OK guys.... Over the course of researching various potential modifications to my truck, I've evidently been bitten by the diesel bomb bug! Anyway, there seems to be some additional performance available by installing an aftermarket cam in terms of a broader power band, more hp, and better fuel mileage - is this a great gig or what?! The drawback is that it's pretty expensive, and a recent magazine article made it look pretty intimidating (at least to me anyway).

For those of you that have done it, how painful is it to swap cams? How long did it take, and would you do it again? Any R&R tips? Any problems over the long term? Thanks in advance for all advice.

 

its a straight forward job. just take your time. use 1/2'' dowl rods and rubber bands to hold the lifters up. i think the hardest part on a 2nd gen is the freakin bumper.

 

ok the above post seems easy... i talked to 3 mechanics and asked them how they do it, one said, he takes of the inj pump, and takes of the plate from the side of the block, and removes the lifters through there, another one said, he lets em fall down, and recovers em later through the crank case oil pan, the other one said, he has some things to keep the lifter up, and tswap em like that, which is more like judge88 says...

Can one do the job, if one has never done it before?

can anyone list the basic steps of it (how to swap the camshaft itself...

i know how to remove the radiators, bumper and all that, and how to remove the timing cover, but from there on....

 

basically after you get everything removed out front and get to the timing cover the rest is easy imho. pull the valve cover and remove the push rods,rocker arms, bridges. then take 1/2" dowl rods cut to length and stick them where the pushrods where. line them up with the lifter and jam them down in it. pull them up and rubberband them together per cylinder.pull the timing cover off and youll see the cam gear. theres a retainer behind it that holds it in place. 2 13mm bolts and it comes out. make sure you have a magnet to catch it. easy and slowly grab and work the cam out. it takes some patience. once its out heat and press the gear off. heat and press the gear on the new cam being sure the keyway is lined up. put the new cam back in and bolt the retainer back on. drop the lifters back down and start to reassemble. not really a step by step but enough to give you an idea. plan on 8-10 hrs. like i said its not that bad of a job. just take your time and its helps to have someone there with you.

 

12Valve,
Those so called mechanics you talked to sound like they have no idea what they are talking about if they gave you those answers.

You cant remove tappets from the side of the block!! (they come out through the cam journal)

You also dont let the tappets fall into the oil pan!!

 

Did you not change lifters?

 

Hey thanks judge 88, that was a good write up, and it sounds easier then i though, and easier then the "so called" mechanics told me, i think i'd rather do it myself...

Tate,
Do i need new lifters? Say if i was about to buy only a cam, nothing else included?

 

on a 12v you need to remove the lift pump. you really don't need new lifters unless you go with a billet cam.

 

one thing i've been wondering, what does hold the cam on the rear?
A roller bearing i guess, but how do you get the cam into it, while putting the new one in?

 

12Valve,
Another Cam journal. How do you get it back in: very carefully...its kind of a challenge to those who have not done it before (even a challenge for those who have).

Some 3rd gens even came with another cam bearing/bushing at the rear of the block (mine did)...