Help with head and cams please

[Kingme2]

So, last year I had my engine rebuilt. Didn't need it, since I had installed a rebuilt engine 3 years prior. Was sent to "family friend who knows these cars", and someone (else) told him to "fix all the leaks". I got back from vacation, went up to see what was going on... engine out and 1/2 disassembled. Crap. $1000 in parts, seperate shop rebuilds head with hi-pro parts I bought, with multiple $hipment$ from Fedex of parts every second day... argggg. Then "family friend" locks my car in shop, I can't have it out until I pay $3200. This is where the swear word goes in this story... several of them.

This year, semi-broke, I decided to have my shop add pretty adjustable cam gears I'd splurged on. Just an FYI to anyone buying... put LokTite on the screws in the rings that keep the belt on... because when the ring comes off at speed on the highway, gets cut in 1/2 by the belt, mangling the belt and my pretty cam gears, you'll regret the lack of LokTite...

Especially when the belt skips, and my shiny new Hi-Pro valves in rebuilt head are bent, zero compression... and now I haven't driven my car since early July. Parts ordered, splurged on high performance intake cam, "since it is all apart anyway". Sent head and cam towers to shop that rebuilt last year. Gave them parts, gaskets, they polished and set everything, inc the lash. Pretty. Sent me home with some sort of instructions to pass on to next guy. Camtowers are loose-fit onto the head.

Now, my regular mechanic is gone on vacation, my car has been in their shop for an embarrassingly long time. The young mechanic who is stuck with my car bolted the head down, but has no idea what to do next. Camtowers are still loose-fit onto the head.

Which cylinder needs to be TDC?
Does he put the cam gears back one, set the timing, THEN cinch down the cams?
Or, did we already screw everything up since the head is bolted down... 'cause not sure I can take that right now...

Anyone with good advice I can pass on to get past this step, appreciated. Young guy (and I) can put rest back together, as long as we don't mangle the valves/head/squishy parts first... lots of shop manuals, but seems to be missing "and this is how you reinstall head and cam towers"

insert smiley face here. or sad face, whatever you have left.

[So Cal Mark]

I completely assemble the head and cams on the bench, including valve adjustment. Then set the head on with everything timed as it should be. It's MUCH easier than doing the assembling on the car

[131]

Gave them parts, gaskets, they polished and set everything, inc the lash. Pretty. Sent me home with some sort of instructions to pass on to next guy. Camtowers are loose-fit onto the head.

I assume by "loose fit" the cam boxes have not been torqued down? If that's the case, you can't set clearances, well you can, but they'll be wrong when the cam boxes a tightened.

[MikeHynes]

Mark is correct, it's much easier to put the head together and adjust the valves on the bench. I made a very simple "tool" to hold the head up off of the bench so I could adjust the valves. I simply attached a couple a pieces of 1"X1" wood with a few 4" drywall screws and washers. Quick, cheap and easy. I'm sure there are other ways to do it, but this works for me.

[klweimer]

I would also check that all the intake and exhaust studs on the head have thread sealant on them, as some of the threaded holes connect with coolant/oil passages. Make sure the short threaded end goes in the head. I use non-hardening Permatex.

Torque the cam boxes down to spec. and then set the valve clearances on the bench. Watch your valves as you turn the cams during adjustment, so they don't hit each other. You will probably have to keep turning both cams as you go to keep everyone happy.

Turn the cams to line up the pulleys with the indicators cast in the cam boxes, watching your valves while you do it to make sure they don't hit each other.

With your head on the bench, bring the engine crank to top dead center based in the ignition timing marks. Place the small tubes in the corners of the block to register the head gasket on the block and then place the head gasket on the block and the head on the gasket. The head will fit down over the little tubes to register it the the head gasket as well. Drop in 2 head bolts to hold everything in place and check that your cams are still aligned with the marks on the cam boxes and the crank is still at TDC.

You should be able to proceed from there. Lots of threads on the forum about how to do all this.

Kirk

[Kingme2]

Thank you, all. I think the young man who currently has my car... Is lost.

Plan B, find a new guy.

[chrisg]

Holy cow, rescue your car from the kid! I mean, if it's gonna be screwed up, for gods sake screw it up yourself and don't add to the cost paying for someone's time to help! Hoping it won't be screwed up at all, of course. But with that description, I'd anticipate an off-time auxiliary shaft crash or something like that.

When I've done this, I've always done all the torquing and adjusting from the head up on the bench. Shims patience and a little math. Obviously it's a different deal if the whole engine is out of the car.

[RRoller123]

How does one do the cam timing with the head-cambox set off the car You need the flywheel position for a particular max Intake or Exhaust.

I suppose with two small cam-mounted degreed timing wheels, you could find full lift and mark it, then adjust after the system is installed to the block, but I haven't seen these offered anywhere.

[131]

How does one do the cam timing with the head-cambox set off the car

You can't. Off the car you set all the clearances, then cam pointers aligned, block near TDC, put the head on, align timing marks and fit the belt.

[RRoller123]

That's what I thought. I suppose if you had 2 small graduated wheels, you could find full lift on the bench, and mark a reference point to come back to later after assy, but I haven't seen such a thing. That would make it a hell of a lot easier when redoing the top end while the block stays in the car. Finding TDC with a dial gauge is a snap while the head is off.

[klweimer]

As I recall, that's what Guy Croft does in his book. Finds the center of lift on the #1 lobe for each cam with a dial indicator on the valve while the head is on the bench and then puts matching punch marks on the cam and housing at the rear of the cam box. And yes, it would make it much easier to time the cams once installed on the block.
Kirk

[RRoller123]

If someone knows who sells those small cam degree wheels please let us know! Because man is it a pita to time the cams with the engine in the car! I spent many a colorful word this Spring trying to get that done, and finally had to iterate it to get it close. (This is with 274FI cams and adjustable cam wheels, so no timing marks are available as with the stock system).