[DeTomaso] Cam Install and Timing DVD (Pantera Mechanicals General Knowledge for Engine Building)

[Asa Jay Laughton]

I wouldn't think it shouldn't take eight hours to change a cam on a SOHC 
engine, but after reading Chris' post, I can see there is a bit of work 
to it.  Even so, if well organized it shouldn't take that long.  And 
yeah, there is that good point about no lifter or pushrods.  Having a 
simple cam follower setup can be quite nice.

Thanks for the post Chris,
Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired

& Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA

1973 Pantera L 5533
[ASASCAT]
    
******************************     
http://www.asajay.com
http://www.351c.info
  



Chris Difani wrote:
> Jack:
>
> Ha!  Ha! very funny! 
>
> And here's my well thought out response to your 
> antediluvian antique engine bias... Us young whippersnappers know a thing or 
> two too! (which won't stop me from immediately writing you whenever I hit my 
> next "Oh NO, what do I do now?" impasse...
>
> I'm not sure which article that was... or how thumblefingered their 
> mechanics were.... But from my personal experience, the hardest task is 
> removing the valve covers (have to find a big enough container for 26 long 
> but thin bolts, and their steel spacers that keep the valve cover gasket 
> from being distorted by too much tightening. Finding those little bitty 
> spacers on the floor is a real pain)....
>
> Everything else is a simple "spin the bolt out" process. There's only one 
> drive belt to deal with, and it's tensioner is easy to deal with. Then you 
> pull the harmonic balancer (which you have to do too), and then the timing 
> cover comes off. The water pump stays in place. The alternator stays in 
> place. The AC compressor stays in place. The heater hoses stay in place. The 
> radiator hoses stay in place. There is no distributor to mess with. No 
> distributor gears to worry about. No oil pump drive shafts to worry about. 
> No distributor shaft drive pins to worry about. No plug wires to mess with. 
> No huge coil to mess with.
>
> Then once the timing cover is off (which takes a total of 12 bolts), and the 
> valve covers (which is a total of 26 bolts), everything's out in plain view. 
> All ready to be tweaked, degreed, and adjusted. To replace the cams, there's 
> 5 retainers that have to come off, along with it's drive sprocket, chain, 
> and chain tensioner. Do that twice, once on each side.
>
> In any case however, the hassle of dealing with two camshafts is nothing 
> compared to the huge "cool" quotient in having overhead cams. That's just 
> COOL!
>
> Now I will admit that having to pay for TWO camshafts does come as a 
> financial shock... and that's only for my SOHC engine. The DOHC guys have 
> four of them to deal with... and that's definitely not cheap. But on the 
> other hand, I have NO pushrods to mess with. AND I have NO lifters to worry 
> about. I do have a "follower", which is essentially a roller bearing that 
> rides between the valve stem end, and the cam lobe. But they've been tested 
> to 9,000 RPM, and with a tested service life of 250,000 miles (with no 
> significant wear at that point), so I don't think I need to worry about them 
> either.
>
> The other thing, my engine is designed to operate with all the wussy oils 
> that have zero metal-to-metal "cushion" additives now. So mushroomed lifters 
> won't be on my plate.... In fact lifers won't be on my plate...
>
> All of this just shows that sometimes progress does occur.... in a positive 
> way... Of course that's my opinion.... and we all know about opinions... But 
> I do like to look thru my "don't have to worry about it" list of engine 
> parts, and relax with my favorite adult beverage... Especially when I've 
> just read about one of you that's been pulling his hair out over a problem 
> that I'll never, ever have.... Can't have in fact....
>
> Chris
>
> Chris Difani
> '73 L #5829 "LITNNG"
> The Electric Pantera
> Sacramento, CA
> Email: cdifani at pacbell.net
>
>
>
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: JDeRyke at aol.com 
>   To: cdifani at pacbell.net ; detomaso at realbig.com 
>   Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 12:00 PM
>   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Cam Install and Timing DVD (Pantera Mechanicals General Knowledge for Engine Building)
>
>
>   In a message dated 8/8/08 8:05:27 PM, cdifani at pacbell.net writes:
>
>
>     I'm installing a SOHC engine in my '73L Pantera. Since it's got two cams, I decided that I just had to degree them.
>
>
>   A recent magazine article on a performance build-up at a shop with a dyno changed cams in one of these engines- in 8 hours! Cam changes or tuning is apparently not very simple or cheap. I'll stay with the Cleveland, thanks- J Deryke
>
>
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