Cam Housing Fit-Up
 

I was started a trial fit-up of my cam housings last night and ran into what may or may not be an issue. When the housing contacted the locating pins in the heads it seemed to be a rather solid interference, like the pins weren't quite lined up with the holes in the housing. So I stopped there rather than trying to beat it into submission.

Is this normal, or are one or more of the (torqued) heads slightly out of alignment? I am using the Bentley book as my guide, which says to torque the heads before installing the housings. Would the solution be to loosen the heads, loosely place the housing, retorque the heads and then tighten down the cam box?

Do not torque the heads until you have fitted the camhousing.
Loosen heads, torque the camhousing, then torque the heads.

If you can reuse head and base gaskets I don't know...

They should align and slip on smooth, check the pins in the heads for any small burs on the top edge, does not take much. Also make sure the long studs are not bent, they can also keep the head from sliding onto the pins.

The housing slips on over the studs in the heads just fine, until it hits the pins. Then it just stops. And it feels like a "solid" stop, if you know what I mean.

Unite the heads, carrier, cam and rockers as a subassembly, way easier and in fact, the way the factory did it in the day.
Bruce

Best way.

I am having the exact same issue even on the bench. Out of the 6 heads I can't even get one to drop on smoothly during a test fit. They all jamb up at the pins.

I stopped for the night while I think it over

Upside down?
Bruce

Make sure all of the previously applied sealant is cleaned off the pins, studs, and holes.

The pins can be a light interference fit. This a good thing for alignment, but makes assembly a little tougher.

If everything is cleaned, and the cylinder heads are loose on the engine, and the oil tube orings are aligned and lubricated, then get out you rubber mallet and tap the cam tower into place.

I am actually putting everything together on the bench first during my test fit . if I take off the head and kinda put it in 180 without the other pin lining up , it drops right in every one. So that tells me its got to do with the spacing or "interference fit" between the two pins ie: one will drop in or the other but not both.
after work tonight I will give it another go . I am of course test fitting because once you put the sealant on you only have so much time.

I know the pic below is terrible but just trying to explain what I am seeing.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458842316.jpg

I ended up combining the techniques and it worked fine. I loosened the head nuts until the heads were movable, then set the cam housing down on them. Having them on the engine at least got the horizontal spacing more or less right, then it was a simple matter to adjust them to get the pins to line up. I used the engine itself as a jig.

I've done it both ways over the years but I prefer to assemble the heads and cam towers separately.
This allow me to torque everything in place and turn the cam by hand to ensure that everything turns freely.
We also install the head studs after the cylinder is in place making the installation of wrist pins and clips far less stressful.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458922089.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458920883.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921079.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921451.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921536.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458922363.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921576.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921850.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921932.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1458921990.jpg

wow now thats impressive...

i am gald i did all this test fitting on the bench, if this had been on the car it would have been a nightmare. if it doesnt drop in on the bench doing it on the car would be even more cahllenging.
Anyhow this is what i found as i did eventually accomplish the test fit.

There was still some risidual epoxy and even some burring on holes in the housing where the studs go. this was causing some of it as i new my pins werent causing interference directly from earlier testing. I wraped a piece of fine emery cloth around a 1/4 inch drill and by hand polished each of the holes till it was shiny and saw no signs of red. there was still a fair bit of friction but i was able to get them all on this way , so now for a thorugh cleaning.

Henry it is unbelievable how clean those cam housings are , they look brand new. I wish my machine shop had gotten them that clean .

Thanks all for the advice.