Thread: Cam install gone wrong

Tightening procedure is also very important - don't want to break a cam:

Yup, gotcha. I actually have a service manuel with all that in it. Like I said, I was really sure about most of this, just wanted someone who knows more then me to tell me I was doing the right thing.

I got the whole install actually correct the first time. I actually had everything in and tight the first time, but had to go back and fix the one rocker that fell off, that is where I forgot to come back and tighten cam bolt. Just didnt pay enough attention and didnt re-check and 3x check.

But really thanks to all, I will get it all back to together this weekend and hope and pray everything is timed right and nothing bad happened in motor, minus breaking my bc cams, which I really wanted to use.

Were you getting her ready for the Convention?

I wish, never been to one. I been a sr owner since 2000 too. I been on both sites since. Maybe talk wife into next year if it is close by.

Well, get my new cam gears in and ready to put stock cams in. That all goes good. I took tensioner out b/c was really really tight. So now all is in all good and need to put tensioner back in. Now I see that the tensioner is cracked in 3 places. So now on hold again till new tensioner comes in, like a week they said. I just want this car back together already. Now I think I know why it was so tight. I think it was already busted b4 I went in there. Oh well, nothing like new parts I guess.

Its ALIVE!!!!

Thanks to all who chimed in and helped me out and eggman for the cam gears. I applied all the info I gathered on here and all is good now. Now I am right back where I started.

Compression was 180 across all cyclinders as well, so I dodged a bullet on bending any valves. All I can say, is I am glad it was just idling and I didnt take it out for a test drive.

On to the turbo install, thats one I did b4, shouldnt mess that one up, lol. Maybe get a set of S4's down the line.

I actually think my chain tensioner was broken b4 I even started installing other cams. Would explain why the chain was ungodly tight. Glad I pulled it out to put stock cams back in with gears.

Anyway, thanks again forum gods.

I was gonna suggest just re-aligning the cams, bolting everything down and testing it out. The de and Det has a lot of room between pistons and valves. There's a good chance usually that the valves are fine. People often throw rockers on these motors and after some new rockers they would just fire back up and run as if nothing happened.

As for the cause of all this, did you compress and reset the tensioner when you swapped the cams? Sounds almost as if you maybe tightend it down in the extended position which will explain the tight chain and cracked tensioner.

See the phrase under my name.

it's damn true. there are about 40 variables that can go wrong for a DE cam install, not tightening the intake cam bolt is one. they are such a pain in the ass, at this point after having success and disaster doing a half dozen in the DE motors, I say don't bother unless you are already doing something under the valve cover.. just my personal experience