How do I take my cams out??

[McPikie]

I'm gonna have a go at doing my headgasket, with a little help from the garage, and I am gonna start tonight :D

However, having never touched an F7P lump before, I am a little dubious.

Do I need to take the engine out and work on it on a stand? Or can the head be taken off with the block in place?

Once the head is off, how do I go about taking the cams out so I can send it to be skimmed?

[Gav]

Jack the engine up and remove the cambelt cover and get the engine to TDC, by lining up the cams at TDC(there re 2 notches on the rocker cover and the cams. remove the cambelt. Drain all fluids, remove all the braketery from under the exhaust manifold and the inlet. remove the rocker cover, and crack off the headbolts(1/4 of a turn at a time) in this order:

EXHAUST
( 3 ) ( 7 ) ( 10 ) ( 6 ) ( 2 )
( 4 ) ( 8 ) ( 9 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 )
INLET

Remove the exhaust downpipe, and lift off the head.

Clean up the surface of the block etc MAKE SURE YOU CHECK FOR CRACKS.

Then turn the bottom end by one full turn, make sure everything is in good nick like no lip on the bores etc.

then re assemble and tighten the headbolts like this in this order:

EXHAUST
( 8 ) ( 4 ) ( 1 ) ( 5 ) ( 9 )
( 7 ) ( 3 ) ( 2 ) ( 6 ) ( 10 )
INLET
Use new headbolts.

Tighten in the following stages(o = degrees):
1)30 Nm
2) 51o +/- 3o
3) wait 3 mins
4)slacken bolts 1 and 2 and retighten to 25Nm then 108o +- 3o
5)Repeat step 4 for bolts 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10.

Make sure everything is in time, turn the engine 2 full rotations on the crank and check the timing marks, the lines on the belt will not be inline.

reassemble and check the headbolts after 500 miles.

Its not a qucik and easy task, book time is 10 hours, i allow 12.

[McPikie]

Cheers for that mate, much appreciated.

But I do need to take the cams out of the head before I take it to be bathed. Do these need to be undone while the belt is on, or when the head is off?

[Gav]

cams need to be taken off b4 it goes for skimming
get something straight and put it on top of your head, check to see if u did buckle the aluminium 1st, as u dont always need them skimming

u need to take the belt off b4 cams come off, and i found it easier to take cams off when the head was off the car

everything needs to come out of the head tho fella, it needs to be bear when it goes for skimming
and then its grinding the valves in
and putting them backk in thats the bitch

[wait till u get to the springs :shock: ]

[McPikie]

OK, so when I have the head off, how do the cams come out?

I might end up just buying your's here, lol

[Gav]

lol u shud dude, ported n polished...oil will flow round that like butter on a hot plate!

i have a diagram somewhere for u to use on how to get them oot mate, lemme see if i can put it up :D

will be on my lunch break tho if thats ok matey :)

[McPikie]

You gonna be home either this evening or 2moz?

I may just have that off you mate, saves me messing about really.

[Gav]

im in london at the moment mate on an appointment
will be back late tonight but iam in all day tomorrow cuz i got someone coming to get my wheels

[u33db]

Jack the engine up and remove the cambelt cover and get the engine to TDC, by lining up the cams at TDC

Don't line cams up to TDC!

If you do you'll risk valve damage when removing the belt as the cams will move to their natural rest positions.