how tough is it to change the cam in our motor? anyone do it yet?

 

why?

 

Cams are easy, as long as you have a good strong Cam holder tool, so you don't lose timing.
if you do, you're doing to spend a lot of time.

JBP has a cam holder tool, you could rent it.
here's the link
http://www.jbodyperformance.com/new/...catName=JP0992

 

ummm.... he wants to change his cams?? just a guess though...

 

Ive done a few dozen cam swaps on the 2.2, and find the easiest way to set the timing is by putting the engine at TDC and using the marks on the gears combined with counting the links on the chain. It takes me a bout 1.5-2 hours to do a complete cam swap using hand tools. For someone doing it thier first time I would expect it to take 3-4 hours if you are going really slow. As for that cam tool I wouldnt bother, it's fancy looking but I know someone else makes one for way cheaper, and you can accomplish exactly the same thing with 4 zip ties. All it's doing is holding the gear to the chain, and preventing the gears from sliding into the head (if that happens you can get them out, it's just a pain) I have found the most common time for the cam timing to go out is when you first turn the engine over and the tensioner has not yet popped back out, when this happens the chain can skip a tooth.

The absolute number one thing to remember when doing your own cams is to always and I mean always turn the engine over by hand first. I always do a full two revolutions. This ensures that the valves are not going to contact the pistons when you start it up.

 

Remember to replace the cam gear bolts. Being tq to yeild they are only good once, wouldnt want one of them to shear.

 

wheres a Haynes manual when you need it...

 

i just did a cam swap with the Comp cams stage 1 and the timing chain skipped on me when i pulled the cam gear off of the intake cam, what i need to know is what are the blue and pink links for on the cam chain. If i think about it wouldnt i place the engine in TDC then put the intake cam at the 2 o'clock position and the exhaust cam at the 10 o'clock position, would the colored links line up with the marks on the cam gears, just wondering because i really need to get the timing back on my car so i can drive it

 

You have the right idea about the colored marks matching the respective cam gear timing marks. The problem is that you won't know if the timing chain is "on the mark" with the crank gear. Remember too that there are two crank TDCs for each Cam "TDC". Your safest bet is to take the front cover off and make sure all the gear marks match the timing chain marks. Why take a chance now?

I know a few people say they've changed cams without the Kent-Moore cam holding tool -- but it sure makes sense to use it and avoid these hassles.

 

but if you have the number 1 cylinder at Top dead center (you find that by puting something long in where the spark plug is at and when its at its highest point that is TDC for the cylinder) then move the chain till the colored links are at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock position and it shou be in the right timing. I had the timing right earlier in the day but i couldnt get the hydrolic tensioner to spring open all the way and put the proper tension on the timing chain after hand cranking it. after i started it, it ran but the crank made it skip timing on the chain since it didnt have the proper tension and it stalled out. I just reset the timing again but this time i broke my hydrolic tensioner some how. when i took it out i droped the small part of it and i think it put a small nick in it and now it wont slide back into the big part of the tensioner. I now have to get a new one. But i did rotate everything by hand and no valves where making contact so i should be good. I tried to take the timing cover off but i couldnt get the serpintine pully off because i didnt have enough room to put a tool in there nor enough room to put my hands in there to reset the serpintine pully.

 

As long as you have the pink chain link on the exhaust cam gear mark (triangle) and the blue chain link on the intake gear mark (Diamond) then you probably have the cams timed. Since you can turn the engine by hand it sounds like you MAY be okay. Once the chain comes loose there is a slight possibility that the chain could get out of sequence at the crank gear.
IMO, and for what it's worth, if you loose/drop/alter the chain it is safer to take off the front engine cover to make absolutely sure the timing chain is dead on.

Either way -- good luck, and please let us know how the cams work out. Thanks!

 

well i did my best with the timing, its still a lil bit off it wont stay running it unless you give it some gas but here is a link to a video of what it sounded like

http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...rent=Video.flv

 

which cams were those and what other mods do you have?

 

those are the stage 1 Comp cams by Comp Cams, i have dual 3A performance exhaust and a weapon R short ram intake

 

do you have any problems with them? power increase, do you think it would be wise to get s2 or3?

 

no, stage 2 and 3 require computer modifications and there is no way to tune our computers yet. you can get a piggy back fuel control module but i dont know how those things work. the timing still isnt right on my car after i rev it up the idle drops to 200 rpms and stalls out. im having my car towed to a local performance shop and having them re set my timing for me and checking all the cam retaining caps for proper torque specs

 

damn what about would you recomend the s1 cams if i had a tuner shop install them?

 

absalutely

 

okay i know what my next mod is going to be, but is there much of a power increase?

i like the vid of you playin guitar you did pretty good but whats the name of that song

 

just to give you an idea on how these ones work, they use the factory timing the lobes on the cam shaft are just larger they open the valves further and longer. What that means is more air in at a faster rate = more power. the stage 2 and 3's are about the same but just let more air in and require you to buy better valve springs and valves. the better valve springs will be able to with stand the more powerful cams. but the main part is more air in requires more fuel as well to keep the proper air fuel ratio. too lean and you could melt a piston.

or early detination

 

okay well whem my friend installs them ill be there and we will hook the wideband up and tune it the best we can. thanks youll probaby see a thread on this in a month

 

ok, i reset my timing and i think its off by a tooth or 2 because it idels fine and runs fine but after i rev it up it surges to 250 rpms on the deceleration and stalls out. also stalls out when i put it in gear. i made a video and any input would help

yes there is always a power increase, but keep in mind port and polishing a head and putting cams in a muscle car is about 80hp increase on avg. on a 4 banger cams only is probebly 10 to maybe 15hp increase, maybe a lil bit more then that. and a port and polish w/ cams on a 4 banger is probable going to take you anywhere from 20 to 30hp gain. Thats just a guess not sure, i dont know much about 4 bangers. Once i get my timing fixed properly by the local tune shop ill take it to get dyno'd and post it up here

 

i kinda like that sound...mini muscle car style.

 

thanks, it will sound a lil bit different because my girls sister is going to an autotech school around here and they are going to take my car in next monday and properly time it for me. so it shouldnt sound like its surging as bad but will keep the mini muscle sound.

 

I am gravely concerned about your engine. You describe that you think the timing is a tooth or 2 off, and yet you are running the engine. The Ecotec is a zero-clearance engine. You don't have room to be a tooth or two off. If you where not sure about the cam timing when you put it together, you should have NEVER started it. You have probably already damaged things.

There is no guess work involved here. There are clear timing marks on all three gears that allow you set things exactly as they should be. As soon as you lost your timing when you took your cams off, you HAD to check the actual gear, you had no other choice. Now it may be already too late.
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For the original poster; replacing cams is a fairly easy job IF you know what you are doing. If you have never taken apart an engine, then don't try to do this by yourself.

You need to set the engine at TDC as indicated by the timing marks on the crank pully. And you have to set it at the correct TDC, because there are two different ones. Then you mark the cam gears, then you take everything apart. If you don't do that first, you create a much bigger project because now you have to take your entire accesory belt drive off.