What is keeping the cam from coming out?

1939mars

1939mars

Senior Member
I am doing a valve job with the engine in the car. I have been following a mishmash of the Les Andrews procedures because there is not one specifically for that. I'm to the point of pulling the cam out of the block. Timing gear is off and all lifters are held up with clothespins. I have triple checked that they are at full travel up. But, the cam comes out about 2 inches and hangs up with a pretty solid sounding metallic clink. Any thoughts on what it could be hanging up on?

Thanks,
Scott
 
Besides ensuring that the oil pump drive assembly has been removed - as daveymc29 suggests - the camshaft needs to be kept as level as possible when it is pulled out or else the center and rear bearings will hit the center and front cam bores from behind and stop its removal. That's probably the metallic clink you are hearing. Be careful when withdrawing the camshaft so that you don't nick any of its journals against those large bores in the block. It will come out with some finagaling.
Note to others removing camshafts: if the crankshaft pulley is still in place, the timing gear must be removed to clear the pulley. That can be problematic if the camshaft gear's nut is stubborn, as most are. Sometimes it's easier to first remove the crankshaft pulley and then withdraw the camshaft with the timing gear still attached. Then the cam can be placed between two blocks of wood in a vise and the gear's nut removed with a little "finesse".
Marshall
 
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Besides a little finesse, some heat helps too. And a blow with a chisel and large hammer. The nut will get ruined but it is best to replace it with the one that a socket wrench will fit anyway. Some soft aluminum can be used to grip the cam in the vise too.

Besides keeping the camshaft level, use a mirror and strong light or get under the car to see if you can see what is hanging it up. If the oil pump gear is not removed I don't think the cam will move more than half an inch or so.
 
The bearings & lobes are hitting the bearing holes in the block. You have to jiggle the cam to clear every lobe & bearing. Putting the timing gear back on will give you a handle & bit of leverage to lift the back end of the cam to clear the holes.
 
Oil pump was out and now that its daylight I can see clearly that the gear on the cam is passing all the way out of the oil pump/dist bore. It has not gone so far that it wants to drop down and get crooked though. I rechecked the lifters. Not yet been under it though - that's next when I have more time - its gotten pretty messy under there!
Just saw Ray's reply - will try that
 
Rotate the crankshaft as the cam lobes can get hung on the crankshaft throws as it is pulled out.

John
 
Hah! John had it. A little turn of the crank and it slid right out. Thanks to all, and especially John.

-Scott
 
1939mars said:
I am doing a valve job with the engine in the car. I have been following a mishmash of the Les Andrews procedures because there is not one specifically for that. I'm to the point of pulling the cam out of the block. Timing gear is off and all lifters are held up with clothespins. I have triple checked that they are at full travel up. But, the cam comes out about 2 inches and hangs up with a pretty solid sounding metallic clink. Any thoughts on what it could be hanging up on?

Thanks,
Scott
Click to expand...

You already have cam removed, but you didn’t have to do that to do a valve job unless you are replacing the cam or lifters.
Next time if they are adjustable lifters if you remove the keepers and keep the valve springs in and wrap the lifter hex with wire and tie to a coil on the spring by rotating the spring it will pull hood the lifter up. Valve removed before or after as keepers are removed. Then you can remove camshaft and repeat for install.

I would think you are surfacing seats while at it with new valves.
Hope for the best!
Larry
 
In the past when I removed a camshaft with the oil pan still in place, I raised each lifter after removing the spring and held the lifters in the up position with plastic clothes pins. That way, the lifter won't drop into the oil pan as the camshaft is withdrawn. If a lifter were to drop, the oil pan must come off. No fun and a big, unnecessary messy job.
Slide the new camshaft into the engine and then take off the clothes pins. Of course, when changing camshafts it's a good idea to start fresh with new lifters (or resurfaced bases), but sometimes that isn't always practical.
Marshall
 
I'm pulling the cam because it has solid lifters (replacing with adjustables). Pan is already off so lifters will come out tonight and the cleaning begins! Yes planning on refreshing the seats. Found a lot of carbon buildup on a couple which I think is what was causing my low compression.
 
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