how difficult is cam installation

[rommaster2]

Ok well somewhere down the road I plan on doing a head swap with a log head that me and my friend will be machining at school onto my 200ci.

While i'm doing the head swap I figure if its not too much work I could also knock the cam out and install an aftermarket one. However the engine will be inside the car, I figure I could remove the radiator and this would give me room forward to slide it out but I've never done a cam swap. So my question is how difficult is it to do with the engine in the car?

Note: I'm not completely ruling out pulling it out, its just those two bellhousing bolts on the top are a real pain .

 

[Falcon Ranch]

If you can do a head swap, then changing out the cam is easier.

But then you ask yourself, well, the timing chain is right there, right!...and as long as I have the front end apart, I might as well change the water pump too.

It's just a matter of how far you want to go without pulling the block out...one rule of thumb is when you increase the top end of a tired engine, the bottom end will weaken that much sooner...you really want all parts to were equally as chamber pressures will put an increased load on older parts on the bottom end...but then again if your existing engine has been well maintained, it may not make any difference.

Good luck!

 

[rommaster2]

its got about 20,000 miles on the whole motor, i just was an impatient kid with a low paying job who just wanted his classic car to run when i rebuilt it before.

Also of course if i do a cam swap i'm gettin the double roller chain from mike here as well as the cam and lifters .

I don't follow how a cam is easier, these pushrod motors are fairly simple for a headswap, now my overhead cam pontiac was a royal PITA because of having to disconnect literally everything.

 

[Vin Man]

Ok well somewhere down the road I plan on doing a head swap with a log head that me and my friend will be machining at school onto my 200ci.

While i'm doing the head swap I figure if its not too much work I could also knock the cam out and install an aftermarket one. However the engine will be inside the car, I figure I could remove the radiator and this would give me room forward to slide it out but I've never done a cam swap. So my question is how difficult is it to do with the engine in the car?

Note: I'm not completely ruling out pulling it out, its just those two bellhousing bolts on the top are a real pain .

Those 2 tranny bolts really are not that bad. It's worth the effort to pull the motor. You've got it out, can change out freeze plugs at same time.

Motor pull goes very quickly. Where are you located? I'd be happy to help if you're not too far from Phoenix!

 

[rommaster2]

a bit far off in sacramento , thank you for the offer though.

When the time comes i probably will just pull the motor anyways so i can clean up some of my wiring job as well , but it won't be for at least a few months.

Though i am used to getting stuff done by myself anyways, I wrestled in the T5 underneath by myself last week. Just gotta get my motor hoist back from a friend.

 

[CobraSix]

You can always pull the tranny out with the engine.

Hardest part with the inline in terms of the cam installation in a car is trying to keep it level while pushing it through and guiding it through the cam journals without damaging anything. it's a lot easier to do with the engine upside down on a stand.

You'll have to remove the radiator as well so you have room, and possibly the front valance (I can't remember the angle).

Yeah, isn't wrestling a T5 into the car solo fun?

First T5 I did was out of the car. 2nd one was under the car. Hardest part for me was because I had my dual exhaust pipes tucked under the tailshaft of the T5 so I could keep them tucked into the driveshaft tunnel and not stick out. So they were routed on top of the convertible driveshaft tunnel plate (between the two seat pans). It made for an extremely tight fit trying to cram that in there. I had to install the bellhousing on the transmission because there wasn't enough room for me to get the input shaft into the bellhousing otherwise. I became very skilled at using jacks with my feet as a result.

 

[JackFish]

I tried to do mine with the engine in the car.
I screwed up by damaging the front bearing.
If you do this you can count on pulling the engine:
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... t=cam+swap
I'm just sayin'...if you decide to do it, be careful!

 

[645blitz]

I totally am down with the instant gratification of installing a new cam, but arguably if you're still dealing with a one barrel than it is a silly upgrade....it will wear everything out especially your wallet...I did an overhall once and nothing was really that worn, so I gave the car new main and rod bearings, cleaned up my pistons and valves with a bench wire brush, new piston rings and had the head put back together without decking it 'cause the block was already .50 over, than I put in the new cam with new bearings. I realize that popping in a cam in an afternoon would be great but you really should check all the internal stuff out and clean up those pistons....you going to spend around 200$ for the cam (more if you doing new lifters etc.) I overhalled my motor for under 500$ but I ended up knowing everything about it as far as how worn stuff was....as long as you know how worn everything is than I say go for it...oh and pulling the motor with the tranny is much better with friends and beer....I guess with 20,000 miles on the motor you could probably do whatever you want....

 

[CobraSix]

I disagree.

I did a cam install and ran on a 1V carb for about 6 months while I finished working on the Offy set up. Combined with the T5, the cam really woke the engine up. I was actually really happy with the set up. Sure, radical cams won't see full potential with a 1V but a 260-264 cam will benefit the engine by increasing the valve lift. I'm of the school of thought that the carb isn't the limiting factor on the log head...it's the log head...so anything to help get more air and fuel into the cylinder helps.

 

[rommaster2]

well problem there is solved, the modded head i will be installing will be ported, bigger valves, and a direct mount two barrel and I am already using a two barrel with an adaptor as well as a duraspark 2 with MSD ignition.

If I wasn't going to turbo it I would be running a header but thats a bit counterproductive and I will probably be running the turbo prior to the new head anyways .

yeah I figure that keeping it level might be a pain, Oh well we shall see how fast it is with the unmodded head and the turbo through a T5 and from there decide if the cam is needed or not, though god knows i'll probably always wonder what if if i don't do the cam as well just how these things end up working.

 

[CobraSix]

I'd do the cam upgrade. Otherwise it'll hinder some of the gains from the Turbo.

Even if you pull the engine, you can do it all in a weekend if you are worried about down time.

Slade

 

[Falcon Ranch]

CobraSix is 100% correct!...new cam with the turbo upgrade...my 200 really hit the roof with a 260H grind from Comp Cams...stock cam and 1bbl weezed out @ 3500rpm...new cam and same carb good for 5Krpm...my 2bbl Holley good for 6Krpm!