Long day with the cam!

Need help with my cam removal. Spent literally all day today trying to get the cam out of the 250 shortblock in my granada. Its not on a stand. I have a bolt and pipe on the cam to make it easy to move around. Lifters are all out - counted them ten times!.. Fuel pump is out, distributor is out. The cam will only come out to the third lobe and that's it.....period. I tried too balance it through the fuel pump hole. Its just not going to come. Is it possible that the dip stick tube hangs it up? I am at wits end guys! Ive done this many times with V8s. What the heck am I missing??????

Is it snagging on a connecting rod? I had a hard timing getting mine out with the crank and connecting rods in. Maybe try to turn it and see if that's what it is hanging up on.

Do you have the pan off so you can see inside? If not Try turning the crankshaft a little the cam lobe might be hanging up on a Rod bolt. Good luck

You guys saved the day!!!! Turned the crank and it was out in ten seconds! What a lesson that was. Can not thank you enough!!

excellent glad you got it!

Glad you got it man!

Bubba you were thinking the same thing I was lol

Yep except you can type faster Lol!

Well you both did me right! Boy am I glad to be in this forum. I hate ending the day a beaten man and now I can sleep tonight!! My car is not much, just a
granada. But I look forward to working on it all week. Later friends..

you better inspect the cam bearings and cam lobes real good before reinstall of camshaft to make sure you didn't knick anything.

All the guys above are great help.


People don't realise that only the shorted deck 200 and tall deck 250 are interferenace engines. The short stroke 144, 170, 188 are not.


Just as little as 4 degrees of timing shift can create cam to conrod contact, which is why these engines can potentially suffer spectuacular dissarrangments when over reved or there is a conrod small end gudgeon pin freeze, or a piston skirt failure. Cam to conrod clearance is very close.


Fresh parts of the right Ford specification will ensure you won't have any issues.

Ya, its not the best of circumstances for inspecting the bearings with the block still in the car. The front bearing has a couple light scratches but feels pretty smooth. I was careful but you never know what was going on back deeper in the block! I've seen some fairly rough cam bearings and never had one fail but I really shouldn't say that - not looking for trouble!! It really goes against my grain doing a build without completely tearing the motor down but I got talked into it so we'll see how it goes, right? I didn't realize there is such close tolerance in the reciprocating components. Very, very good information for the future. The cam I am using is a commonly used piece for this motor but I will keep an eye on it just the same. Thank you gentlemen!!

Yeah man. When I tore mine apart I saw how close the crank is to the cam and it was a surprise to me lol!
I hope the rebuild goes well man! if you have any other issues we will be more than glad to help!

Often in the past on a very low budget rebuild (cleaning, replace rings, valve job, gaskets, etc.) I have reused the original cam bearings if they were still in good condistion. The camshaft only turns at 1/2 the RPM of your crankshaft and rods there fore they don't wear as much. So in my OPINION, it's not as critical and as long as the clearance is within the factory spec it will work fine. Minor scratches shouldn't be a problem but you should use all care possible and take your time when installing or removing a cam to prevent damage.. That said if there is excessive wear or major damage to the cam bearings they should then be replaced or you might have much lower engine oil pressure. Good luck

I just remembered that I got an older timing set per the Falcon Six Handbook because Ford took valve timing out of the later versions. I have a pretty mild cam, that 264\264, and it goes in straight up with 4 degrees built in. Now I am hoping the additional advance doesn't cause clearance issues! One way to find out!! Two more questions for my expert friends: What's the trick to getting that dowel pin holding the shim out of the stock cam for reuse, and, anybody got a line on the original steel head gasket for this 250? I had .060 taken off and want to get the full benefit! I have the original used gasket laying there on the bench saying "Come on you chicken - use me!" Later guys.

Just an FYI, the Clay Smith cams are supposedly ground straight up. Obviously best to check it with a wheel, but the CI website recommended installing them with 3-4* advance.

"... I have the original used gasket laying there…"
Some here (not on CI) are saying they're "good to go", if they still are (in good shape, weren't leaking B4, etc).
Also spray with the "copper gasket spray". Now I know bout the coper gasket-in-a-tube, but "spray" is new to me. Not sure if the 1 or 2 posters were saying 'spray both sides' or not.
It was a recient entry so perhaps they R still around to comment...

I would definitely like to hear more about actual experience reinstalling the used head gasket. Just as there is residue built up on the head and block after removal, I am sure that some mild scotch brite to clean up the gasket before reinstalling is prudent. I too am unfamiliar with the spray. Just seems to me that if all is clean it ought to seal. Still, got to weigh the risk too! Anyone got a line on new old stock gaskets?

78 granada":384zya3b said:

I would definitely like to hear more about actual experience reinstalling the used head gasket. Just as there is residue built up on the head and block after removal, I am sure that some mild scotch brite to clean up the gasket before reinstalling is prudent. I too am unfamiliar with the spray. Just seems to me that if all is clean it ought to seal. Still, got to weigh the risk too! Anyone got a line on new old stock gaskets?

Click to expand...

New stock steel shim head gaskets for a 250 are about impossible to find there may be some still out there at some very old parts house or an antique Ford parts supply. If you have the time to hunt i haven't seen any new ones in many years, you never know though you might get lucky.

Cleanup the head and block surfaces real good. You can Clean up the head gasket with some lacquer thinner, the spray Copper Coat is real easy to use just follow its directions on the can. Basically you hang the gasket from a wire or coat hanger put the can in a warm enough location so it's room temp, then shake the can up to mix it good, spray each side of the gasket and wait until is tacky, then install. See link below for what it looks like, I have been using it many years. Good luck edited

https://www.zoro.com/kw-gasket-compound ... lsrc=aw.ds

Then there are these .020 copper spacer shims (these are made for the 240 / 300 Ford big six I don't know but maybe FelPro also makes them for the 200 / 250's too). Its to help with parts that have been machined beyond spec they aren't embossed around the openings. I have not used them so don't know if it would work as just a head gasket. Chad if you still have access to any FelPro or other gasket company parts catalogs maybe you could try looking them up.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-8 ... aQodt-oIfA

none made today for the 200 or 250 -
(unless U R a rich man, i.e. custom produced).

Some for the 144 & 170 R sold on-line as 'fits all falcon motors' but
our trusted allies report: "Bunk!" (bore sz, etc - wouldn't possibly fit).

Also viewing those removed OEM shows embossed areas needed in the final gasket,
something I can't do on my "vehicle owner' equipment. (Wondering if this area doesn't suffer frm 'compression fatigue')?

"...seems to me that if all is clean it ought to seal…"
I thought it might suffer like the modern composites - fatigue from compression, but the steel is just steel (I've heard) so I guess not. Seems the heat of a running engine isn't a problem either, rust?

I know a guy running at the track uses a copper gasket. But he tears down, problems or not, 4 times an 8 mo. season.

EDIT:
thanks bubba!
reminds me of a simple "never seze" type product...

Looking at the original gasket I pulled, I just can't bring myself to use it. The cylinder holes seem to have squeezed out of round. Hey you guys, I tried to get a cam pin ('78 250) from NAPA and no go. Where can I get one? The one in the old cam WILL NOT come out. See Ya!!