Cam gear bolt ... will cam twist?

[Calan]

Apparently either King Kong or a guy with one heII of an impact wrench torqued down my cam gears... cause they ain't a movin'.

The nut on the cam seems a bit far back from the gear. With a wrench on this, is it possible to twist the cam trying to get the gear bolt loose? Or could the cam snap? (Obviously niether is good )

Do you guys rest the wrench on the nut against something? Seems like you could screw up the head doing this.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[eclipsegsxccca]

any good impact will get it off, but if not then yes, either rest the wrench on the head or if your worried about damaging the head put a long breaker bar on the wrench to hold the cam in place.

 

[project_tsi]

Remove the valve cover and put a wrench on the cam. Its made towards the cam gear side so you can fit a large wrench on it (forgot the exact size right now but its a big guy), Then put your breaker bar and 17mm on your cam gear bolt, and get a big bar for leverage on it and hold like hell, watch out for a hurnia and it will come off.

It is such a pain in the ass but it can be done, I've done it quite a few times.

 

[Calan]

Ok... now as for my questions

The nut on the cam seems a bit far back from the gear. With a wrench on this, is it possible to twist the cam trying to get the gear bolt loose? Or could the cam snap? (Obviously niether is good )

Do you guys rest the wrench on the nut against something? Seems like you could screw up the head doing this.

I've tried breaking the bolt loose with no luck. And I don't see ahything to rest the wrench (on the cam nut) against, except maybe the exhaust cam to loosen the intake.

Thanks

 

[Defiant]

Ok... now as for my questions

The nut on the cam seems a bit far back from the gear.

I give up. What is this supposed to mean?

If you can walk through residential doorways, you probably won't be able to snap a cam without some pretty elaborate leverage arrangement.

 

[Calan]

I give up. What is this supposed to mean?

The machined "nut" is a few inches back instead of next to the gear which causes a longer twisting moment... nevermind; doesn't matter.

If you can walk through residential doorways, you probably won't be able to snap a cam without some pretty elaborate leverage arrangement.

Not sure what my ability to walk through a doorway has to do with the torque and twisting of a camshaft, but I've been able to do that for about 40 years now... so I guess that means there is no way I could snap a cam. Cool!

 

[Defiant]

Ah, the forged hex flats on the cam. Now I get it.

If your shoulders aren't too wide to fit though a doorway, you won't be snapping any cams with less than a four-foot cheater bar.

 

[Calan]

Update... they finally broke loose. With a torch on the bolt, a 1-1/2' cresent wrench + 2' cheater bar on the cam and a 2' torque wrench on the bolt.

Sheeesh...

 

[Calan]

Well I had the torque wrench cranked all the way down and it never broke over. And the bolt wasn't all that tight after heating it with the torch.

But you do make a good point.

 

[Maglin]

Most of my torque wrenches are reversable for appling left hand torque like in trannies. I would never remove anything with a torque wrench. Even torque wrenches that go both ways most are still only right hand torque and going left will strech the internals the wrong way and throw them way outside of calibration.

 

[Calan]

hmmm.. never thought about it that way. I figured if it never broke over then it was still well within it's designed range of operation.

Now if it had of clicked and I continued to apply a lot of force... I could definitely see that as being unhealthy.

 

[selmerguy]

My cam bolts were a bi*** too. I had the cams with the gears still on them out of the car. I stuck them in a vise and used my breaker bar on them. I then ended up breaking the vise.(a very big vise) I took them to a machine shop and the guy grabbed a towel to hold the cam with and then used a inmact gun. Came right off. I now own a imopact wrench.

 

[oldman]

Do you guys rest the wrench on the nut against something? Seems like you could screw up the head doing this.

A block of wood....well next time.