What do i need for the cam install? i have a 305 tpi auto 87 roller motor... im putting in a ZZ4 cam. do i need new anything? bearings, pushrods, lifters, timing chain, im getting SR 305 heads or alum Vette heads (whichever is cheaper) with 1.5 rr's... motor has about 85-90k on it... Also, any tools or tricks that i can use to help me? oh yea, and im doing this while the engine is in teh car... thanks alot fellas! i would do a search, but its down... i tried to search it... so i thought i would just ask

 

Well, don't take it all from me - ask others too!

Is the ZZ4 cam a roller cam or not. If it's not, you'll probably need hydraulic lifters instead of rollers.

Also, putting the cam in while the motors in, isn't too much of a problem, but you're going to have to clear some room to take the cam out. Just be extremely careful and patient. Good luck.

 

www.fl-thirdgen.org/mrr23-7.html is how i did it in car. replace the timing chain while you are there. if you get the aluminum heads, then you will need to get hardened pushrods. comp cams 7808-16 roller lifters can be reused. make sure the springs have 101# seat pressure at 1.780 installed height (which are the lt4 hot cam springs).

will need a gear puller to get the crank gear off. also a harmonic balancer puller. take the first 5 bolts out of the oil pan. loosen the rest. that way the oil pan will lower down.

 

yea the ZZ4 is a roller cam. i can reuse my lifters. do u think that the springs on the SR heads will be good enuff for the cam? or do i still need stiffer springs?

 

You will need to check with world products(if those are the heads your talking about) to see if those heads will take that much lift with the standard springs and retainers.

 

I didn't remove the crank gear and had a very easy time installing the chain back on.

 

if he's going back with a stock chain, then you do not need to remove the lower gear. if you are going to a double roller chain, which i recommend, then you will need to remove the lower gear.

 

Oh. Wasn't sure what you were talking about. Yes I would also recommend a double roller. A stock replacement wouldn't require the removal of the crank idler gear. This is what I though you were responding to.

 

thanks again fellas... who makes a good double roller chain? i see all of them in summit and jegs.. but who makes a good one that i wont have to replace in a couple of years..

 

<h1>Al,</h1>
(a.k.a., Big Al)

Comp, Cloyes, Crane, and others offer decent true roller chain sets. Make SURE you get a true roller set instead of a plain bushed double row roller chain. If it costs less than $30 and doesn't advertise as a "true roller chain", be very suspicious. There is one place that often has true roller sets for $29.95, but those are NOT for factory roller setups as you have. Expect to pay about $60 - http://www.competitionproducts.com/page102.html

Another thing you will encounter with a cam swap in the car is the difficulty in getting the lower timing cover seal in place. Your options are to either remove several of the front oil pan bolt and loosen the rest to allow the pan to drop slightly, or to use a two-piece timing cover. Those are available from a couple of manufacturers for about $30.

Since the water pump will be removed to access the timing chain, it would be a good idea to remove the rear cover of the pump and inspect the condition of the impeller. They tend to erode over time, and with a new cam and the liklihood of increased engine load as a result, you'll need all the cooling help you can get. If the impeller vanes are not at least 3/4" deep, you might want to consider a replacement. If you get a remanufactured pump, check it as well, since I have seen worn impellers on replacement pumps. They're usually adequate for most stock applications, but not for an engine with the potential to make more heat.

And if this is a TPI engine, while the intake is off, you might want to consider sending the injectors out for cleaning and flow matching. Check with Cruzin' Performance ahead of time to see what the turnaround time is. I know Rich had been quite busy recently, so it would be good to line up the service ahead of time.

BTW - Have you seen and SBC-powered snow blowers in the last couple of days?

BTBTW - Is Ocean Hockey still in business? I don't get flyers from them any more...