Thread: Cam install gone wrong

Okay, I got bc stg2 cams to put in my b14 before the turbo install. Now I have done much work b4 on these cars before. t25 setup, bolt ons, maintence work all kinds. Never did a cam swap but seemed very straight forward to me, as I done things like it before on hondas.

Anyway, learned some things on way, got everything together after some frustration getting sprockets on cam ends. But anyway had everything in and torqued down. I see number 1 ex rocker had fell off during the install, crap. I had to loosen all the caps and the cam bolts a bit to be able to pull it up enough to slip on rocker. Okay, cool, got that done. Put it all back the way I had it before I saw rocker, so I thought.

Everything checked out, timing was all perfectly lined up and ready to button it all up. All rockers on this time. The chain was a bit tight, but everyone said it should be fine as long as correct pins and it all lined up. Okay great, put it all back to together. I fired it up after about an hour for rtv to dry a bit.

Idled good, a small ticking sound there, went away after like 2 min, prob HLA getting back to normal. Anyway, let it idle to heat up so I could check timing. I walk in house to wait.....

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG.......WTF......ran into garage and shut it down. OMG, what happend, maybe threw a rocker. Pulled vc and checked, all rockers where they should be. Okay, weird, lets check bolts on cams....

I FORGOT TO RE-TIGHTEN INTAKE CAM BOLT

OMG, I hate myself right now. I tightend ex cam cuz that is the one that had the rocker off during install, but forgot I loosened the intake cam too to give a lil slack in chain. So I never re-checked it. If that ******* rocker never fell off during install I would be fine right now.

Who thinks I messed my valves up??? or worse??

Sprockets where no where near where they were supposed to be at TDC. I am ******. I need a beer. It is okay to tell me I am stupid, trust me I know. uggh FML

Makes me sad, but a sad reminder to double and triple check your work. Once again, my condolences.

Rip valves. Dont worry things like this happen to the best of us. Do a leakdown test, but more than like bent valves.

both cams are off. Wouldnt the ex cam still be on the correct timing spot?? cuz it is way off too

See the phrase above my avatar


p.s. your valves are done. at least on the intake side.

time to remove the head

Hell no cams are easy to remove and install! I mean pure cakework. I use 3-4 zipties on each cam gear to fasten the chain to it this way your timing does cannot change. Then all you do is loosen bolts in order, swap cams, tighten bolts to spec. I did a cam install in a covered self service carwash one late night

I hear you bud. I am very confident in doing work like this, but got distracted enough with the rocker falling off to forget about checking the one bolt I loosened. It was a major mistake on my part. Trust me, feel pretty bad about this one.

To me the worst part about a cam install is removing the timing chain tensioner.

Also, one time we opened up my B14 to install new cams, and the main exhaust cam bolt was on so tight to the stock cam, I literally had my body builder neighbor come over to break it loose with a huge breaker bar.... only he didn't use his arms. He couldn't get it loose.

He had to use his legs by holding himself on the curb with 1 arm and pushing against it with his foot while I provided resistance on the cam hex. It was insane.

Update:

Okay, I did a leak down test. I did it this way, ran about 20 psi through my compression tester tube screwed into spark plug hole. I then would listen for hissing out throttle and out exhaust. I did NOT hear any hissing out either one in all cyclinders. That is freaking amazing. I dont think I have any bent valves. The noise I heard must have been cams breaking on the ends and key on cams gringing the gears a bit.

I did however hear hissing coming from down in the oil pan area. I had vc off and could hear it down in the chain area. It was a slow hissing not a rush of compressed air and would just sit and hiss while I checked other areas.

Now to have a little hissing in that area is normal right?? Or is that not normal at all and I have other problems? That is just the air leaking around the piston a bit right, there is no way to put heat into motor so it is a cold motor.

So if that is all normal then, I will put stock cams back in with newer gears and try the motor. Should I pull oil pan to see what the crank grear looks like?? Also for some metal pieces from the cams breaking?

On a cold motor, you will get some blow by on a leak down. If you hear it coming out the tail pipe or out the intake, that would be bad. Ultimately, you need to do a compression test with the motor warmed up to see if the cylinders are tight.