Need Camchaft help
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Princeton Junction NJ
Need Camchaft help
Have a badly stuck lifter so I am in the process of pulling the cam so I can try to knock the offender down. I pulled everything apart, including the fule pump and rod and the cam slid out 3 lobes and then hangs on something. The lifter is stuck up high, and the bearing slides by ok. After I get the thing out the three lobes it seems to hit something metal and hang there. Any thoughts or ideas about how to finish getting it out or thoughts about what I might have missed would would be a great help.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
Have a badly stuck lifter so I am in the process of pulling the cam so I can try to knock the offender down. I pulled everything apart, including the fule pump and rod and the cam slid out 3 lobes and then hangs on something. The lifter is stuck up high, and the bearing slides by ok. After I get the thing out the three lobes it seems to hit something metal and hang there. Any thoughts or ideas about how to finish getting it out or thoughts about what I might have missed would would be a great help.
How are you pulling it out?
It sounds like once you cleared the first bearing that the shaft just dropped down and is now hitting the wall behind the next bearing.
They make a handle that you can bolt to the end of the camshaft to help lift it up.
It has to come out straight which takes a lot of pressure to keep the back end from dropping down.
I assume the engine is still in the car. If not, roll it over on the stand, take the oil pan off. You can access the shaft from underneath which will make it easier to slide it out.
Good luck.
BTW - that lifter sounds like it has mushroomed at the bottom. May have taken out the cam lobe in the process.
Keep us posted.
Bman (Dennis)
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Princeton Junction NJ
Dennis
Pulled all the other lifters, Have a bolt in the cam and am pulling straight forward. Good assumption, engin is still in car. I dropped oikl pan loose, am going to take off to see if I can see anything through the bottom. The shaft actually seems to make it to the next set of bearings as it sits straigth and spins easy. That is where it seems to get stuck.Have lifters,a new cam and timing gears and chain in the box waiting to go, not sure what has this hung up.
Thanks
John
Pulled all the other lifters, Have a bolt in the cam and am pulling straight forward. Good assumption, engin is still in car. I dropped oikl pan loose, am going to take off to see if I can see anything through the bottom. The shaft actually seems to make it to the next set of bearings as it sits straigth and spins easy. That is where it seems to get stuck.Have lifters,a new cam and timing gears and chain in the box waiting to go, not sure what has this hung up.
Thanks
John
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
Dennis
Pulled all the other lifters, Have a bolt in the cam and am pulling straight forward. Good assumption, engin is still in car. I dropped oikl pan loose, am going to take off to see if I can see anything through the bottom. The shaft actually seems to make it to the next set of bearings as it sits straigth and spins easy. That is where it seems to get stuck.Have lifters,a new cam and timing gears and chain in the box waiting to go, not sure what has this hung up.
Thanks
John
Pulled all the other lifters, Have a bolt in the cam and am pulling straight forward. Good assumption, engin is still in car. I dropped oikl pan loose, am going to take off to see if I can see anything through the bottom. The shaft actually seems to make it to the next set of bearings as it sits straigth and spins easy. That is where it seems to get stuck.Have lifters,a new cam and timing gears and chain in the box waiting to go, not sure what has this hung up.
Thanks
John
Try mounting the upper cam gear to the stuck cam.
Use that to pull the cam out as you can get more leverage lifting it up.
With 4 bearings to go through it is a little tricky keeping it straight so it can come out.
I'll be interested to hear how this ends up.
Good luck
Dennis
If this was a stroker I would be looking at rod and crank clearance with the cam lobes. That would just require turning the crank a little to let lobe past.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
As to the cam bearing stuck to the cam journal - that is a possibility. If it spun and came completely out of the cam bearing hole, it should knock off at the next bearing it hits
But that would not be good news even if you can get it off the cam and the cam out.
What will hold the replacement bearing back in place without some machining? Now you are talking about pulling the engine and taking it to a machine shop.
To see if that is the case you should be able to see the cam thru the lifter bore holes. Look to see if you can see the cam journals thru there.
I still think that the cam has dropped down once it cleared the first bearing and you need to get it back up and level all the way to get it to then clear the next bearing. Same for the next one.
See if someone has a flexible lighted bore scope you can use and feed it down thru the lifter bore hole.
If you can - take some pics & post them here. Lots of light thru the lifter bore holes and the oil drain back holes in the lifter valley.
Good luck
Dennis
But that would not be good news even if you can get it off the cam and the cam out.
What will hold the replacement bearing back in place without some machining? Now you are talking about pulling the engine and taking it to a machine shop.
To see if that is the case you should be able to see the cam thru the lifter bore holes. Look to see if you can see the cam journals thru there.
I still think that the cam has dropped down once it cleared the first bearing and you need to get it back up and level all the way to get it to then clear the next bearing. Same for the next one.
See if someone has a flexible lighted bore scope you can use and feed it down thru the lifter bore hole.
If you can - take some pics & post them here. Lots of light thru the lifter bore holes and the oil drain back holes in the lifter valley.
Good luck
Dennis
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Princeton Junction NJ
Quick update- I dropped the oil pan and as far as I could see all was in order so I tapped the shaft a few times with a rubber mallet and it slipped passed the bearing that was holding it. The shaft then slide out the set of the way no issues. I checked the bearings and housing and it looks like no damage. The cam is pretty chewed up and pitted but I was able to knock the stuck lifter down and get it out. I used the good old half a PVC pipe trick to catch it. Looks like all is back on track, a lot of cleanup to do and then start to re-assemble. Will let everyone know how it turns out. Thanks for all the advice.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,360
Likes: 3
From: NORTHEAST
Quick update- I dropped the oil pan and as far as I could see all was in order so I tapped the shaft a few times with a rubber mallet and it slipped passed the bearing that was holding it. The shaft then slide out the set of the way no issues. I checked the bearings and housing and it looks like no damage. The cam is pretty chewed up and pitted but I was able to knock the stuck lifter down and get it out. I used the good old half a PVC pipe trick to catch it. Looks like all is back on track, a lot of cleanup to do and then start to re-assemble. Will let everyone know how it turns out. Thanks for all the advice.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
You may want to borrow a bore gauge and check the cam bearing wear. That's a good place to start having pressure losses. If you need a standard installed size I can bore gauge a fresh build for you.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
Quick update- I dropped the oil pan and as far as I could see all was in order so I tapped the shaft a few times with a rubber mallet and it slipped passed the bearing that was holding it. The shaft then slide out the set of the way no issues. I checked the bearings and housing and it looks like no damage. The cam is pretty chewed up and pitted but I was able to knock the stuck lifter down and get it out. I used the good old half a PVC pipe trick to catch it. Looks like all is back on track, a lot of cleanup to do and then start to re-assemble. Will let everyone know how it turns out. Thanks for all the advice.
Keep us posted.
Pics of the cam and lifter would be good to see.
Good luck
Bman (Dennis)