Tale of a cam swap
11-04-2007, 12:50 AM
#1
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Tale of a cam swap
the following was cut/pasted from my original post in LS1tech.com...
I have been collecting parts for a cam swap for a few weeks now, but finding time to do it has been a problem for the past two weeks.
(the cat is my secret ingrediant for a little more powa!
This weekend, I finally have no commitments, and was even alone at the house for most of Saturday. I started the cam swap at about 9:30 pm Friday night.
I rocked along, pulling the radiator/fans; rack & pinnion; coils & rocker covers... storing parts in the trunk for safe keeping.
Just when I thought I would see the cam out by midnight, I ended up tearing up my 3-prong puller. So that was it for the first 2½ hours. This morning, I picked up a rental puller, and the balancer came off without too much drama.
With the front cover off, I was able to set the lifters, and add wooden dowls (a little small, but what I had laying around) for extra protection from dropping a lifter.
Old cam slid right out, and finally time to install the new cam.
That's when this little story takes a screeching stop. Right after the third journal gets started, the cam quits moving. After pulling it back out, looking through the bore, test fitting with the old cam, trying the new one a third time, I finally realized that the exhaust lobe on #4 is hitting the bearing. When I put a straight edge on the bearing journals, that exhaust lobe made the straight edge rock. In other words - the lobe is off-center from the cam centerline. All of the lobes are close to the journal OD, but this one particular lobe is too far out of line to install the cam.
So all that is left is to clean engine covers and port the oil pump.
A couple before pictures:
and the obligatory after pictures:
I got the outlet port opened enough to fit my pinky through. Should allow a little more flow. I suppose I'll have plenty of time to port the throttle body while I wait on a new cam. I plan to call the cam manufacturer (let's leave them anonymous for now, depending on how they treat me - and no it isn't a Comp cam) Monday morning, and see how willing they are to do a swap - on the quick. So here is how it will sit until I get a replacement shaft...
(note the first Gen 406 off to the side that I just pulled out of my '69 Nova while it goes to the paint shop...)
to be continued...
I have been collecting parts for a cam swap for a few weeks now, but finding time to do it has been a problem for the past two weeks.
(the cat is my secret ingrediant for a little more powa!
This weekend, I finally have no commitments, and was even alone at the house for most of Saturday. I started the cam swap at about 9:30 pm Friday night.
I rocked along, pulling the radiator/fans; rack & pinnion; coils & rocker covers... storing parts in the trunk for safe keeping.
Just when I thought I would see the cam out by midnight, I ended up tearing up my 3-prong puller. So that was it for the first 2½ hours. This morning, I picked up a rental puller, and the balancer came off without too much drama.
With the front cover off, I was able to set the lifters, and add wooden dowls (a little small, but what I had laying around) for extra protection from dropping a lifter.
Old cam slid right out, and finally time to install the new cam.
That's when this little story takes a screeching stop. Right after the third journal gets started, the cam quits moving. After pulling it back out, looking through the bore, test fitting with the old cam, trying the new one a third time, I finally realized that the exhaust lobe on #4 is hitting the bearing. When I put a straight edge on the bearing journals, that exhaust lobe made the straight edge rock. In other words - the lobe is off-center from the cam centerline. All of the lobes are close to the journal OD, but this one particular lobe is too far out of line to install the cam.
So all that is left is to clean engine covers and port the oil pump.
A couple before pictures:
and the obligatory after pictures:
I got the outlet port opened enough to fit my pinky through. Should allow a little more flow. I suppose I'll have plenty of time to port the throttle body while I wait on a new cam. I plan to call the cam manufacturer (let's leave them anonymous for now, depending on how they treat me - and no it isn't a Comp cam) Monday morning, and see how willing they are to do a swap - on the quick. So here is how it will sit until I get a replacement shaft...
(note the first Gen 406 off to the side that I just pulled out of my '69 Nova while it goes to the paint shop...)
to be continued...
11-04-2007, 02:07 AM
#2
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 2005
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St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15
Thats a major error in cam manufacturing !! You're lucky you took it easy and didn't shove the cam brng out--you would have had a mess on your hands----Wish you would share who the manuf. is---regaurdless if they respond quickly or not--anyone with quality control that bad--I'd like to know about !!-( means they don't double check anything)
11-04-2007, 07:53 AM
#3
Team Owner
That would have been hard to spot on a visual inspection, good thing you didn't try to force it. The last cam I was involved with we found an error as well (no dowel pin) and ended up swapping the cam for another. The first was an off the shelf grind, the second was a custom grind. Did you put the stocker back in to keep the lifters up?
11-04-2007, 08:48 AM
#6
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
I didn't post the cam brand because I don't really know who actually ground it. The "brand name" is just added by a second party vendor. I don't want the smear their reputation with this isolated incident - unless they leave me hanging 
. Their are no markings on the cam, not even a casting number. So it may be difficult to prove who supplied the cam.
Yes, I did put the stock cam back in to keep the lifters up.
. Their are no markings on the cam, not even a casting number. So it may be difficult to prove who supplied the cam.Yes, I did put the stock cam back in to keep the lifters up.
11-04-2007, 12:19 PM
#7
Pro
That would have been hard to spot on a visual inspection, good thing you didn't try to force it. The last cam I was involved with we found an error as well (no dowel pin) and ended up swapping the cam for another. The first was an off the shelf grind, the second was a custom grind. Did you put the stocker back in to keep the lifters up?
I installed it with a Cloyes Hex-adjust timing set and degreed it in anyway.....I didn't have time to get a new one sent out. When I called Comp, they were like "just go and get a Dowel pin from a Machine shop and pound it in" 
11-04-2007, 01:00 PM
#8
Team Owner
I recently installed a Comp shelf grind in my wife's '00 and it was also missing the dowel pin I installed it with a Cloyes Hex-adjust timing set and degreed it in anyway.....I didn't have time to get a new one sent out. When I called Comp, they were like "just go and get a Dowel pin from a Machine shop and pound it in"
I installed it with a Cloyes Hex-adjust timing set and degreed it in anyway.....I didn't have time to get a new one sent out. When I called Comp, they were like "just go and get a Dowel pin from a Machine shop and pound it in"
11-04-2007, 01:02 PM
#9
Team Owner
I didn't post the cam brand because I don't really know who actually ground it. The "brand name" is just added by a second party vendor. I don't want the smear their reputation with this isolated incident - unless they leave me hanging . Their are no markings on the cam, not even a casting number. So it may be difficult to prove who supplied the cam.
Yes, I did put the stock cam back in to keep the lifters up.
. Their are no markings on the cam, not even a casting number. So it may be difficult to prove who supplied the cam.Yes, I did put the stock cam back in to keep the lifters up.
11-04-2007, 01:15 PM
#10
Melting Slicks
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Holy crap that pic makes it look like that lobe was way oversized and no profile
Having been involved with manufacturing in my former life I must say, What QUALITY CONTROL?
Having been involved with manufacturing in my former life I must say, What QUALITY CONTROL?
11-09-2007, 07:32 PM
#11
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Ok, finally have an update. I decided to drive down to Patriot Performance to swap out the cam, since they are less than 2 hours away. A co-worker offered to fly me down there for the $30 it would have cost me to drive, so we hopped in the Cessna 174 and made it in 25 minutes. Marty at Patriot was very cool about the cam replacement. I had explained about purchasing it from a forum member, but he had no problem replacing the cam for me. I got a couple free tee shirts for my trouble too. I slipped the new cam in as soon as I got home, but the remainder of assembly will have to wait until I get home from a quick trip to visit Granny. 
11-09-2007, 08:12 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
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Ok, finally have an update. I decided to drive down to Patriot Performance to swap out the cam, since they are less than 2 hours away. A co-worker offered to fly me down there for the $30 it would have cost me to drive, so we hopped in the Cessna 174 and made it in 25 minutes. Marty at Patriot was very cool about the cam replacement. I had explained about purchasing it from a forum member, but he had no problem replacing the cam for me. I got a couple free tee shirts for my trouble too. I slipped the new cam in as soon as I got home, but the remainder of assembly will have to wait until I get home from a quick trip to visit Granny.
11-09-2007, 08:39 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
11-09-2007, 10:29 PM
#14
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
VERY COOL
11-10-2007, 10:00 AM
#17
Tech Contributor
I have to be honest, of all the cams I've changed over the years, I've never given one a super close inspection to find that type of problem. I will now. Let us know when you get her fired up.
11-10-2007, 01:03 PM
#19
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when i ordered my cam from comp, they somehow misplaced the order. after a week i called them, they apologized and then upgraded the shipping to a 3 day guarantee, and i had my cam in three days. not too bad i guess.
11-10-2007, 01:04 PM
#20
Racer
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Outstanding photo essay, thanks for taking the time to document and post. Unbelievable gaffe in that cam, though, really hard to imagine how stuff like that makes it out the door.
Looking forward to the sequel (and hope all is well with granny).
Looking forward to the sequel (and hope all is well with granny).