This guide will show you how to fit a new/performance camshaft into a Saxo vtr mk2(late silvertop) model. During the camshaft upgrade i also fitted a new head gasket as the removal of the head bolts is required to remove the camshaft on this particular model which means the seal between the Cylinder head/cylinder block can/will be disturbed.
You will need:New headgasket, head set(various gaskets), New headbolts, New cambelt and water pump if never been changed, Fresh coolant, Engine oil, Torque wrench and various other tools( sockets and spanners ranging from 8mm-22mm, thread lock(personal preference), Trolley jack(to support engine during engine mount removal as in cambelt guide)
Step1: Disconnect the battery negative lead.The removal of the Timing belt is required so please view my Cambelt how-to thread if you are unsure on how to do that
. Also it would help to lock off the camshaft with an 10mm drill bit (through the hole in the cam and into the block) so you can undo the camshaft pulley bolt, i used a camshaft pulley holding tool to stop the cam spinning whilst using a breaker bar to loosen the bolt... we need the pulley off to fit to the new cam (unless you fit a vernier pulley) > :http://www.saxperience.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=311423
Step 2: Remove the exhaust manifold nuts that attach the manifold onto the cylinder head (x8 13mm nuts). Some WD40 may be of help if they haven't been off for a while,. If possible just slide the manifold off the studs on the head and leave it in situe
Step3: Unplug all sensors from the inlet manifold: This includes Throttle position sensor, Idle control valve, MAP sensor. Also disconnect the brake servo vacuum pipe from the top left of the manifold and disconnect the throttle cable and remove the bracket with two torx bolts,then remove x5 10mm nuts that attach the inlet manifold to the cylinder head.
Step4: Before you can completely remove the inlet manifold you will need to unplug the injector connector that is located in the middle of the inlet manifold (in the void) as the plug comes up from the back of the engine. Then work/manoeuvre the manifold past the injector connector so its out of your way. This way you do not need to remove the Fuel rail, you will only need to disconnect the single fuel pipe located on the end of the rail. This way you will avoid air leaks as you do not disturb the injector seals.
Step 5: Drain the coolant by disconnecting the bottom radiator hose. Disconnect the x2 coolant hoses from the coolant housing on the gearbox side of the cylinder head, also unplug the two coolant temperature sensors (one at the top of the coolant housing and the other is located just under the housing in the cylinder head).
Step 6:Next remove the x2 10mm nuts holding the rocker cover down, gently pry the cover up and carefully remove it. Pay attention not to lose the x2 spacers that mount the oil splash guard.
Step 7: Check over that nothing else has been left on the head and that it wont snag on anything. If all looks ok then slacken the head bolts off, i like to slacken them by starting from the center bolts and work my way outwards (the same process for refitting the head)
Step 8: Remove all head bolts and lift away the Rocker assembly paying attention to which way around it fits, as you can see in the picture i inscribed 'cam' and 'g/b' into the rockers at each end so i new which end was gearbox side and which end was the cam side to avoid any confusion later on (place the rocker assembly somewhere clean to dirt cannot find its way onto the rockers).
Step 9: Next rock the cylinder head to break the seal and lift the head from the engine block, make sure you have somewhere to put the cylinder head, i placed some old clothes on a table to avoid marking the head and the furniture
Step 10: Now remove the coolant housing from the side of the cylinder head , its held in with x8 long 10mm bolts. You may find the housing is stuck on as if a bolt is still in but its just stuck due to the type of gasket sealer used, pry it off gently working it each side. Once its off you will see that the back of the cam is locked in using a horse shoe shaped clamp and a T40 Torx bolt. Remove the bolt and slide the clamp downwards. Also remove the camshaft seal located at the other end by prying it out with a screwdriver, a new cam seal should be supplied in the headset.
Step 11: Now you should be able to slide the camshaft out of the head (pull it out from the cam pulley end)
Step 12: When fitting the new camshaft it is important to either use
camshaft lubricant or fresh engine oil on the dry cam bearings/journals. Once the new camshaft is in position and oiled you can refit the clamp and fit the new camshaft seal. When fitting the new cam seal i like to coat the outer and inner edges of the seal with fresh engine oil, this helps the seal go in smoothly and also will not be bone dry on the inner lip where the spring on the seal sits, fitting a seal dry 'could' dislodge the spring /damage the inner lip without you knowing. The seal should sit just flush with the head surface.
Step 13: Clean the surface of the coolant housing removed from the cylinder head and be sure to clean in the groove that separates the oil side and the coolant side of the housing. Also clean the surface on the head and apply some sealant like in the picture and refit the housing.
Step 14: Clean the cylinder head surface and the engine block surface so that it is free from dirt and old gasket material using emery paper (do not use anything lower than 60grit as it will scratch the surfaces rather than clean them, i like to use 80-120 grit) Once the head surface is clean you will need to check if the head has any warping,,to check this you will need a 'Technicians straight edge and some feeler gauges , if you dont have access to these a local machining company should be able to check this for you and offer a skimming service aswell. Bear in mind that skimming a cylinder head is last resort as it alters the compression ratio, and it may have been skimmed once before if the car is quite old. Head warp tolerance is around .005mm, if you can get a larger feeler gauge between the straight edge and head it may need skimming. Next ensure the bolt holes for the head bolts are free from oil and water, i used compressed air to blow out any oil/water. WARNING: if you try to fit the head bolts with oil/coolant down the bolt holes the head bolt may not tighten all the way due to a hydraulic effect and reduce the clamping force between the head and block. Before fitting the head gasket ensure both block/head surfaces are 100% clean, i like to give them a final wipe using a solvent such as carburettor cleaner to remove any grease from the surface, this is especially important if using a MLS head gasket.
If you have access to a 'straight edge' you must check the head a several angles to measure for warping, see image below
Step 15: Fit head gasket onto the block and then lift the cylinder head over the top and look down the bolt holes of the head to align them with the dowels/holes on the engine block (this makes aligning the head with the block much easier) it will drop into place. Fit the rocker arm assembly back onto the head ensuring that each side slides onto the locating peg/dowel. Then fit the new head bolts and wind them in by hand until you cant go any further. The first step is to tighten all head bolts to 20NM starting from the center and working your way outwards evenly. Stage2: angle tighten them 120 degrees again working from the center outwards. Stage 3: repeat stage 2. (i.e 240 angle tighten but in two seperate stages)
Step 16: Once the head is fully clamped down you can refit the camshaft pulley(the pulley can only be fitting in one place). I used thread lock on the bolt for peace of mind and then torque it to 80nm.
Step 17: If you fitted a performance camshaft your valve clearances will need adjusting, mine were fine on the original cam but when i checked the clearances after fitting the new cam there was more than 1mm clearance on each rocker
.
Step 18: Follow the cambelt guide mentioned earlier to help you refit the cambelt side of the engine. As for the rest its in reverse order of removal....refit inlet manifold and exhaust manifold, coolant pipes, rocker cover-splash guard and spacers, coil pack etc etc. Note: Also before refitting rocker cover i poured fresh oil over the rocker and cam assembly as quite a lot of the oil that was clinging on was wiped off during the cleaning of the head before refitting. This will prevent the rocker assembly from running dry on first start up
Step 19: Bleed the cooling system using the 19mm bleed bolt located near the thermostat housing, with the engine idling remove the bolt ensure the coolant level it topped up and wait until air stops bubbling out, once just coolant runs from it put the 19mm bolt back in a tighten it up. Another bleed point is located on a coolant pipe near the inlet manifold but i managed without that. Check that the top hose is hot and that the radiator is hot in all areas (cold spots can indicate trapped air) make sure the cooling fan cuts in and out as normal and keep an eye on the temp gauge.
Camshaft running in procedure:Run the engine between 2000-2500rpm for 20 minutes to run the new camshaft in.
I hope this guide helps somebody, it will save you a fair amount in labour costs if you do this kind of work yourself.
You will need:New headgasket, head set(various gaskets), New headbolts, New cambelt and water pump if never been changed, Fresh coolant, Engine oil, Torque wrench and various other tools( sockets and spanners ranging from 8mm-22mm, thread lock(personal preference), Trolley jack(to support engine during engine mount removal as in cambelt guide)
Step1: Disconnect the battery negative lead.The removal of the Timing belt is required so please view my Cambelt how-to thread if you are unsure on how to do that
. Also it would help to lock off the camshaft with an 10mm drill bit (through the hole in the cam and into the block) so you can undo the camshaft pulley bolt, i used a camshaft pulley holding tool to stop the cam spinning whilst using a breaker bar to loosen the bolt... we need the pulley off to fit to the new cam (unless you fit a vernier pulley) > :http://www.saxperience.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=311423Step 2: Remove the exhaust manifold nuts that attach the manifold onto the cylinder head (x8 13mm nuts). Some WD40 may be of help if they haven't been off for a while
,. If possible just slide the manifold off the studs on the head and leave it in situe
Step3: Unplug all sensors from the inlet manifold: This includes Throttle position sensor, Idle control valve, MAP sensor. Also disconnect the brake servo vacuum pipe from the top left of the manifold and disconnect the throttle cable and remove the bracket with two torx bolts,then remove x5 10mm nuts that attach the inlet manifold to the cylinder head.
Step4: Before you can completely remove the inlet manifold you will need to unplug the injector connector that is located in the middle of the inlet manifold (in the void) as the plug comes up from the back of the engine. Then work/manoeuvre the manifold past the injector connector so its out of your way. This way you do not need to remove the Fuel rail, you will only need to disconnect the single fuel pipe located on the end of the rail. This way you will avoid air leaks as you do not disturb the injector seals.
Step 5: Drain the coolant by disconnecting the bottom radiator hose. Disconnect the x2 coolant hoses from the coolant housing on the gearbox side of the cylinder head, also unplug the two coolant temperature sensors (one at the top of the coolant housing and the other is located just under the housing in the cylinder head).
Step 6:Next remove the x2 10mm nuts holding the rocker cover down, gently pry the cover up and carefully remove it. Pay attention not to lose the x2 spacers that mount the oil splash guard.
Step 7: Check over that nothing else has been left on the head and that it wont snag on anything. If all looks ok then slacken the head bolts off, i like to slacken them by starting from the center bolts and work my way outwards (the same process for refitting the head)
Step 8: Remove all head bolts and lift away the Rocker assembly paying attention to which way around it fits, as you can see in the picture i inscribed 'cam' and 'g/b' into the rockers at each end so i new which end was gearbox side and which end was the cam side to avoid any confusion later on
(place the rocker assembly somewhere clean to dirt cannot find its way onto the rockers).
Step 9: Next rock the cylinder head to break the seal and lift the head from the engine block, make sure you have somewhere to put the cylinder head, i placed some old clothes on a table to avoid marking the head and the furniture
Step 10: Now remove the coolant housing from the side of the cylinder head , its held in with x8 long 10mm bolts. You may find the housing is stuck on as if a bolt is still in but its just stuck due to the type of gasket sealer used, pry it off gently working it each side. Once its off you will see that the back of the cam is locked in using a horse shoe shaped clamp and a T40 Torx bolt. Remove the bolt and slide the clamp downwards. Also remove the camshaft seal located at the other end by prying it out with a screwdriver, a new cam seal should be supplied in the headset.
Step 11: Now you should be able to slide the camshaft out of the head (pull it out from the cam pulley end)
Step 12: When fitting the new camshaft it is important to either use
camshaft lubricant or fresh engine oil on the dry cam bearings/journals. Once the new camshaft is in position and oiled you can refit the clamp and fit the new camshaft seal. When fitting the new cam seal i like to coat the outer and inner edges of the seal with fresh engine oil, this helps the seal go in smoothly and also will not be bone dry on the inner lip where the spring on the seal sits, fitting a seal dry 'could' dislodge the spring /damage the inner lip without you knowing. The seal should sit just flush with the head surface.
Step 13: Clean the surface of the coolant housing removed from the cylinder head and be sure to clean in the groove that separates the oil side and the coolant side of the housing. Also clean the surface on the head and apply some sealant like in the picture and refit the housing.
Step 14: Clean the cylinder head surface and the engine block surface so that it is free from dirt and old gasket material using emery paper (do not use anything lower than 60grit as it will scratch the surfaces rather than clean them, i like to use 80-120 grit) Once the head surface is clean you will need to check if the head has any warping,,to check this you will need a 'Technicians straight edge and some feeler gauges , if you dont have access to these a local machining company should be able to check this for you and offer a skimming service aswell. Bear in mind that skimming a cylinder head is last resort as it alters the compression ratio, and it may have been skimmed once before if the car is quite old. Head warp tolerance is around .005mm, if you can get a larger feeler gauge between the straight edge and head it may need skimming. Next ensure the bolt holes for the head bolts are free from oil and water, i used compressed air to blow out any oil/water. WARNING: if you try to fit the head bolts with oil/coolant down the bolt holes the head bolt may not tighten all the way due to a hydraulic effect and reduce the clamping force between the head and block. Before fitting the head gasket ensure both block/head surfaces are 100% clean, i like to give them a final wipe using a solvent such as carburettor cleaner to remove any grease from the surface, this is especially important if using a MLS head gasket.
If you have access to a 'straight edge' you must check the head a several angles to measure for warping, see image below
Step 15: Fit head gasket onto the block and then lift the cylinder head over the top and look down the bolt holes of the head to align them with the dowels/holes on the engine block (this makes aligning the head with the block much easier) it will drop into place. Fit the rocker arm assembly back onto the head ensuring that each side slides onto the locating peg/dowel. Then fit the new head bolts and wind them in by hand until you cant go any further. The first step is to tighten all head bolts to 20NM starting from the center and working your way outwards evenly. Stage2: angle tighten them 120 degrees again working from the center outwards. Stage 3: repeat stage 2. (i.e 240 angle tighten but in two seperate stages)
Step 16: Once the head is fully clamped down you can refit the camshaft pulley(the pulley can only be fitting in one place). I used thread lock on the bolt for peace of mind and then torque it to 80nm.
Step 17: If you fitted a performance camshaft your valve clearances will need adjusting, mine were fine on the original cam but when i checked the clearances after fitting the new cam there was more than 1mm clearance on each rocker
. Step 18: Follow the cambelt guide mentioned earlier to help you refit the cambelt side of the engine. As for the rest its in reverse order of removal....refit inlet manifold and exhaust manifold, coolant pipes, rocker cover-splash guard and spacers, coil pack etc etc. Note: Also before refitting rocker cover i poured fresh oil over the rocker and cam assembly as quite a lot of the oil that was clinging on was wiped off during the cleaning of the head before refitting. This will prevent the rocker assembly from running dry on first start up
Step 19: Bleed the cooling system using the 19mm bleed bolt located near the thermostat housing, with the engine idling remove the bolt ensure the coolant level it topped up and wait until air stops bubbling out, once just coolant runs from it put the 19mm bolt back in a tighten it up. Another bleed point is located on a coolant pipe near the inlet manifold but i managed without that. Check that the top hose is hot and that the radiator is hot in all areas (cold spots can indicate trapped air) make sure the cooling fan cuts in and out as normal and keep an eye on the temp gauge.
Camshaft running in procedure:Run the engine between 2000-2500rpm for 20 minutes to run the new camshaft in.
I hope this guide helps somebody, it will save you a fair amount in labour costs if you do this kind of work yourself.
