engine builders chime in

[dsm8883]

i am trying to get valued opinions on do most of you guys instal the cams with the head off and then instal the head or instal the head torque it and then instal the cams and torque them? i have always instaled the cams torqued them and then instaled the head and torqued it. but a good friend of mine and dsm builder said he instaled the head and torqued it to make sure the cam journals are straight and then the cams? we were just you say i say kind of a thing trying to find out who is correct in most peoples books thanks for the valued opinions

 

[cyclonekid77]

I installed my cams after my head was bolted one with no issues. I think its easier this way beacause the head wont try to move when you torque the caps down.

 

[91-gsx]

I installed my cams after my head was bolted one with no issues. I think its easier this way beacause the head wont try to move when you torque the caps down.

I agree. It will make it easier to keep everything still while you torque things down. Many people, including me, have changed cams while the engine was in the car. Either way will work as long as the head stays still.

 

[BogusSVO]

you should not have issues with cam tower alighment as long as the head is not excrssively warped, from overheating.
the machine shop should check that before they rebuild the head.

you can check it fairly easy, install the cams, DRY, with out the fowllers, touque the caps to specs, the cams should turn smootly by hand, no tools. If you feel a sticky ,frim spot. the cam towers need to be checked.

now pull the cams back out and install and lube the HLA's the fowllers and cams and tourqe to specs.

 

[toofast82]

Any time i've ever had a head rebuilt, they install the cams already and i've never had an issue! I'm sure they place it in a pretty stable position for torquing.

 

[dsm8883]

the machine shop i use is the same one our shop uses they cut me some hell of a deals on cash shit . but he is not instaling the cams because they came later after the head build everything else came in but the cams came late because BC said they had a machine go down and had to repair it? but i am going to instal the head torque it and instal the cams and torque them from now on, that is what the machine shop also said to do. but they said it did not matter which way. so i guess we are both correct .