Cams and timing

[StockishS197]

Pulled all the rockers and adjusters. All of them felt fine.
Debating on trying to put rockers in before cams or after. I put them in on the drivers side and when I sat the cam in place it was high and didn't sit all the way down in the cam towers.
I pumped up the adjusters in oil before installing them, so that may be the difference. According to some sources, pumping them up prevents it all from being loose when the engine gets cranked and have a rocker jump around or out. Makes sense to me.
When you pump them up they get rock hard. The piston doesn't move at all....unless you very slowly push it in. Then goes all the way down. That is the adjuster function in operation.

When I have done my cams, I just did lash adjusters + rockers before putting the cam in and walked the cam down slowly using the cam tower bolts.

Not technically correct and some risk if you don’t walk it down gently and evenly, but worked fine for me.

 

[Samos3]

When I have done my cams, I just did lash adjusters + rockers before putting the cam in and walked the cam down slowly using the cam tower bolts.

Not technically correct and some risk if you don’t walk it down gently and evenly, but worked fine for me.

That's what I was trying to avoid. Used to do that on Alfas, 1/4-1/2 turns to prevent distortion of the caps, but there wasn't any breakage risk. Really don't want to risk breaking the front thrust cap. So its the hardway for me.

 

[Samos3]

A few notes from today:

-oil pump did not come with a new tube seal. Had to reuse the old one which was in pretty good condition.
-Rockauto seal was the wrong size, 4.0 probably. But my foresight bought two...
- rain coming, so had to stop. But I put the phasers on the cams and the bolts are finger tight. Installation sheet has quite a bit to say about improper installations damaging the pin. Nice pics and descriptions of the damage in each pic to let you know what you did wrong. A little concerned about getting that wrong. So I slipped one on to see how snug of a fit and looking for a telltale that I have it wrong. Eh....nothing. Nice fit, not loose, not tight. Seats all the way down when you get the pin aligned. How anyone could not get that right, I'll never know. It's like putting your shoes on the wrong feet. Except most people don't put their shoes on with an impact wrench.

 

[Samos3]

A question.....maybe somebody has an answer.
When I was swapping out the spring for the oil pump, pump was in my hand with spring out, I would swear I felt something small hit my shoe. Checked the ground and found nothing. Couldn't think of anything it could be. Bypass cap was on the work surface. No nuts, screws or sockets or anything. Compared the pump to the old pump, everything looks identical.

I was just on Rockauto to look again at the pickup tube o-rings (the small one I got is listed for the Bullitt?). So i looked at the oil pumps. Some came with the o-ring. Some not. Some come with two O-rings, one large and one small. Some come with two o-rings....and a small metal pin.

Any ideas on why they would supply that pin? Is it possible that a pin dropped out of the oil pump?

 

[Samos3]

Might be pulling that pump back off tomorrow....too much at risk.

 

[JC SSP]

Why not just replace the oil pump assembly with a GT500? Why the spring?

 

[Samos3]

It is a GT500 pump. I swapped the 60psi spring from my regular 3v pump into it. Thr GT500 has an 80psi spring. Too much pressure can cause faster bearing wear. It seems like more pressure is better, but only up to a point.
Imagine using a pressure washer and the upping its psi by 33%.

But I have a couple of questions now (great time for it, eh?), so I may have to run the 80psi spring.

 

[Samos3]

Took the original pump apart. I actually had a lower mileage pump that I stole the spring from, so this is complete and as it came out of the engine. No little pin anywhere to be seen.

Pics of original pump:

 

[Samos3]

I did not swap the valve cup as it would match whatever possible design changes there might be on the GT500 pump.

 

[Samos3]

Some measurements of the cap/cup/spring of stock 3V bypass.
Cap: .490 from underside of head to spring seat surface.
Spring (old 240k): 2.510
Cup: 2.305 tip to spring seat surface
Bore depth to cup spring seat surface:
2.350
Spring protrusion beyond bore (no compression): 0.170

Measurements are approximate as my nice digital caliper battery is dead. This is with rather cheap plastic dial caliper.

Wish I had measured the GT500 parts.

I do have the new GT500 spring: 2.720

Took two 4.6 3V pumps apart, no pins anywhere. I guess I am good. Nothing I have come across has mentioned any pins.

 

[Samos3]

Compared old chains to new one. Slight amount of chain stretch, but not terrible.

 

[Samos3]

Chains on. Timing marks all lined up.
A word of note.. the crank holding tool that fits over the crank snout and keyway and engages on the down in the block, I have a cheap one. It did not want to go on due to the paint/ powder coating. I had to clean all of it off the inside and then file the little dowel hole until it slid on snugly. Even the keyway slot needed the paint removed and a little filing. Not much and it won't affect anything, but I still had to do it.

 

[Samos3]

All 24 rockers are in! It was tedious and fussy just as Whitman Ink (and others...) warned me. But I did it!

The finger on top of the valve thing us helpful for two reasons. One is the obvious one, the keepers don't move up and release the valve. Two, use that finger to tell you the valve is compressing. If the knob on the tool is turning but the valve isn’t moving, STOP! Back off and see where the tool is hung up. Knob turns and valve/spring go down is good. Knob turns and valve/spring not moving is bad.
Compress the valve spring as much as you can without increasing effort. That gives you the most room. And no tools! Do not put a wrench on that knob. If you do, now that you've read this, you deserve what happens next!

All the rockers go in from the valve side, not the adjuster side. Try to do the exhaust valves first as you go. They are harder to get in place as they come up from underneath, but without intake rockers next to them, it gives you some room for your fingers. The intakes are much easier since they drop in from above. My magnet worked pretty good at that. See the pic.
Also, if the rockers seem too tight going in, you can gently/slowly depress the plunger on the adjuster to get a little more room.
A little hint...do the very back drivers side intake rocker at the beginning. With the other two out of the way, its easier to get that one in place. Do the exhaust on that cylinder when it comes up as you do others for the same reason and then do the other intake rocker dead last because it will go in easier from above.

Magnet:



Last cylinder on drivers side:

 

[JC SSP]

Fantastic right up and excellent tips.

 

[Samos3]

Okay!....I'm back. Delays, delays, delays. Rain, overtime, etc.

Took the GT500 pump out. Put in the Melling 360HV. Details will be in the GT500 Oil Pump thread later.

That means everything had to come back out.

Got the new pump in, reinstalled all the timing components, then did all 24 rockers...again. Went much faster this time. It is easier to do when you aren't pulling them straight out of the oil they've been soaking in. They tend to stay in your fingers a little better for some reason.
Did learn a little more finesse with the spring compressor tool. When getting the compressor foot onto the valve retainer, sometimes pulling back and up on the fork gives you just the needed room. It's not much and too far you start over.
You still get the top and threaded part in place then swing the foot in place.
Removal is the reverse, remove the knob, pull back and up slightly on the fork, swing the foot off the valve retainer and out it comes...mostly.
The nice thing this time around is that the dime sized missing skin from my right forefinger had pretty much grown back. Between the oil and the knurled sides of the knob, doing the back of the left head took that skin off pretty quick.
The a/c lines back there are just in the right place to cause grief. So is the dipstick tube. Took the nut off at the head to get some wiggle. I don't know if it can be removed completely.

Installed the new front cover. Remove the bottom most waterpump bolt. It interferes with the cover.

As for the cover bolts....if you forget which ones go where (should have taken a picture!.. I did, but couldnt see them all), the FSM has a chart of dimensions and they are numbered to match the torque sequence. I looked up some engines for sale on Ebay and found a nice clear pic of the front of a motor.

The pic of the pretty new timing cover:



Now, I need to fill in the corrosion voids on the block at the oil filter adapter. One of them falls right in line with the seal on the new revised gasket. Won't take much, but I feel better with something backing that seal.






The other thing is I'd like to install a tee fitting for an oil pressure gauge. I think maybe a mechanical gauge mounted under the hood and some braided stainless teflon hose. If not, then at least something easy to hook up without disturbing the factory sensor. Maybe.
The angles down there might not work with what I want.

Getting there. Need to give the new valve covers a good cleaning, too.

 

[JC SSP]

Maybe JB weld will fill those pores?

 

[Samos3]

Maybe JB weld will fill those pores?

That's the plan. Picked it up the other day.

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Maybe JB weld will fill those pores?

That would do it though quick steel epoxy paste cures a lot faster.

The other thing is I'd like to install a tee fitting for an oil pressure gauge. I think maybe a mechanical gauge mounted under the hood and some braided stainless teflon hose. If not, then at least something easy to hook up without disturbing the factory sensor. Maybe.
The angles down there might not work with what I want.

There's a decent amount of room to insert a T fitting for an oil pressure gauge but I'd prefer an electrical gauge that I can mount inside one of the air vents.

 

[Samos3]

That would do it though quick steel epoxy paste cures a lot faster.


There's a decent amount of room to insert a T fitting for an oil pressure gauge but I'd prefer an electrical gauge that I can mount inside one of the air vents.

It's such a small, shallow spot, but still deep and wide enough to cause an issue with that seal, I want to apply with a razor blade to avoid sanding on that machined seal surface. The thicker putties might be a little too thick and want to just pull off while shaving the surface smooth. The JB I have is the tube type, more workable and 550 degree temp range. Even that might not want to stay.
I may have to deepen the pitting with a dremel to get anything to really stick and not have a lump to sand down.

I considered the vent gauge. Not too crazy about extra gauges inside, but I haven't finished deciding. Might just go cheap for now with electric and have a pigtail inside to plug a guage into when I want.