Removing the cam on a Model A

M

matchlessman

Junior Member
I need to get the cam out my '30 couple. I've done all the preliminary work up to and including taking the keepers off the followers. The head is still on the car so....how do I get the valve springs out of the car. Is there some trick to hold the valves up out of the way while removing the springs? Keep in mind the head is still on the engine. Andrews says nothing more than "remove the valve springs" Presumably he means the job can be done with the head on.



Ken
Eastern Ontario
 
Don't see how that would work.
I have the head off an engine with a bad timing gear. How would you reinstall the valve keepers?
 
Put about 60 lbs of air in the cylinders so the valves stay closed you might be able to do it
Done that a time or two on sbc to change valve springs


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Air pressure holds the valves closed so u can install the spring and keepers one cly at a time or remove


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If you have the manifolds off, you should be able to:
  1. Compress the spring with a compressor tool
  2. Push the valve stem up as far as you can
  3. Place a finger into the port and hold the valve stem in that spot
  4. Release the spring and wiggle it out of position

Haven't tried this myself, but that's how I've heard it described. If you don't have a locking valve spring compressor you'll need 3-4 hands to do it.
 
Just reread your question
You might be able to go thru the plug hole and with the right bent up screw driver hold the valve up


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The problem I'm seeing is what's going to hold the lifter in place when the cam is removed
Lifters will drop into the oil pan


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Remove the valve keepers and retainers so the valve spring is loose. Then with fingers, long nose plirers or whatever lift the followers(lifters) up as far as they will go. The should still be clearance between the top of the valve and the top of the combustion chamber. Check by seeing of the valves will raise any higher after you get the lifters as high as you can. All you need is the for bottom of the lifter to be a few thousands higher than the cam lobe at its max height. There should be plenty of room. If you have adjustable lifters, turn the adjusting screw all the way down to give more clearance between the lifter and the valve stem, which will allow you to move the lifter higher. Secure lifters in place with, variously, a snapper type clothes pin, strong bobby pins, or anything you can think of that will slip between the spring coils and keep lifters at max height. I have used bobby pins slipped under the lifter adjusting nut. Slide the cam forward. No need to remove the springs or head. Be careful. If the lifter falls with the cam out, you will have to remove the pan to get it back in.
 
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Bob C said:
I think if I was installing a new cam I'd want new tappets also.
Click to expand...

I was just going to say the same thing. A lifter breaks in together with its cam lobe. Putting a worn/used lifter on a new cam means the mating surfaces no longer match.
Besides, all the fiddling necessary to remove the springs, keepers, etc. without pulling the head is a waste of time. It's far quicker to pull the head.
 
If you turn the car upside down the valves will drop away so that you can remove the springs and the lifters will drop away from the camshaft. If you don't want to do that you can take the engine out and turn it upside down. 2 hours out and 2 hours back in.

Otherwise take the pan off and allow the lifters to drop out after removing the camshaft using closepins on the lifters. I will go with the camp that says you need new lifters too.

Sometimes the effort to take the engine out, remove the head, remove the pan, etc. will save effort and time in the long run.
 
I recently changed the cam shaft in one of my cars. I didn't bother $%ing around trying not to take the had off. The cam won't come out unless EVERY cam follower is held up and out of the way of every lobe. I can't imagine how you would be able to compress the spring and install the keepers with the head on either without so much frustration that you'd wish you had.
Once the valves were out, I held the followers out of the way by passing a cotton thread through the valve guide and putting a loop around it, then tying it off to a head stud. You'll soon learn how to tie the loop so it can be easily undone when the new cam is in.
 
maybe taking off the intake manifold so you can hold up the valves through the ports. maybe with popsicle sticks or something. the springs may not have to come off just the keepers.
the next thing is holding up the lifters somehow. maybe make some wire clips somehow?
but
with a different cam how are you going to adjust the valve unless you have adustible lifters? (maybe i missed that in the thread)
ou
 
i just read les andrews chapter on this.
he does say to remove the valve springs but i don't think it can be done. i think it was a miss print i think he means after all the keepers. have been removed.

then he says to use clothes pins to hold up the lifters
 
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i think i would find hose that fits snug on the lifter, lift the valve slide a short section of the snug hose onto the lifters roll the cam over to push all the valves to the top while doing that keep sliding the hose lower so that holds the lifters up.
ive never done that but i was just brain storming.
 
matchlessman said:
I need to get the cam out my '30 couple. I've done all the preliminary work up to and including taking the keepers off the followers. The head is still on the car so....how do I get the valve springs out of the car. Is there some trick to hold the valves up out of the way while removing the springs? Keep in mind the head is still on the engine. Andrews says nothing more than "remove the valve springs" Presumably he means the job can be done with the head on.



Ken
Eastern Ontario
Click to expand...

There is only one person that can help you with that. It is Barbara Eden.
 
To hold the lifter up, you can use the old fashioned wooden clothes pins on the lifters or you can slip an o ring over the lifter. I have used both methods.

John
 
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