Cam install how too?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,562
Likes: 5
From: South East coast Florida
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 831
Likes: 2
From: Silver Spring, MD
That site provides a good step by step, however, you will find the install much more straight forward by removing the heads. I just completed mine and simply did not have adequate clearance to remove the cam. Of course you will run into the additional cost of gaskets.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Heads don't have to come off. I did mine alone, not even help with the A/C condenser. I took the LS1howto instructions and modified them for my own use since I wasn't doing heads and I was doing a Crane valve train.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,320
Likes: 4
From: Kyle TX (Because Mojo Made me fill it in)
The only thing I found to make my life easier was removing the hood. That allowed me easier access to the front of the car without having to reach from the sides.
Just ignore the head removal and install directions on LS1tech and you'll be fine. Just remember to be careful and keep the lifters up or you will be buying head gaskets :P
Just ignore the head removal and install directions on LS1tech and you'll be fine. Just remember to be careful and keep the lifters up or you will be buying head gaskets :P
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 16,135
Likes: 5
From: Newberry FL
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by VetteNoob
The only thing I found to make my life easier was removing the hood. That allowed me easier access to the front of the car without having to reach from the sides.
Just ignore the head removal and install directions on LS1tech and you'll be fine. Just remember to be careful and keep the lifters up or you will be buying head gaskets :P
Just ignore the head removal and install directions on LS1tech and you'll be fine. Just remember to be careful and keep the lifters up or you will be buying head gaskets :P
Just did a swap on a ZO6 a week ago and didn't even remove the intake, much less the heads.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 837
Likes: 2
From: Derry NH
Originally Posted by VetteNoob
Just remember to be careful and keep the lifters up or you will be buying head gaskets :P
Someone here knows the diameter of wooden dowel that will work to hold the lifters, but I would double up with some pen magnets as well. I would think that combo would hold the lifters indefinitely. Heck, half of my lifters were held in the plastic trays alone when I removed them...
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Remove valve covers and loosen (but no need to remove, rockers.
You need to remove the fan (easier from below) and the Rad, but not the A/C Condensor. All the obvious rest of the junk has to come out (Rack, Balancer, etc.)
While rotating the cam in place by hand (screw a waterpump bolt in for a handle), slide a 5/16" wooden dowel into the holes just above the cam on both sides. You will have to give it a little push here and there but it will go. This will hold the lifters up with no worries.
Then pull the cam out (remove the waterpump bolt once you get your hand around it) and rotate it while gently pulling it out. It will go right up to the A/C condenser. Angle it down at this point and she'll pop right out.
Reverse and blast-off. Don't forget to tight the @#$% out of the Harmonic Balancer bolt and use a new one.
ps: Don't go to much on the lift if you are using stock springs. I don't know the limit but I don't install a cam over .588 lift without changing the springs. Maybe not needed, but I prefer to. Springs can also be done without removing the heads.
You need to remove the fan (easier from below) and the Rad, but not the A/C Condensor. All the obvious rest of the junk has to come out (Rack, Balancer, etc.)
While rotating the cam in place by hand (screw a waterpump bolt in for a handle), slide a 5/16" wooden dowel into the holes just above the cam on both sides. You will have to give it a little push here and there but it will go. This will hold the lifters up with no worries.
Then pull the cam out (remove the waterpump bolt once you get your hand around it) and rotate it while gently pulling it out. It will go right up to the A/C condenser. Angle it down at this point and she'll pop right out.
Reverse and blast-off. Don't forget to tight the @#$% out of the Harmonic Balancer bolt and use a new one.
ps: Don't go to much on the lift if you are using stock springs. I don't know the limit but I don't install a cam over .588 lift without changing the springs. Maybe not needed, but I prefer to. Springs can also be done without removing the heads.
Last edited by 78Vette-SA; May 3, 2006 at 06:59 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 1
From: Reynoldsburg oh
I just used pen magnets down the pushrod holes to hold the lifters up. If you never did this I would recomend having someone there that has. If you drop a lifter into the oil pan you will have a whole new world of issues to deal with.