Hello,

I read in Chilton, about using a "Special Tool" to hold the Center Carrier in place while removing the remaining four Camshaft Carriers. Is this true?

Cliff, after removing the 5 Camshaft Carriers, how did you remove the Camshaft?

Or, did you remove the Timing Belt Cover, then the Toothed Pulley for the Camshaft (Timing Belt), then the 5 Carriers? Again, Chilton suggests to use a Special Tool and not to hammer the Camshaft Pulley On.

Did you replace the Camshaft Front Seal.

When I had the Valve Cover Off, it seemed like a pretty straight forward operation. In fact, to train myself, I removed the Camshaft from a B21A, at a wrecking yard, but that was so long ago I do not remember. I did not take any special care, because I just wanted the Camshaft and a few other bits and pieces and had no intention of re-installing it. Now, I wish I would have removed the entire Head, for fun. I guess I figured at the time, because I had a complete spare B21A Engine that I did not need it.

Any further step-by-step process for removal and re-installing the Camshaft would be appreciated. I anticipate that it will be difficult re-installing the Camshaft, onto the lower Carriers and trying to bolt the upper carriers on. I will be fighting against Valve Springs. Again, is there a Carrier Installation Sequence(#1 through #5), Tightening Sequence, and Torque Setting for the Camshaft Carrier Bolts? Haynes and Chilton does not seem to specify for a B21A Engine.

I may do this job, this coming weekend, depending on my wife's agenda, if I get the tool completed to my satisfaction, specification, and do not have to further modify it, once it is done. I may borrow a mate's Digital Camera and take a couple photos. Then I will have to figure outhow to post them.

Lastly, would anyone recommend using OEM Vovo Shock Absorbers? They are $121.25 each, in Oz.

It really is not that big of a deal. I know guys that will take just the front cam gear off and kind of snake the cam out that way, myself I prefer to strip the front of the motor. On the B21 there is no timing cover backing plate like the B230 so you do not need to pull the timing belt tensioner and the jack shaft pulley as well. I would do it like this:

1)Pull valve cover
2)Pull fan and fan shroud
3)Pull alternator and a/c belts
4)Pull timing belt cover,set at TDC, pull timing belt, and cam gear
5)Pull valve cover
6)Pull cam bearing caps. Start at both end and work your way towards the middle
7)Pull cam shaft.
8)On the reinstall start with the center cap and work your way out. Do not tighten any single cap all the way down but gradually tighten them all down and again work from the center out.

Being as the engine is not an interference motor you can more or less install that shaft in any position you want and once it is in go ahead and rotate to TDC. The reason I say this is you will notice that when you lay it back into the journals if you rotate it around you can find the place that affords you the most amount of threaded stud sticking up through the bearing caps. I have pulled more red engine cam shafts than I can remember and I have never ever had a problem with binding, seizing, stripping threads, or any of that b.s. I have seen a BMW cam shaft snapped in two by an over zealous tech, I did not know that they were hollow inside and that was an expensive way to find out. Anyhow, take your time and torque stuff back down evenly and you will be fine.

Mark

Mark has said it all really.
Camshafts are very brittle, so only undo (and retighten) the cap nuts a bit at a time, working along, so that you never put much sideways force on the shaft.
Working against the valve springs is no problem - you can get the nuts on before you have to start compressing the springs, so the whole thing is a steady gradual process.
DO keep the bearing caps in the right order!
The special "tool" I made was for compressing the valve springs to replace the seals, having filled the combustion chamber with string. But there have been several threads on that topic recently.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Thank you, Gentlemen.