Help removing cams/gears

Post by **robbbby** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

I am currently trying to pull my head to have some work done on it and change my headgasket but I am going nuts trying to remove the cams and cam gears.

What I need to know is what size wrench fits on the hexagon portion of the cams to hold them in place.

I know the fronts is a 24mm socket but I can't seem to find anything that fits on the cam. I have tried 27mm and various SAE size from 1" - 1-1/8" but the wrench is to wide and will scrape the cam lobe. Is there a specialty tool for this?

Thanks.

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

If I remember correctly you either need 15/16 inch or a 1 inch wrench. The one I bought specifically for cam removal had those on the end and one of them works fine for holding the cam in place. So if you already tried 1 inch, try 15/16.

Post by **robbbby** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

it really wasn't so much the size but more the width of all the wrenches I have are to wide to fit on the hex between the cam lobe and end of the cam. I have to find thin wrenches somewhere.

Post by **ItzGenX** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

I didn't ever take my cam gears off to remove my cams. I removed it all as one piece by lifting up the back of the cam giving the chain up front some slack to pop off the chain. It requires a little bit of rolling the cam and gear to get additional slack. I did the same in reverse order to put them back. The only time I removed them was when I rebuilt my motor and took everything apart down to the nuts and bolts. I got my cam gears off by using an impact gun with the cams still bolted down. You can also try using a socket and bar to hold the main crank pully bolt while you loosen/tighten the cam gear bolts. Be sure to leave the chain tensioner in prior to trying this to prevent chain slippage.

Post by **robbbby** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Im planning on buying some new cams so I have to eventually get them off, i'll giveyour method a try for the time being

Just a crappy diagram to show what I mean by not being able to fit a wrench on the hex.

I know I should of left the cam brackets on before removing the cam gears

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

What I did was I used torque wrench with a 27mm socket and attached it to the crank bolt. Then I turned the crank until the torque wrench was wedge against the ground. Then I took a 24mm wrench and removed the bolts holding the cams and sprockets together. Got it all off in like 2 minutes.

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Here's an illustration of what I did. Sorry for the crap job in making the picture!!!

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Whoa!?! Why did the other side of the block disappear?? Hahaha, well you get the picture.

Post by **ca18det_boy** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Thats a neat idea of doing it like that!! Did someone else teach you that or did you just get mad and do what worked??

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

An easier way of locking the engine is to put the transmission in fifth gear and put the e brake on. I used a wrench like this that I got from Ace Hardware.

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Hahaha!! You like that idea?? No, nobody showed me that. I just have to be real imaginative when I work on my car because all my friends live way too far just to help me remove a couple bolts here and there.

Post by **NY S13 SR** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

I would be concerned that you are putting a lot of stress on the chain (possibly stretching it) using that method or the 5th gear/brake method. Unless I see some pro's chime in approving it, I would not recommend either of those ways. Just find the thin wrench, that makes it easy.

______________Jeff HHeavy Throttle

Post by **180fan** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

If you're in a jam, you can also stick a screwdriver into the holes of the sprockets and put the 24mm on the cam bolt to bust it free.

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

But he already took the cam tower brackets off. So the screw driver through the cam method wont help unless he puts them back on.

Post by **180fan** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

oops sorry didn't see that. Well I'd go with the wrench on the cams method. Otherwise, I'd just put on the brackets back on for a little bit and then go with the screwdriver.

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Jeff does have a point there!!But for those who don't have all the resources to remove it properly, what other choices do they have? A little ingenuity is all that they need just like with my example

And also a little luck so whatever they do doesn't have any repercussion on the motor. Sorry if I sound like a a$$ or anything like that!!!

Post by **Onizuka** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

i used a 1 inch wrench and a 24mm socket wrench, got one person to hold the 1inch wrench on the cam and everything came apart easy as pie.

And from now on, it would be in your best intrest to follow the Factory sevice manual procedures exactly. Things like to crack, warp, strip and scratch when you dont.

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Yeah, True true!! But sometimes, the motor still doesn't want to cooperate with you even when you are using the FSM

So you have to take other measures.......hahaha!! Don't recommend it all the time though!!!!

Post by **NY S13 SR** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

I asked a mechanic and he said it is very likely to stretch the chain causing future chain failure if you do it that way.

_____________________Jeff HHeavy Throttle

Post by **FTRS14.5** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

OK OK, I get the point!!

Thanks for the future reference!!!

Post by **robbbby** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

J-Spec Tuner wrote:i used a 1 inch wrench and a 24mm socket wrench, got one person to hold the 1inch wrench on the cam and everything came apart easy as pie.

And from now on, it would be in your best intrest to follow the Factory sevice manual procedures exactly. Things like to crack, warp, strip and scratch when you dont.

Yes I know, I am going to put the cam brackets back on before I remove the gears.

Post by **Onizuka** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Im not tryin to be mean or anything, but someone was telling me how they snapped a camshaft by putting on or taking off the retainers the wrong way, I wouldnt want anyone to have to go through that.

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

J-Spec Tuner wrote:Im not tryin to be mean or anything, but someone was telling me how they snapped a camshaft by putting on or taking off the retainers the wrong way, I wouldnt want anyone to have to go through that.

If you follow the FSM and are a competant mechanic, you wont breeak anything. It is true he towers need to be de-torqued and torqued in a proper order and to certain numbers.

Post by **Onizuka** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

yah thats what i said.

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Its what you meant, not what you said.

Post by **DGA** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Time to invest in a compressor and an impact wrench.

Post by **Onizuka** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

SpeedRacer1 wrote:Its what you meant, not what you said.

J-Spec Tuner wrote:And from now on, it would be in your best intrest to follow the Factory sevice manual procedures exactly. Things like to crack, warp, strip and scratch when you dont.

Post by **ca18det_boy** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

c'mon guys lets play nice.....and as for it streching the chain, if your going through all that work to do whatever you would be stupid not to just go ahead and replace the timing components. Not to provide an excuse or anything but you should.

Post by **SpeedRacer1** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Hey genius I was refering to a different post.

Post by **Onizuka** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:57 am

Whatever, I'm not going to argue with you.

Help removing cams/gears

Help removing cams/gears

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