classix_stang289

if your interested being your in nothern VA, shoot up to PA or NJ.

New jersey, theres JDM and Big daddy performance and anyone of them would be great, they do great work.

Pa- theres Evolution Performance which does great work i hear but i never been there.

anthony05gt

I just want to say I got into the cam/spring swap today and of course did the springs first. It really is a pain in the **** for the spring swap. I appologize for saying it can't be a bad job at all. I was wrong. It really is a tedious job and will take all of the mechanic's skill and patience you have for the spring portion of the job. The cam swap itself is quite easy and can be done in a couple or a few hours, but the springs are a job I would hate getting, even once in a while. Very timing consuming and the spring compressor barely gets the job done do to the tight confined spaces and available work space in the engine compartment.

I just want to say that I hated it and 27 years experience as a tech was my most valuble asset today. I'd much rather do a pushrod engine. This was my first mod motor spring swap. Again, sorry for my previous statements on this thread.

EastCoast07GtCs

Sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead, but I was wondering if you would feel the same way if the engine was out of the car? It sounds like the hardest part was dealing with the lack of space. Am I making too much of the difference between in the car -vs- room out of the car?

06GTwJUICE

your the bomb!

I cant find my manual but thats all I need.

The parts breakdown is the most important to me but I'll take it all.


It might be a time consumeing job but I'll enjoy the challenge.

I'll take a bunch of pictures and do a write up when I'm done. I wont get to installing for another 2-3 weeks till I get the tools in.

anthony05gt

If the engine is out of the car that would make the job about 50% easier, so to answer your question, no you are not making too much of the difference between engine in or engine out. The exhaust valves would be much easier to do not to mention the fact that you won't be bent over the fender for hours killing an otherwise healthy lower back.

06GTwJUICE, in the spring swap pdf it shows that you have to remove 3 rockers on each side before loosening the cam journal caps so there's no tension pushing up the camshaft. On the driver's side the pdf is wrong on which rockers to remove. It's a misprint. Just remove all of the rockers and keep them in order. You can then swap the camshaft, torque the caps back down, compress each spring and reinstall the rockers in their original locations.

06GTwJUICE

Would you suggest swapping the springs using the original camshafts in place or swapping the cams and then doing the valves? I guess it really doesnt matter. The only really hairy part of it is making sure the cams go in properly and that the phasers go on without jumping a link etc...

I plan on having someone wiht a steady hand hold it while I remove the cam and then not move till i get the new one in place and snugg with the new phaser bolt.

anthony05gt

I did the springs first using the stock cams. It is wise to have a buddy hold the sprocket while you wiggle the camshaft out. just make sure you install the wedge the exact way the pdf pics show. Once you get the wedge in you have to shove it down between the chain as far as it will go. One other thing to note is on the driver's side it's a lot easier to shove the wedge in past the sprocket in the opposite way the pic shows, (flip the wedge) but once you get past the sprocket flip it back over the way the pic shows. You'll see, just remenmber that when you do the driver's side.

8905GT

I know this is an old thread but my passenger side cam is damaged. The other day a ticking sound started up underneath the valve cover. So I removed the valve cover and sure enough on of cam lobes was damaged pretty bad and the rocker arm (lash adjuster) is loose and damaged as well. Never race this car or even drive it hard.

Anyway I will need to replace the cam with an OEM one or possibly do both and upgrade to the FRPP hot rod cam set.

So how bad is this cam swap? I checked out the links and it looks like it could go either way, advise?

Thanks guys!

ford4v429

hate to possibly have worse news, but before tearing in, look closely at your head casting where the hydraulic lash adjuster plunger goes in...another guy in here chunked a roller/lobe and the knocking shock busted the head casting out around the lash adjuster- hope not, but best to know before tearing it apart...

good luck!

EDIT- found it, go here and 2nd page, post 18 has pics of the head crack: https://themustangsource.com/f669/th...-noise-486428/

hopefully yours is fine.