V8 Cam Change in Situ?

[FrenchTVR]

How easy is it to pull the cam out on a 350i with the engine in place?

Cheers.

[Wedgetarian]

I have done this. 1985 390 SE.

Undo the engine mounts and jack up the front of the engine until the camshaft can be withdrawn into the gap between the bonnet and the engine bay crossmember. Don't jack too much to start with, do it the minimum amount so as to avoid unnecessary strain on exhaust and gearbox mountings.

Always replace the cam buckets with the cam and if you possibly can leave them upside down in a bowl of fresh oil to prime them (it avoids sounding like a bucket of bolts on startup).

Carefully inspect the distributor drive gear while you have it out, replace it and the dissy gear if there is any doubt. Running at high revs on clod oil can trash these gears in no-time-flat. In my case the factory fitted oil cooler without an oil thermostat was enough to cause this to happen within a year.

Russ

[350zwelgje]

Understand that it can be done. Not done it myself yet..... Planned to do it, but other projects on the wedge (or no money) in the way. Research showed following: Possible problems could be like, damaging camshaft bearings, hitting the radiator. Solution to hitting the radiator is to lift the engine a bit. But as I mentioned: no experience myself yet.

Rob