. Worked good, but was so thick after 7-8" of applying it,, your hand can be worn out. LOL

 

[mdivincentis]

Merrick-

No O-rings



For the cam gear, I have access to a nice press but I think I would rather let an experienced person do that.



Thanks guys!

Matt

 

[MCummings]

One more thing. Don't tighten the cam retainer bolts too tight. If you are worried about 'em use locktite. (preferably, blue)



The Harmonic balancer needs either red loctite, or tightened a good deal above factory specs. In just 400 miles I lost one harmonic balancer bolt, and they were tightened ~5Lb's more that spec. I just crank 'em down now.



Merrick

 

[R.ebel]

Press the cam gear off of the old cam. Going togther put your cam in the freezer overnight and warm the gear to 275 in the oven for about an 1/2 hour... the will slip right together, no force required



Not a to bad a job to do just take your time. If you let a lifter get away from you it will end up in the oil pan and then you get to pull the engine

 

[kentdiesel]

Matt,

You can press the cam gear off in a mid size press, you've probably seen the presses with a 12 or 20 ton bottle jack that the average garage has. Just support the gear as close to the cam as possible.



As for installing the Gear on the new Cam I heated the gear in a toaster oven to 325 degrees for about 45 minutes and it dropped right on the cam which was room temp.

Got a funny look from my wife when she asked what I was cooking and I replied "Camshaft Gear".



Kent