need some help- heads/cam swap

[legalize420]

i started last night and its going pretty smoot so far. i have two questions. how do you remove the valve covers? i removed the 6 bolts and now they wont budge. i wanted to check before i start using force to get them off, am i missing something, is it just the six bolts. second question. how do you remove the radiator. i found the 4 places that hold it in but im not sure how to get it out. do i have to remove the fan ( i have a 95 btw) from the rad or can i leave it attached and take out the whole thing.

 

[jackchan]

the valve covers only have 6 bolts. Take something and bump it the gasket is prolly all that is holding it down. Sometimes the heat seals it off pretty good.

on radiator.....(*thinking of how a 95 goes together) you should be ready to take it out unless your running an automatic, or have a powersteering cooler fastened to it somehow. Make sure to remove the upper and lower hoses. and if it were me I'd remove the fan as well.
good luck
Jack

 

[Michael Yount]

As long as all the electrical connections to the fan are disconnected, you should be able to take it and the rad. out as one unit - that's how I do mine. You have disconnected the battery, right?

 

[legalize420]

As long as all the electrical connections to the fan are disconnected, you should be able to take it and the rad. out as one unit - that's how I do mine. You have disconnected the battery, right?

yes the battery was the first step. is there a trick for removing the rubber pieces that hold the rad in place.

 

[Michael Yount]

I can tell you how to remove the radiator in the Volvo - can't help with your Stang.

If the engine parts are original and have never been apart, things are gonna be 'stuck' pretty good. Be sure you have all fasteners loose - then use a pry bar (careful on aluminum bits) or a rubber mallet for 'percussion' adjustments.

 

[legalize420]

was i supposed to remove the crankshaft bolt before removing the serp belt and all the accesories? im trying to pull the balancer and when i try to losten the bolt the whole thing spins. any suggestions

 

[Paul Perreca]

yes the battery was the first step. is there a trick for removing the rubber pieces that hold the rad in place.

On the top of the radiator?? You don't move the rubber, u just unbolt the entire bracket (like 3 inches long and like 2 bolts each) and they come right off... than the rad is free to move depending on whether you already took out the bottom bolts

 

[Paul Perreca]

was i supposed to remove the crankshaft bolt before removing the serp belt and all the accesories? im trying to pull the balancer and when i try to losten the bolt the whole thing spins. any suggestions

Yea, i think i jammed a bigass screwdriver in somewhere, while someone else took out the bolt, or vise versa

 

[Michael Yount]

legalize - trying to be gentle here - but based on your questions so far, I think you're in over your head on a heads/cam swap. Do you have a buddy that's done this before that can help? The questions you're asking are REAL straightforward issues if you have a decent idea of what you're doing. Not trying to flame -- just don't want you to be disappointed or make mistakes. Cause you've not even touched the stuff that's more complex than the disassembly.

Belt comes off just by putting a wrench on the bolt through the center of the tensioner pulley and rotating the pulley against the spring. Balancer nut comes loose but you have to put the car in gear (use 4th or 5th) or otherwise lock up the motor to turn against it. Once the bolt is out (remove the washer too) you'll need a puller to remove the balancer. AutoZone will loan you one for a small refundable deposit.

 

[legalize420]

legalize - trying to be gentle here - but based on your questions so far, I think you're in over your head on a heads/cam swap. Do you have a buddy that's done this before that can help? The questions you're asking are REAL straightforward issues if you have a decent idea of what you're doing. Not trying to flame -- just don't want you to be disappointed or make mistakes. Cause you've not even touched the stuff that's more complex than the disassembly.

Belt comes off just by putting a wrench on the bolt through the center of the tensioner pulley and rotating the pulley against the spring. Balancer nut comes loose but you have to put the car in gear (use 4th or 5th) or otherwise lock up the motor to turn against it. Once the bolt is out (remove the washer too) you'll need a puller to remove the balancer. AutoZone will loan you one for a small refundable deposit.

maybe in over my head but im not turning around now. i wasnt asking how to take the belt off, i did that last night, i was thinking maybe i was supposed to loosen the crankshaft bolt before i did that but i was able to get it off by putting the car in 5th. i have read plenty of info on the swap and i just ran into a few little problems.

 

[cobradvm]

legalize - trying to be gentle here - but based on your questions so far, I think you're in over your head on a heads/cam swap. Do you have a buddy that's done this before that can help? The questions you're asking are REAL straightforward issues if you have a decent idea of what you're doing. Not trying to flame -- just don't want you to be disappointed or make mistakes. Cause you've not even touched the stuff that's more complex than the disassembly.

Gotta agree with Mike here - just wait until you start putting this back together and doing things like cam timing, putting the heads back on, and adjusting the valve train. Also you will need to check things like piston/valve clearance, and push rod length unless you are doing something like the TF engine kit. A HCI swap is not something to learn how to do on your own, if you haven't done much work on your car before.

ON a scale of 1-10 on difficulty, removing valve covers rates about a 1. Doing an HCI swap rates about an 8 or so.

Like Mike said, not trying to flame, but nothing worse than spending a chunk of change on this, and then it goes kablooie when you try to start it up.

Good luck.

BTW there is tons of info on HCI swaps here and on Corral, if you cdo a search on it - here's a good one...

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=583559

 

[jrichker]

5spd GT has an excellent step by step tech note on the head swap. See http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=583559&highlight=teflon for his comments & mine on HCI swaps for more help.