Well I embarked on doing my cam swap last night. Also changing valve springs.
Got all of the front stuff removed last night: Fans, radiator, AC condenser, oil drained and few little things removed. I was really hoping I could move the AC without disconnecting it but it simply was not going to happen..

Today, I got the alt off, removed the valve covers, and started installing the new PAC1518s with new hardware and new seals. I'm using the compressed air method along with positioning the cyl at TDC just in case, I used C-clamps on the balancer to keep it in place with them wedged onto the swaybar to keep the crank from rotating..see pics, otherwise the cyl pressure would just blow the piston to BDC. Got the springs in #1 and#6 done, and spring height came out to be 1.75-1.78 on those so far. Valves are all tight.
Tried doing a leak down test on those cyl but I can't seem to understand how the tester is supposed to work...only get 0% with no movement once the gauge is set...so I'm blowing it off for now..thougt I'd do it while I had the compressor fitting in each cyl...

Oh well, I got too hot today to continue..so unitil the morning or later tonight..
Here's pics of so far...I'll chronicle it though...not hurrying, but plan to take my time over the next 1-2 weeks.

 

Ok, all of the valve springs are done. Didn't get much done over the w/e but only a few springs a day. But got a couple hours each day this week. Got the intake off and lifters out. Got the engine lifted and oil pan off and timing cover off.
Got to run to the store to get some long bolts to screw into cam nose to give me something it hold it steady then the cams coming out either this evening or Sat morn.

 

thats exactly what i used and it worked pretty good, good luck with it man

 

You should help me with my LT4 spring install.

 

Did you change your 326/242 cam ?? Smaller?

 

Yep, it was a GTP6 236/242 that came out. Putting in an LPE 211/219 which I have in my truck. The GTP6 was too much duration for a 350 A4 that is daily driven...no low end power at all. Have the LPE in my truck and it pulls dam good up to 5800 and I can go back to a little tighter stall for daily driving too.

 

very nice. sweeet. lol

 

Why did you pull your pan off? And how hard was it to take off with the motor in the car?

 

I'm also putting in a new oil pump, this one has 100k miles on it, and its easier to get the front cover back on and get it to seal right the first time. This is the second time I've had the pan off.
Its very easy to get off once the proper things have been done.
I pull out the motor mount bolts, loosen the 6 K-member bolts and back them out about 1/2", this gives you an extra 1/2" to jack the motor up, and then jack up the motor from the front of the crank until its up about 3 inches then place pieces of a 2x4 wood under the motor mounts...and lower the jack letting the mounts come to rest on the wood..you don't have to remove the motor mounts, just remove the main bolt in both.

 

I'm doing the same thing. You see my current cam and I'm switching to 214/224 114lsa something. Its also for my s.charger project. I hope it will be kinda stock idle

 

yeah, a 214/224 should be just a tad noticable at idle, the 114lsa also helps to smooth it out. Will have good vacuum too. That GTP6 made the brakes hard after sitting at a light for more than 15 secs until I got a lot looser stall convertor in it. If all goes as planned I should have it running by the end of next week if I can get the pushrods quick enough. Got the cam slid in last night, but won't be able to measure for pr length until Saturday..kind of booked today with other things.

 

Swapped cams last night and only got the timing chain back on before I had to stop...
Old cam coming out

New cam sliding in:

Had on of the cam sprocket bolts that was very difficult to get to thread in and was rather tight, took several tries screwing and unscrewing to get it to go all the way in...just what I need is a stripped thread there and have to buy a whole new cam but it finally went in and has plenty of thread locker on it now.
Ready to measure for pushrod length saturday and change out oil pump and button up bottom end and front cover...at least thats my goal for Sat....nothing is going to get done today...

 

Hey Rob - Awesome collection of cars.

Just moved to Dallas from Orlando - Recently bought a LT-1 C4... I am following your LPE 211 swap closely, thinking of running that cam.

Let me know if you need a hand, its been a while but I have turned wrenches before.

Marc

 

Hey Marc, welcome to the DFW area. I'm over in FW but alot of the Buick events, shows and races take place in Dallas or around N Dallas.
I've got that cam in my truck, but I'm sure it will drive completely different in the TA, has plenty of low end grunt which I'm hoping for a lot of in the TA...should know if about another week I hope...going out now to start pr length measure process and button up the bottom end.

 

ok, pr length measured out to be 7.15"...ordered them Sat, be here Wed.
In the mean time, I got all the front cover and hub back on, and got the oil pump swapped...boy was that tube difficult to get in..the open end wrench trick saved my azz there and spot welded the pick up tube on.

speed demon, here's some pics showing how much clearance there is on oil pan with the k-member lowered by just backing the bolts out about 1/2-3/4" with only a few threads holding it in and the motor resting up on blocks of wood at the motor mount...there's still room to lift it up about another 1/2" by jacking up on the crank hub.



And here's the front cover all reinstalled