Disassembled My Camshaft Housing Today...
#16
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
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Whoops. Sorry Van I missed your post.
Thanks for the pics! I'll try that out when my tools come.
Pressure washing didn't do **** for my cam tower/other parts I wanted to clean, so I guess I'll stop my the machine shop that's repairing my cylinder head and see if they'll hot tank them for me.
Van gave you some ideas on those seals, below, so just a couple more thoughts on that. I had a budget for specialty tools for my belt and seal project, which was used up on the arnworx tension gauge, so I had to improvise on the others. Pretty hillbilly, since I don't have a metal shop or welder, but they all worked great.
a&b) cut a scrap of .75" ply, removed the pull arms from my gear puller, and traced it on the block and cut it out. Drilled pilot holes for (3) 3" wood screws surrounding the center hole. Then took a tiny drill bit and drilled holes every 120 degrees on the crank seal. Don't know if that's what they're for, but the seal has molded dimples that are in exactly the right spot (inside to outside) for drilling. Take care not to penetrate too deeply (>.25") into the seal w/ either the drill bit or the wood screws, or you will muck up the oil pump housing behind the seal. Once the screws and scrap piece are mounted to the seal, slip the gear puller through the cutout, rotate it so the arm mounts pull on the block, then tightened the center pivot against the center of the crankshaft until the seal pops out. Nice!...most seals w/ probably come out w/ just the three screws and scrap piece to grab and pull with, but my seal and oil pump sleeve were pretty stubborn, so this was a safer approach than jabbing at the seal w/ a screwdriver.
c) replacing balance cam seals require removing the housing since you have to replace that onion seal on the shaft behind the spacers. More of a pain for the lower cam than the upper, w/ all the waterpump attachments. Then, just cut a piece of hanging rod dowel, and hit it w/ the grinder, until it slips just inside the housing. One tap is all it took to push those cam seals and spacers out.
d) I cut, stacked and glued a set of oak rings, and wedged the old crank seal on it. I slipped the crank bolt and washer through a saw blade (using it like a giant washer, since I didn't have the right size washer nearby), then through this thing, and tightened it into the crankshaft until the seal slipped in...watch all the way around the seal as you tighten so it goes in straight...would have been easier to pick up a piece of pipe at home depot, but w/ the traffic and travel, it took about the same amount of time to make this stupid thing.
With a little moly on the outside perimeter, you can push the balance shaft seals over the spacers and into the housing w/ your fingers, and gently tap them into place w/ a small plastic mallet. I made another oak ring for that, since the crank seal is a different size, but you wouldn't necessarily have to.
a)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20727-15-27-21-s.jpg)
b)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20730-15-27-20-s.jpg)
c)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20729-15-27-59-s.jpg)
d)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20731-15-27-18-s.jpg)
a&b) cut a scrap of .75" ply, removed the pull arms from my gear puller, and traced it on the block and cut it out. Drilled pilot holes for (3) 3" wood screws surrounding the center hole. Then took a tiny drill bit and drilled holes every 120 degrees on the crank seal. Don't know if that's what they're for, but the seal has molded dimples that are in exactly the right spot (inside to outside) for drilling. Take care not to penetrate too deeply (>.25") into the seal w/ either the drill bit or the wood screws, or you will muck up the oil pump housing behind the seal. Once the screws and scrap piece are mounted to the seal, slip the gear puller through the cutout, rotate it so the arm mounts pull on the block, then tightened the center pivot against the center of the crankshaft until the seal pops out. Nice!...most seals w/ probably come out w/ just the three screws and scrap piece to grab and pull with, but my seal and oil pump sleeve were pretty stubborn, so this was a safer approach than jabbing at the seal w/ a screwdriver.
c) replacing balance cam seals require removing the housing since you have to replace that onion seal on the shaft behind the spacers. More of a pain for the lower cam than the upper, w/ all the waterpump attachments. Then, just cut a piece of hanging rod dowel, and hit it w/ the grinder, until it slips just inside the housing. One tap is all it took to push those cam seals and spacers out.
d) I cut, stacked and glued a set of oak rings, and wedged the old crank seal on it. I slipped the crank bolt and washer through a saw blade (using it like a giant washer, since I didn't have the right size washer nearby), then through this thing, and tightened it into the crankshaft until the seal slipped in...watch all the way around the seal as you tighten so it goes in straight...would have been easier to pick up a piece of pipe at home depot, but w/ the traffic and travel, it took about the same amount of time to make this stupid thing.
With a little moly on the outside perimeter, you can push the balance shaft seals over the spacers and into the housing w/ your fingers, and gently tap them into place w/ a small plastic mallet. I made another oak ring for that, since the crank seal is a different size, but you wouldn't necessarily have to.
a)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20727-15-27-21-s.jpg)
b)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20730-15-27-20-s.jpg)
c)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20729-15-27-59-s.jpg)
d)
![](https://rennlist.com/forums/members/der-treiber-albums-handmade-specialty-tools-picture20731-15-27-18-s.jpg)
Pressure washing didn't do **** for my cam tower/other parts I wanted to clean, so I guess I'll stop my the machine shop that's repairing my cylinder head and see if they'll hot tank them for me.
#17
Three Wheelin'
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When you put the new crank seal on...make sure you put it in before the oil pump drive gear. It's slightly harder to get the gear to seat properly this way, but if you do it the other way you will warp the seal.
#19
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
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I hope the guy rebuilding my cylinder head knows that...
#20
Rennlist Member
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"And last but not least, does anyone have any tips for degreasing the camshaft housing/the pieces that cover the cam gear so my paint will stick? I've been soaking them in degreaser, scrubbing them with a wire brush, then wiping it off with a paper towel, but I can't seem to get it all. I was planning on power washing them, but I'm not sure how well that will work..."
You could try electrolysis which involves putting the part in a water Borax solution then sending a positve/negative charge through the water using a battery charger and a sacrificial piece of steel. Look on youtube for the process. I do this with cast iron and it works great. I am not sure if it is suitable for aluminum. I hear it can be done but you have to watch it carefully.
You could try electrolysis which involves putting the part in a water Borax solution then sending a positve/negative charge through the water using a battery charger and a sacrificial piece of steel. Look on youtube for the process. I do this with cast iron and it works great. I am not sure if it is suitable for aluminum. I hear it can be done but you have to watch it carefully.
#21
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
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Alrighty I'll look into that if the the machine shop guy says GTFO.
Thanks for the help everyone!
Edit- I stopped by the machine shop and it turns out they use ultra sonic cleaning, so I dropped off my TB, intake, cam tower, and related parts. Hopefully they'll come clean!
Thanks for the help everyone!
Edit- I stopped by the machine shop and it turns out they use ultra sonic cleaning, so I dropped off my TB, intake, cam tower, and related parts. Hopefully they'll come clean!
Last edited by Chunkerz; 03-21-2013 at 01:21 PM.