I want to add more power to my car, so i was thinking a cam was next in line. What would be a good cam for my application? What else would i need to do the install? I was thinking 1.6 and heavy duty springs.
Thanks Chad

 

Really, the part that I am going to dread the most, is changing the springs. I hate changing valve springs. I get so paranoid that I am going to drop a valve in one of the cylinders. Another thing that gets me is the Oil Pan. Other than that, its your basic bolt on.

 

Have to pull the waterpump, drop the oil pan to get the timingchain cover an timing chain off.(crank pulley if you are changing the chain) radiator and fans have to go, valve covers rocker arms and valve covers gotta go, and if you are changing springs...which you should..gotta swap those.

 

I am in the middle of a cam change right now. I consider this a big
job. Lots and lots of parts and pieces that have to come off. I am
doing a couple other things at the same time and I just finished day
four with probably three or four more days left.

 

put each piston at tdc when you change its associated spring. the valve will only fall to the top of the piston. read about it in a mag somehwere.

david

 

In all reality the cam change is not that difficult. I thought headers was a bigger pain in the ***. It is just time consuming and you have to pull off a lot of parts. If you keep everything in order and remember where everything goes then you are set. I recommend doing roller rockers and valve springs a few weeks before you do the cam so you wont have to do them all at the same time. The valve springs by far are the hardest part of the entire install. First time I did valve springs it took me like 10 hours...I can now do them all in about 1.5 hours.

 

Thats the first time i have herd that you have to drop the oil pan, that true?

 

Well, the timing chain cover sort of sits in a lip in the pan and if you don't drop it, at least in the front, you'd probably end up messing up the oil pan gasket...makes it alot easier.

 

I was able to leave my oil pan on. Be real careful and loosen the front bolts a little so the pan can give somewhat and take the timing cover off slowly. It can be done.

 

Yeah, the pan seals over the bottom of the timing cover. So, the pan comes off, then the timing cover. Goes back on in reverse order.

 

HUH learn something new everyday.. i love this site!

 

A cam swap is not a job for the novice or inexperienced. With some guidance, a novice could do it, but without experienced guidance, you have great potential to really screw something up.