1975 Elodo Timing gear and cam swap

[stowe75]

I have the front cover off my 75 eldo . the nylon gear teeth are all intact. I am going to replace the timing gear and chain as well as the cam. has anyone done this job with the engine still in the car. I have the rad and grill off already
Thanks

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

It is totally possible, and has been done many times, but the biggest downfall is getting the sump to timing case joint properly sealed.

As you are aware, the Intake Manifold has to come off, so you will b e doing a lot of leaning over the front fenders, getting at everything, and if you don't get the block to manifold pan seals in correctly, even more leaks.

At least with the engine in the Eldorado, there is plenty of room to get to the back of the manifold to check.

Bruce.

[chrisntam]

Perhaps Minesinger can chime in on the secrets of sealing the intake to be leak free....

[MaR]

I did the timing chain and swapped the cam in my '74 with the engine still in the car. There is plenty of clearance with the radiator and grill off. I had no problem sealing the front cover, just use plenty of sealant on the lower seal.

[stowe75]

Yes, I have the manifold and heads off  Grill and rad removed. Heads freshly rebuilt I will give it a shot.

[TJ Hopland]

That's a lot of leaning over the car already so a little more should not hurt (pun intended).

Anything wrong with the existing cam and lifters?    Just asking because these days you may be better off with good used original than the crap shoot that is new parts these days.     The last couple years the number of stories of new cam and lifter failures has really increased.  These stories are coming from people that regularly build engines so its not like they did something wrong with the break in.  If your existing cam is damaged or you pulled the lifters and tossed them in a box you won't have much choice.   

And the tip I always give is while you have the timing cover off weld a couple nuts to the back side for those 2 small bottom water pump bolts.   Those are easy to strip and the nuts will keep it from happening.   Can't see them on an assembled engine so you don't have to be an especially good welder and no one will ever know other than that the water pump isn't leaking.  Just thread in a couple spare bolts then spin the nuts on to align them with the existing threads and weld away then remove the bolts and you are good to go.

[savemy67]

Hello stowe75,

Decades ago, when rebuilding engines that were out of the car, I could tip the block on end and lower the cam into its bearings and not be too concerned with damaging a bearing.

With the engine in the car, it seems almost impossible to insert the cam without a lobe or two bumping a bearing.  The old trick was to install a couple of bolts into the front of the cam to help balance the cam so it would be less likely to bump a bearing.

Many cams were installed without removing the entirety of the radiator, condenser, grill, etc., so the bolts were usually short - not the ideal length.  If you have the room, you may want to consider using threaded rod that is as long as the camshaft.  With your hand near the front of the cam, your hand can function as a fulcrum.  With your other hand on the far end of the threaded rod, you can adjust the position of your hands to find the almost perfect balance point, thereby greatly reducing the possibility of bumping a bearing.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter