I have steel gears already in my timing cover. Can I pull the one off my cam and reuse on the new Cam? I don't have the capability to pull the engine or head. Is this safe to do all the work without pulling the head? and some of your words are still jargon to me. I am learning but I am just trying to get a running engine and the cam is what broke so I am trying to minimize what I do but at the same time besure its effective. Can you point me at some specific reading and videos that can explain the process to me. I have seen a few threads in the forum but I am having a hard time deciphering all of it.

 

This is what I am looking at.

No rollers or rockers included.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/c...view/make/ford

 

Just guessing here, but maybe the increased side-scrubbing action of the higher lift cam in conjunction with the non-roller rockers accelerated the wear on the valve guides. Did you check the valve guides for wear after it started burning oil?

 

 

Yes you can reuse the gears and saves the hassle of pulling the crank gear. The can gear is pressed off the cam. Take the gear off as well as the plate and key. Press them all onto the new cam and back in the engine. The plate is brittle do not put pressure on it.

 

Here's the proper way to do it

1. drain your coolant and oil
2. pull the rad, belts, valve cover, grille, fan, water pump pulley, pushrod cover, distributor, fuel pump
3. using a puller pull the balancer and remove the timing cover
4. remove the rockers, pushrods, and throw the lifters in the garbage
5. remove the intake and exhaust
6. roll the engine to topdead center and leave it
7. take off the 2 cam retaining bolts
8. pull the cam
9. press off the old gear, don't damage the plate or lose the small key
press the parts on the new cam
10. pull the head and have a machine shop and recondition the head while its off, new screw in studs, install valve springs and set to height according the card the came with the kit

11. clean the engine deck surface with fine sand paper on a flat bar of steel to clean it up
12. cover the cam lobes, bearing surfaces and lifters with the included lube

13. slide the cam in with gears lined up, drop in new lifters
14. install head, torque to specs in order
15. install pushrods, fuel pump, distributor at #1, timing cover, balancer, pushrod cover, water pump pulley, fan, rad, intake and exhaust.
16. adjust your valves one cylinder at a time. roll the engine over a 1/3 turn so the distributor points at the next cylinder and adjust that one.
17. fill break in oil and coolant
18. put on valve cover
19. start the engine and run for 20min at 2000-2500 rpm varying.
20. be sure the pushrods spin.
21. recheck valve lash
22. oil and filter change
23. good to go

I may have missed something off the top of my head.

 

you say check valves. All I am seeing to check is lash? Is this correct?

can I pull lifters with the head on? Do I use a magnet for this?

I am not pulling the head so I won't be doing a bunch of those steps... What kind of oil for break in?

is my set I linked to up top the right set? Can you point me to the rockers and studs you recommend?

 

 

Thanks Jason. I am feeling confident in my ability to perform this. Now to call around and see what it will cost for the studs. I know my one shop will press my gears off the old cam and on the new one for $30

 

My issue now is that I am slowly approaching $900. The engine builder in town has one sitting on the floor that was just rebuilt. Already broke in. They claim 220hp and 350tq. Don't know if I believe it. I am not chasing High Power. So I don't care too much. It was built for a drag car.

 

It's up to you what you spend the cash on. The 300 unfortunately is expensive to make power on. Horse power is cheap to make, reliable horsepower gets expensive. I'd ask whats in that engine. 220hp is on par with engine build you were already considering....

 

If i just put the cam kit in for now to get it running will it be a problem with stock rockers?

I don't have the cash for everything but the rollers are at the top easy to do later. I just need the vehicle running for now. Its not a daily driver. Yet. I would like to get to that point but I am too occupied with work and school to get it there.