3 Quick Cam Install Questions

[blackbombshell95]

This is for my Grand Prix in particular.

Is the Cam able to just slide out with out pulling the motor??? or what is the easiest way to take the cam out?



Isn't there 2 cam sensors? if so, replace both of them?



on another note, anything i should replace while taking the cam out? For instance the bearings should be fine. the engine is running great with 80k on it.

[imported_germ]

when taking your cam out your gonna have to replace the timing cover gasket for sure and the lower intake gaskets since you have to take the lower intake off in order to remove the rollers.

while your in there, you should replace the timing chain as well.

be sure the lube the fuck out of the cam before sliding it in.

and yes, you can swap out the cam with the engine in the car. to do so, lower the engine cradle on the passenger side by about 8-10", you will need to loosen the driver side bolts, but do not remove them! then you gotta take off the tire and brakes from pass side wheel well. then take off the crank pulley and remove all the other pulleys as well, then remove the timing cover, remove the timing chain and sproket from the cam, and slide that bitch out.

i did mine in one day a couple summers ago. not hard, just time consuming


and make sure you like up the dots correctly for the timing or your fucked.

[blackbombshell95]

yeah. thanks. i am already diffently doing a timing chain.

what kind of car do you have germ?



now sensors anyone?

[TheProfessor]

yes it does have a cam sensor i dont think it has 2 though
not sure why you would have to replace unless it didnt work or you just wanted to

[imported_germ]

you dont need to replace the sensors unless they dont work, like he just said.

there is 1 cam sensor and it sits right under the power steering pulley (on 3100, 3400's)

i have a 96 monte carlo, 3400 swap, w/ a turbo.

http://members.cardomain.com/germsws

[dbtk2]

If you want to save yourself the trouble of dropping the cradle, you can take the cam out without pulling the motor or dropping the cradle, if you don't mind drilling through your wheel well. I drilled a whole in my wheelwell with a holesaw and pulled the cam out like that. The only problem was I had to take the bolts out of the lower motor mount and jack up the engine about an inch and a half to get it to where I could drill a hole. Here are some pics:





Then once you pull the cam out and get the new one in, you can either put a rubber cap over the hole, or you can put a piece of aluminum or something over the hole and then spray inside the wheelwell with the rubberized undercoating that you can get in a spray can.

Shawn

[geoffinbc]

Hey thats actually quite a good idea.

As long as you rust proof the hole with spray liner liek you said. You can puy plastic caps at a lot of parts stores too. This would be needed to keep dirt off the engine.

[TheProfessor]

damn
i gotta give you props for that one dbtk2

[dbtk2]

It was not my idea, so as much as I would like to, I can't take credit for it. It is a member from the TGP forums that gave me the idea (which everyone on there thought was a stupid idea and said you should just pull the engine, but whatever), but I came up with the undercoating to seal the hole, since on my car, that is where the ECM sits. IIRC he suggested riveting on a piece of aluminum and leaving it at that. It saves a hell of a lot of time though, I can tell you that. The hardest part is drilling the hole and making it line up with the cam, unless of course you just drill a really big hole.

Shawn

[blackbombshell95]

THANKS SHAWN. its funny how my brother(a mechanic) said that he would cut a hole to slide it out.

Thats great that you took pics of the project!

[Juglenaut]

Now thats a great idea. I should have done that.