erichg1000

Has anyone swapped their cam and managed to leave the AC condenser? What about the oil cooler and radiator shroud? I don't want to discharge my system I don't have a recovery unit.

Now, if it's not possible to swap cams with the condenser in place, and you drain the system - do you have to replace the line dryer? I heard if you open your AC system you would have to replace the dryer as well.

If you have to replace the dryer/drier (AC Accumulator?) - where is it located what is involved with replacing it? How to?

I have everything ready to pull out just trying to decide if to wrestle the radiator out without the condenser or not.

Michael_D

Sorry to pop your bubble, but I tried to yank the cam with the shroud and condenser in place. It ain't gunna happen unless you take a hole saw to it... You have to either drop the cradle, or pull the shroud and tie the condenser up and out of the way. I would recommend dropping the cradle over the other method.

Buddy A

I raised the condensor up and out of the way as well. Removed the shroud though. I went the remove rack method and did not like it one bit. Cam swap is pretty straight forward. Rack and power steering R&R were the 2 items that were a PITA. That was why I paid someone to swap my second cam.

erichg1000

I am dropping the cradle as we speak. have to anyway to install the pfadt headrs and engine mounts.

was hoping to avoid the mess of removing the oil cooler just to get the dang radiator shroud off. what a pain. I guess I'll try the air pressure method to remove as much oil as possible.

Thanks for the info. I plan on dropping the cradle down and prop the condenser up.

erichg1000

is it even possible to get the condenser off the radiator when the AC lines are still attached? The hard line on the bottom of the condenser (the non-flexible one) doesn't have any give to go around the should that is in the side of the radiator molding. wtf

C6Zhopeful393

I dropped the craddle to do my cam swap and still needed to swing the condenser up and out of the way but there is enough play for someone to hold the condenser while you slide the cam out and put the new one in. If you have a decent amount of automotive experience this should be a pretty straight forward job

Svre46

I’m in the process now as I type this. I yanked the shroud and pulled everything back. You should remove the oil cooler. It’s 4 bolts and two lines that come out with clips...or just disconnect the lines and leave it on the shroud. Be sure not to lose the little clips that hold the oil lines. Steering rack was not difficult. I removed both bolts holding it in from underneath the car. The PS pump came out nicely and I moved the alternator out of the way for a bit more room. The hardest part was carefully separating the condenser from the radiator and trying to keep everything undamaged or marked up in anyway (bolts, plastics, clips, ect). You want to try to not break any clips on the radiator holding the condenser. I had to get it in just the right spot and it came out. Very challenging to do and I spent an hour messing with it. I also took the radiator out with the fans assembled. Tonight I will pull the crank pulley out via impact and a puller. I hope to swap the cam out this evening and button up all the timing components.

erichg1000

Yeah I got the oil cooler off. I took the lines off the oil pan, undid the bracket holding the lines to give some play, and used a low volume of compressed air to empty the oil out of the lines/cooler. It was must less messy this way, just a paper shop towel under the lines next to the cooler collected any remaining oil.

In 30 minutes of trying last night I could not get the radiator off the condenser. I have the assembly of the radiator and condenser still attached and zip tied as far up as possible on the hood arms. I will try again tonight after work or maybe i'll be able to slip the cam out under both of them. Frustrating.

Michael_D

Getting the condenser off the radiator was a downright PITA. I recall prying, praying, head scratching, etc, etc... Then while I was about to get real abusive, the damn thing just "popped" off without any effort. I have no friggin idea why. I could not for the life of me get the two married together again either. I ended up trimming the bottom radiator tab a little bit. Pulling the freon and re-charging it would be a lot easier, but I really don't know how to go about doing that, or what would be involved. This is a miserable job, to say the least. I reckon it would get easier the more you do, but for the one time DIY'er, there are a lot of little things that you encounter that are just plain "why in the hell did GM do that" moments.

erikszr1

just finished mine today. i left the shroud and the oil cooler in. no need to remove those at all. condensor has to come out. remove fans first, then tilt radiator back towards engine n slip condensor out. patience here is a must. in that order, its the easiest way. leave cradle in, slip rack all the way to passenger side so its out of the way.

mistermog

I took the shroud and oil cooler out and moved the condenser out of the way slightly and left it completely connected. I just did mine too... its cam season!

Svre46

x2 Tis cam season. My cam is in. Should be able to wrap the install up tonight and then start her up end of this week after my ECU is back.

C6Zhopeful393

Just took mine out for the maiden voyage (hood excluded lol) all went smoothly cam season is the best season

truckplay

pull radiator, fans ....... hold the condenser up ( BE CAREFUL) and work around it. there is plenty of room.

erichg1000

trying.... i couldn't get the dang radiator to slip away from the condensor because of the hard metal line on the bottom of the passenger side. I have not given it another try yet though.

I might try to see if the cam can slip out underneath both of them (with someone holding both of them up as a unit)

Svre46

I just put the car back together last night. I will start her today when I get home. I ended up shaving that bottom plastic bracket you are talking about slightly because I could not get the damn condenser back on. I see why shops just drain the thing and fill it up. I also see why shops drop the cradle. Now the condenser will still will firmly stay in place but I can slide it back and up with light force when trying to remove it from the radiator. Damn thing drove me crazy. Worse than getting the rack back in.

If you try to remove the cam while leaving the whole radiator/condenser in let us know. Maybe you can get away with it by just taking the fans off/lifting the assembly up.

Mark2009

If you drop the cradle, can you get the cam out and in without fooling with the steering rack and radiator/condenser stuff at all?

I looked at a DIY on dropping the cradle, and that looked like no cakewalk either... dropping the A-arms, taking the front spring loose, have to support the engine with a cherry picker?

If I get into this job (cam swap), I do have the know how and tools to bleed out (and recharge) the refrigerant and remove the condenser and radiator as a unit, if that is easier than dropping the cradle and/or trying to figure out the Chinese puzzle of separating them and getting them out of the way w/out dropping the cradle.

Michael_D

I don't know for sure. I went straight out. I was wishing I had tried the cradle method half way through though. If you can evac the condenser, that will make the job slightly easier.

Turbosixx

No way I'd drop the cradle. That's way more work than moving the rack and the condenser.