MK II - Installing a New Cam

[svassh]

I'm running Webers on a 347 I know little about. I had a custom cam ground specifically for Webers that I want to install.

I'm guessing I can remove front accessories, radiator and fan and will be able to pull the cam without removing the body or the motor?

Anybody done an in car cam swap?

Thanks

[gbranham]

I did a cam swap in a MkIII with a 408. I don't recall taking out the radiator, nor did I have to remove the body or engine.

[jts359]

I've done a cam swap in a MKII in the car with no problems , Ed

[Rdone585]

You will have to keep the valves from interfering with the cam lobes while removing and inserting, and to keep them from falling through when no cam is in place. I'm sure there is a tutorial or video somewhere showing how to do that without removing the intake.

[ProfessorB]

I have a Mark II but did not build the car. Hopefully you can swap the cam without pulling the radiator. I have looked at MY radiator and I shudder when I think of removing it. It looks easier to pull the engine than the radiator, someone with more experience may weigh in on this. Regarding swapping the cam without removing the intake, the pushrods and lifters will have to come out thru the "space" in the cylinder head where the pushrods are. On some engines there is room to pull the lifter....on some engines there is not enough room. (The lifters are "grabbed" with a special tool) Furthermore, some styles of roller lifters have a connecting bar between every two lifters to keep them from spinning in the lifter bore. Again, this would be harder to pull thru the cylinder head space than a single lifter would be. I have always pulled the intake off to swap a cam. Easier to check, then lube, the cam bearings and easier to support the cam as it is pushed home, easier to assemble the lifters back in their bores, easier all around when you can see what you're doing.

[weendoggy]

Many aftermarket roller lifters, i.e. Crane, Comp etc, don't really come out without removing the head, but you can "jimmy" them in place to pull a cam.

[rich grsc]

You will have to keep the valves from interfering with the cam lobes while removing and inserting, and to keep them from falling through when no cam is in place. I'm sure there is a tutorial or video somewhere showing how to do that without removing the intake.
You can't pull the cam with the lifters in the way, the valves aren't in the way

[Rdone585]

Rich, thanks for correcting my error. It's been too long since I worked on the internal parts.

[R. Button]

Just did it for my 347 with webers on a Mark I
valve covers off
drain water out of the block!
distributor comes out - helps if before you pull dist - manually rotate the engine to top dead center!
intake manifold off
unbolt the the lifters and slide out the push rod and lifters - for me I have JUST enough room to remove the lifters from under the heads
water pump comes off
cover for the timing change comes off
BUT to get it off you will have to remove at least the front bolts from the oil pan to allow chain cover to come off... may have to loosen or remove a few more oil pan bolts!
crank shaft chain comes off
I used a long bolt to thread into the cam to give me a way to hold the cam steady as I slowly put out the cam
make sure you have some cam lube and pour it all over the cam before you gently and slowly slide the cam in.
now reverse all the steps.
I think I remember all the steps.
I had no issues with the radiator it was never removed for the cam take out or install

[StangRacer]

I'm running Webers on a 347 I know little about. I had a custom cam ground specifically for Webers that I want to install.

I'm guessing I can remove front accessories, radiator and fan and will be able to pull the cam without removing the body or the motor?

Anybody done an in car cam swap?

Thanks

I have used the "tappet tool" from Anderson Ford many times swapping cams on the dyno with 8.2 deck small blocks. Some Edelbrock heads have a trough milled on the underside of the heads that will allow you to remove the lifters on an 8.2 deck without removing the heads. If you don't have Edelbrock heads with the trough the Anderson tool works great.

https://www.andersonfordmotorsport.com/tappet-tool-for-5-0l-engine/

[ProfessorB]

Many aftermarket roller lifters, i.e. Crane, Comp etc, don't really come out without removing the head, but you can "jimmy" them in place to pull a cam.

Cant the lifters be removed WITH the heads in place by only loosening/removing the rocker arms, removing the pushrods, and removing the intake manifold? (Meaning you have to remove the intake to remove the head.....but not vice-versa)

[BUDFIVE]

ProfessorB
When Ford changed the 302/5.0 block to be roller cam capable, two things were done:
1) They added drilled and tapped bosses for the dog bone spider to be bolted to the oil valley under the intake manifold.
The dog bones prevent the lifters from rotating.
2) They lengthened the lifter bores to properly house the longer roller lifters.
So, the 8.2” deck 302/5.0 blocks that we use to build 302s and 347s often don’t have enough room for the lifter to be pushed up out of the bore before the lifter hits the bottom of the cylinder head. This depends on the length of the lifter and on whether the cylinder head has a relief (trough) machined on the gasket side (deck surface) where the pushrods come through the bottom.

For completeness, this is less of an issue with 351 Windsor roller cam engines because the 351W block has a 9.5” deck height.

[ProfessorB]

ProfessorB
When Ford changed the 302/5.0 block to be roller cam capable, two things were done:
1) They added drilled and tapped bosses for the dog bone spider to be bolted to the oil valley under the intake manifold.
The dog bones prevent the lifters from rotating.
2) They lengthened the lifter bores to properly house the longer roller lifters.
So, the 8.2” deck 302/5.0 blocks that we use to build 302s and 347s often don’t have enough room for the lifter to be pushed up out of the bore before the lifter hits the bottom of the cylinder head. This depends on the length of the lifter and on whether the cylinder head has a relief (trough) machined on the gasket side (deck surface) where the pushrods come through the bottom.

For completeness, this is less of an issue with 351 Windsor roller cam engines because the 351W block has a 9.5” deck height.

Thanks for the explanation. I forgot about the shorter deck height (former Chevy guy)

[Ford & Jeep Fan]

Cant the lifters be removed WITH the heads in place by only loosening/removing the rocker arms, removing the pushrods, and removing the intake manifold? (Meaning you have to remove the intake to remove the head.....but not vice-versa)

If they are the OEM (dog-bone) type then yes they will come out. the Much taller link bar lifter are the only ones where there could be an issue. If so simply use shoe string to hold the lifers up out of the way to remove and reinstall a Cam.

[ProfessorB]

If they are the OEM (dog-bone) type then yes they will come out. the Much taller link bar lifter are the only ones where there could be an issue. If so simply use shoe string to hold the lifers up out of the way to remove and reinstall a Cam.

And without ever having heard of "the shoe string method" before, I can easily envision what it is.

[Railroad]

shoe strings = zip ties

[Bob Cowan]

The bottom line is, it depends on the parts installed on the car. There's plenty of room between the block and the radiator. Not a worry there. But other parts used might make it difficult/impossible to get the cam out.

Remove the intake manifold. Pull the lifters up as much as possible. Use either clothes pins or binder clips to hold them up out of the bores. Gently slide the cam out. I use a short piece of All-Thread to make a handle for the cam.

If you can't get the liters up high enough, you'll have to remove the heads.

[svassh]

Thanks all, glad to hear I don't need to pull the radiator. The rest intake, valve covers, lifters and front parts was a given.