Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Test install the camshaft.
Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:
- Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
- Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
- Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
- Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
- Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators
If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check
- Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.
Points to note
- In most cases its best to have the camshaft bearings installed by the machine shop.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Check bearing alignment
If you have a cam bearing installation tool, you may choose to fit these bearings yourself, but in most cases it is better to have the cam bearings installed by the machine shop.
Make sure that all the oil holes in the bearings line up with the oil feed holes in the block. All you need is something like a paper clip to check that. If any of the bearings don't line up with the oil holes, you will need to pull them out and reposition them.
- Slide in the camshaft
If all of the bearings are correctly aligned, you can slide the camshaft in. Put some engine oil on the bearings and smear it evenly over the entire surface. Put some oil on the journals of the camshaft as well.
When you slide the camshaft in, take your time and be really careful. It is very difficult to get a camshaft all the way in without making a few light scratches, but be careful not to make any big gouges in the soft metal of the bearing. The key to inserting it smoothly is to constantly turn and adjust it as it slides in place. If you have the weight evenly balanced in your hands it should slide in quite easily.
When you get to the last set of lobes, reach inside the block and steady the rear as it slides in. You can also reach in the hole in the back where the cam plug was before.
- Spin the camshaft
Now, spin it by hand and make sure it rotates freely.
If it's stuck or feels like it's catching really badly, just keep spinning it a few times. You may need to install the upper timing gear to help you spin a sticky camshaft. Then carefully pull it out and look at the surfaces of all the bearings in the block.
- Scrape bearing high spots
If you see shiny areas or darker spots that look like metal was rubbing on metal, you'll have to scrape at those high points of the soft metal with a Bearing Scraper. After you scrape a little of it off, you'll have to reinstall the cam and check it for smooth rotation. When the cam fits and rotates well, leave it in place and put the block back in its stand.
Use a hoist to do this, or ask someone to help you. Don't lift the block on your own. When the camshaft is in, turn the block upside down.
