secret cam swap advice
 

so im doing the secret cam swap (along with a bigger tb, and lightweight crank pulley) this weekend. i was hoping to get some advice from those who have done it before. this will be my first internal engine work, and im a bit nervous. been reading the haynes manual, and it doesnt seem all that difficult, but you never know. is there anything i should watch out for, or make sure i do? any specific tools or supplies i need that i might not think of?

i bought new chain guides, tensioner shoe, and gaskets for the cam carriers and timing chain cover. hopefully thats all i need. the engine has nearly 200k miles (if its original, and i have no reason to think otherwise), and hopefully everything else (sprockets and chain) are in good shape.

im thinking (hoping) this will be a 4-5 hour job tops. i am mechanically inclined, and have a buddy helping me who has done engine work before (on a honda), so hopefully that estimate is close.

also, another question i had. while the engine mount is out, im going to be filling it with urethane as noted on the aleromod upgrades site. however, the how-to for it isnt done. is it as simple as: remove rubber, squirt in urethane? and is it a noticable difference in performance and noticable vibration in the car?

so, now that ive got all those questions out there, and a little over a day to get a response, hopefully some of the geniuses on this site respond. thanks in advance.

just make sure u time it right when u put it back together. its a little scary at first but if u folow the directions its real easy and youll be like shit that was nothing. theres a great how to in the LD9 overhaul PDF ion has.
just take ur time and dont lose anything and torque everything to spec. make sure to use threadlocker on the camsprocket bolts when reassembling. did u get a timing cover gasket? might as well if ur doing all that plus its new and blue and sticks out lol. read the instructions and take ur time. its cake :thumb:

you have a link to that pdf? i did get a new timing chain cover gasket, and cam tower gaskets, mine are all leaky. ill just have to get some threadlock and should be all set.

any reason i would need rtv for the gaskets. ive heard a cpl people say to use it on the chain cover because it can leak. thet might have been using the old one tho. anyway, thanks for the help al.

i didnt use rtv and with a new timing cover gasket u shouldnt have to. i saw u got a new tensioner shoe but did u get the actual tensioner itself? i would highly recommend doing that.


2.4L Engine Overhaul

Ok. Ill pick up a new tensioner too.

No RTV. Tensioner is a good idea. Re-use the timing cover gasket.

Use the link he posted above as your instruction manual.

DRAW WITH AN OIL/PAINT PEN TWO MARKS ON EACH OF THE CAM SPROCKETS AND CHAIN, AND CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET AND CHAIN.

You will need it for reassembly. It's real easy to get it wrong. With the marks you know it's right.

Filling the engine mount? I don't remember if it's feasible. I think it's one huge rubber block, can't recall off-hand. Fill the transmission mount instead. Make a huge difference for me. The engine is bolted to the trans, so.. stiffen one and the whole thing gets stiffer.

it is i did it to mine there is a hole on each side of the mount.

getting the tensioner when i pick up the other stuff tomorrow. my timing chain cover has oil residue around the entire outside surface, and on the gasket, so it probly should be replaced. and i already bought it, so it is going to be replaced. lol

gonna print out the necessary pages from that pdf and have it right next to me.

ill look into filling the trans mount instead. everything ive seen tho talks about filling the one on the side of the engine. how much vibration do you get from having urethane in the mount? is it a noticable difference?

ill make sure i post up pics once its done. hopefully all goes smoothly. thanks for the help everyone

take pics of the process

so started this around noon today. it is now almost 8, and i still do not have the crank pulley off. i cannoy get it to move at all. big breaker bar, plus heat, equals jack shit. all of my weight on it and nothing. its the only thing keeping me from getting the timing chain cover off and everything else done. so much for a 4hr job.

go rent a puller dude. not one with the claws get one of these. bolt it up and bam its out in 5 mins

I forgot to say that i cant get the bolt loose. Not the pulley. Cant pull on the pulley if theres still a big effing bolt holding it on. Heat, plus all my weight on a 4ft bar, and its not budging. its starting to upset me.

weird.. try an impact? what are you holding the pulley still with?

first a flathead screwdriver. until the handle sheared right off. then a wrench. then i got a 3/4 in thick 2ft long pry bar. ive heated the bolt for a cpl minutes, then used a breaker bar with the handle from the jack on it for leverage. its actually torquing the entire engine in the mounts, but not loosening. also broke an extension already. my friend is getting a longer one so we dont have to use 3 shorter ones. maybe thatll help.

yea i tried with a breaker it wasnt working, i had to break out the impact gun. hopefully once u get it off u dont have an issue with getting the pulley off.

buddy has an impact gun and small compressor hes gonna bring over. hopefully the pulley comes off too. not too worried about damaging it, got a lightweight one going on. and i found out the last chain guide i had to order from autozone wont be in until monday. so the car still wont be running til then.

might as well pull all the mounts and urethane them. engine mount is already and front trans mount looks pretty simple to access. how tough is the rear trans mount? even worth doing that one or just the front?

took some pics since i cant do any more work til i get the impact gun.

im seriously thinking about painting the cam carrier covers, and timing chain housing neon green to go with my calipers and interior lights. then toss the black and brushed alum "high output" idi cover on.




large qty of oil between the cam towers:


and on the side of the engine:


turns out, both of the cam housing to head gaskets are shot. this explains the 1-2qt loss of oil between changes

the bolt thats making my life hell:


old (52mm) vs. new (56mm) throttle body:


and the mounting issue im having with it:


more pics tomorrow hopefully of inside, assuming i get the crank bolt and pulley off.

Oh my you think thats alot of oil between your cam towers? Mine has enough oil in between to puddle up and run down in to the sparkplugs. lol

so its 1 a.m. and i was bored, and i cant go any farther with the cam swap til tomorrow, so i decided to remove the tranny mount so i can fill it with urethane. piece of cake to get out. heres how bad it is:





making this one solid piece should help a bit. hopefully.

i see the prob. u drank the beers before the job was done :lol:
u cant have a beer till ur finished and making the eff yea face