cam install question

[jd2002ss]

The install seems to be pretty straight forward everybody that i have talked to has given me some great tips. The only thing that I'm unsure of is how do I support the lifters during the swap? Some say just spin the cam and the lifter buckets will hold them up, or use pen magnets, or use a 5/16 dia. rod inserted into the cylinder What have you guys used to swap cams? BTW the motor is a 2002 LS1

[slims00ls1z28]

Mine stayed up by themselves. It's the "russian roulette" method according to some but they stayed up pretty well. Had to actually push them back down when I was done.

[vettenuts]

I made two rods with 5/16" metal rod from HD. The rods won't actually keep the lifters up, the trays do that. They will prevent them from falling into the oil pan though. What I did when I changed mine was to spin the cam, then wait about 10 minutes and using a pushrod push down on each lifter one at a time (note cam is still in place, I was only testing the ability of the lifter trays to keep the lifters up out of the way). Each lifter should "clunk" back down onto the cam. If you find any that don't, then they are likely to move during the swap.

Just to be clear, don't do this with the cam out though

[0rion]

I was doing heads at the same time so this was a non-issue for me but if I were just doing the cam swap I would definitely be using the dowel rods. The last thing you want to have happen is a lifter drop into the oil pan on a cam swap. I would use all 3 methods.

[sunsetorangess]

Loosen the rockers, pull the push rods out, and rotate the cam one revolution to seat the lifters in the lifter trays and they should be good to go.
J

[jd2002ss]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm going to use all 3 methods, just can't take a chance of dropping a lifter, I will post results of the install.

[Rhinohuey]

Doesn't someone make some kind of tool to do this? Something that slides perfectly under the lifters to hold them up? I thought I saw something once...

[MCCs WS6]

thunder racing has a tool

[jrgswhitels1]

Save money and go to Home Depot and buy the dowel rods. Its way cheaper!! You will have to trim down those rods for clearance. Make sure they both have the same length and dont forget to mark it so you know that you,ve reached the back of the block!! You will want to catch ALL lifter bores just in case one decides to fall. DO NOT GAMBLE ON THE TRAYS HOLDING THEM, unless you want extra work!

[MCCs WS6]

do u need to hold the lifters when replacing the heads??

[mrr23]

do u need to hold the lifters when replacing the heads??

no.

[jd2002ss]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm going to use all 3 methods, just can't take a chance of dropping a lifter, I will post results of the install.

Went with the Russian roulette method... While I was waiting on parts I spun the cam to push the lifters up out of the way and left the push rods in place. 3 days later (when parts showed up)... all of the lifters were still up. I tried to install 5/16 rods into the heads to hold up the lifters but they would not go in. When I went to pull the cam I removed the push rods, gave the cam one more spin and pulled it out. It took less than a minute to insert the new cam, with no problems with the lifts or any other part of the install. Thanks to all who responded to my post.

[mrr23]

the rods don't go into the heads. they go into the lifter oil gallies on each side where the cam goes in the block.

[jd2002ss]

the rods don't go into the heads. they go into the lifter oil gallies on each side where the cam goes in the block.

oops my mistake. That is where I tried to install the rods, but no luck