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Old 08-19-2010, 03:10 AM   #1
jesterjames
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Default Cam Sprocket Removal FAQ

I had to take my cam sprocket gears off the hard way and took video of me doing it. It took me 5 minutes each to drill them out until the heads fell off.
It took me longer to strip them in the first place haha

Things you'll need:
1. 7/16 HSS Drill (DO NOT USE CARBIDE!!!!)
2. Drill motor
3. Cutting fluid, engine oil, or w/e to lubricate the drill
4. You will need a bench grinder as its almost guaranteed that you will chip the flutes of the drill entering the hex. You must also know how to sharpen a drill using a bench grinder too i suppose.
5. Rags to keep the chips out of things.

Alright well pics will come later as my camera is dead right now.
Assuming you havent done so yet your going to want to remove the timing belt. And oil pan.
Anyway aligning the timing marks and pulling the timing belt off (Theres reasoning for this so just do it). The cams on the Left head (2&4) will spin as soon as you do this, IMPORTANT NOTE!!! DONT TURN BOTH CAMS AT ONCE, ADDITIONALLY ONE CAM SHOULD TURN BACK AND FOURTH FREELY (EXHAUST IRC). ITS THE INTAKE SIDE THATS ENGAGED. now by hand rotate the cams so that no valves are open. (when you can turn it freely back and forth a little the valves are closed). Do this on both sides of the motor, although the right head is already in this state irc.
Once this is done you now know that the pistons wont hit the valves.
Looking through the bottom of the motor rotate it so that the neither 2&4 pistons are at TDC.

Its now safe to drill on the bolts.

Explanation for removing the timing belt:
1: if the drill grabs the cam will spin hopefully preventing the drill from breaking.

2: The timing belt is putting tension on the pulleys and it will cause the pulleys to shoot off as soon as the head of the bolt pops off.

Videos and pics to come tomorrow
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Old 08-19-2010, 11:54 AM   #2
sidewayz
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why bother drilling those out?? complete waste of time..

if the allen strips, then just use one of these.. pulls them out EVERYTIME
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Old 08-19-2010, 06:00 PM   #3
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^^ those or these, are my too favorites.


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Old 08-19-2010, 09:50 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sidewayz View Post
why bother drilling those out?? complete waste of time..

if the allen strips, then just use one of these.. pulls them out EVERYTIME
Quote:
Originally Posted by flstffxe View Post
^^ those or these, are my too favorites.


Most of the time the bolt is under to much tension to be removed that way. And if you do break one of those off its just gonna be that much harder to drill.
Whatever works for you though, personally drilling it was so easy that its the way i will do them from now on
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Old 10-02-2010, 03:46 PM   #5
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in for pics of the drilling.
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Old 10-02-2010, 05:38 PM   #6
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I wouldn't use those small easy-outs. They're pretty easy to break. When they break you can't drill them out.
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Old 10-02-2010, 06:41 PM   #7
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Or You Could Get The Proper Cam GEAR Removal Tools From Spx/kentmoore Tools.
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Old 10-02-2010, 08:45 PM   #8
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Old timing belt and two vice grip pliers. Done in 15 minutes with no broken bolts..........
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Old 10-02-2010, 08:55 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john 1badSTI View Post
Or You Could Get The Proper Cam GEAR Removal Tools From Spx/kentmoore Tools.

They really are not the best. Our $300+ dollar avcs cam gear tool lasted a month then the teeth started rounding off. Some bolts are just monsters, and others come right out. Sometimes you have to use every method listed to get them out.

Rich
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Old 10-02-2010, 09:23 PM   #10
john 1badSTI
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I did figure out over the years that if you put the 10mm allen bit socket in the bolt and crack it a couple times with a hammer it sort of shocks the loctite due to the vibrations and makes the bolts come out easier.I have one of the earlier set of avcs int tools and exhaust tools from spx,and I did hear from the guys at the dealer saying the newer tools were not made as well as the earlier ones,I have yet to have a problem getting the bolts loose,I'm just lucky I guess.
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Old 10-02-2010, 10:56 PM   #11
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We use snap ons "turbo socket". It's made for rounded nuts and has always gotten out every cam gear bolt
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Old 10-03-2010, 02:46 PM   #12
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and one other way i have found is to use a hole saw without the pilot drill
believe it is a 3/4 size it fits perfect it cuts the washer off and releases the clamping pressure the the bolt comes right out no issues at all

just be careful to drill it square as not to cut into the cam gear,but works great
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Old 10-31-2010, 08:12 PM   #13
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what happened to the pics in this thread?

my old engine is out of the car.... i took the timing belt off first, then tried to remove the cams as you would any other engine..... kind of goes without saying that its not what im used to at all, and i had a lot of trouble. i am currently at a stopping point as a tried to use the hex head socket, a huge breaker bar, the old timing belt and vice grips method... and all that came out of it was broken tools and stripped bolts.

i guess that leaves me with drilling as an option. 3 of my cams spin freely until the lobes hit the valves, my drivers side intake cam is stuck in place so the valves are open. the cam lobes are on the valves closest to the radiator (dont know the cylinder #)... what do i need to do here? i tried to pull the cam caps/cams/and timing cover off at the same time from the drivers side since the 4 cam cap bolts are exposed on that side of the engine without removing the cover, but something was in a bind and it wouldnt come off all together. i dont know if the cam was putting tension on everything and keeping it from being removed or what, but i didnt want to risk breaking the cam so i put everything back how it was.

HELP!

Last edited by WRX_FTW; 10-31-2010 at 08:37 PM.
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Old 11-10-2010, 10:08 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john 1badSTI View Post
I did figure out over the years that if you put the 10mm allen bit socket in the bolt and crack it a couple times with a hammer it sort of shocks the loctite due to the vibrations and makes the bolts come out easier.I have one of the earlier set of avcs int tools and exhaust tools from spx,and I did hear from the guys at the dealer saying the newer tools were not made as well as the earlier ones,I have yet to have a problem getting the bolts loose,I'm just lucky I guess.
mine didnt have any lock tite on them
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Old 11-10-2010, 12:44 PM   #15
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This was my solution on Monday...



I was able to get two bolts out with a breaker bar and the right 10mm hex socket. The other two stripped the head out so we welded the hex socket to the bolt head that worked for one. The other one blew out the back of the socket, so a 3/4 wrench fit nicely over it....

We did have to use about a 4-5ft breaker bar. Some tools must be sacrificed for this job apparently. Heat from the welds did the most good to free it up.
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Old 11-10-2010, 02:23 PM   #16
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i split my timing belt and broke several tools..... im kind of beyond the point of trying anything that involves unscrewing the bolts.
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Old 11-10-2010, 03:13 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vmiz View Post
and one other way i have found is to use a hole saw without the pilot drill
believe it is a 3/4 size it fits perfect it cuts the washer off and releases the clamping pressure the the bolt comes right out no issues at all

just be careful to drill it square as not to cut into the cam gear,but works great
that's a good one Vern. I'd never even thought or heard of someone doing that!!
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Old 11-10-2010, 07:50 PM   #18
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You mean you're not returning that wrench to Sears for a replacement?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cjake39 View Post
This was my solution on Monday...



I was able to get two bolts out with a breaker bar and the right 10mm hex socket. The other two stripped the head out so we welded the hex socket to the bolt head that worked for one. The other one blew out the back of the socket, so a 3/4 wrench fit nicely over it....

We did have to use about a 4-5ft breaker bar. Some tools must be sacrificed for this job apparently. Heat from the welds did the most good to free it up.
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Old 11-10-2010, 08:51 PM   #19
jesterjames
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjake39 View Post
This was my solution on Monday...



I was able to get two bolts out with a breaker bar and the right 10mm hex socket. The other two stripped the head out so we welded the hex socket to the bolt head that worked for one. The other one blew out the back of the socket, so a 3/4 wrench fit nicely over it....

We did have to use about a 4-5ft breaker bar. Some tools must be sacrificed for this job apparently. Heat from the welds did the most good to free it up.
HAHAHA, ill stick to drilling them.
I got vids i can upload but i should mention i was a little intoxicated when i made them. Not to mention i had just finished a 14 hour day at work. LOL
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Old 11-11-2010, 12:36 AM   #20
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I went to my local subaru dealership, asked nicely and they let me borrow the factory tools.
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Old 11-11-2010, 12:46 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quazimoto View Post
Old timing belt and two vice grip pliers. Done in 15 minutes with no broken bolts..........
This is how I got mine off.
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Old 11-11-2010, 11:58 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 340Duster View Post
You mean you're not returning that wrench to Sears for a replacement?
I thought about taking it in as joke. I'll video if I do...
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Old 11-11-2010, 12:04 PM   #23
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Old 11-11-2010, 04:49 PM   #24
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breaker bar + old timing belt + vice grips + 3 people = works everytime. granted the "having people" handy part is an issue but it takes 5 minutes and hasnt failed me yet. but man have i broken so much crap on these things!! AHHHHHHHHHHH
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Old 11-11-2010, 05:03 PM   #25
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All of that is great until the socket, alan key, or cam bolt strips/ breaks. an impact gun and 100psi will get most out. Then it broke all three on one cam. Drilling it took only a few minutes.
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