cam installation secrets?

[chris450R]

i am getting a hot cams stage II cam for my 450R in a couple of weeks. and i was wondering how hard it is to install a cam myself in my motor. i would just like to know everything that i will need to do to get it in properly. and also if anyone has any secrets about how to make it easier, if it is even hard at all. also will i have to re-jet for the new cam? i am getting a full sparks pipe soon also. well any help will be greatly appreciated. thanks, chris

[Honda Jay]

Well, to start it off, tear the bike down to frame (ie: no plastics or tank, well no rear plastic) to get to the vavle cover. Open the timing hex sight hole and turn the motor over until of TDC. Take your plug out, and take off the valve cover. Open the cam chain tensioner bolt, loosen the cam gear bolts, and with a very small flathead screwdriver turn the cam chain tensioner screw CLOCKWISE TO LOOSEN, and hold. Completely take the cam gear bolts out, !!!VERY IMPORTANT!!! do not drop these bolts down into the crankcase or else!!! Finally, slip off the cam gear and let the tensioner go free. Loosen the four cam holder bolts up top, and carefully lift and look for all FOUR shims and make sure that your buckets come with the carrier. Keep very careful track of the four shims and their location, whereas this is the only motive of valve clearance/ adjustment. Easy just to write this down and not forget or mix up just in case the shims come up with the buckets. Brake loose the bolt on the decompressioner side (very very hard to brake, has very strong locktight on from factory) and take the decompressioner essembly off and gently slide your cam out. Lube the new one up and slide in. Put the essembly back on, and loosely screw the entire carrier back on. Just take the above steps for the most part and take your time if not quite confident. Once the carrier is torqued right ( i think only 12-14 ft lbs) check all of your vavle and decompressioner clearances and reverse the tear down order opporations. Good luck and enjoy the gains!

Jay

[35charlie]

Use some heat on the bolt holding the decompressor onto the end of the cam. You'll probably round off hex wrenches if you don't. I used one of those hand propane torches (carefully).

After you reinstall the cam carrier, check the valve clearances. Make note of exactly how far off they are if they aren't right. If you need to, remove the carrier again to change out the shims. They're available in .025mm (close to .001") increments. The number on the shim is the size in hundredth's of mm. (e.g. 175 = 1.75mm, 178 = 1.775mm, 180=1.8mm etc.)

When I installed my HRC cam, both intake valves needed changed a couple sizes up. I was able to move one to the other side and just buy one new one.

[Hammer trx450r]

Chris you couldn't get a better answer than the ones you just got!

nice job guys, i have NOTHING to add

[REDARMYRACER]

dont forget a parts bucket!!!!!!!!


hhahahahahahahahahhaaa:devil:

[Honda Jay]

Originally posted by Hammer trx450r
Chris you couldn't get a better answer than the ones you just got!

nice job guys, i have NOTHING to add

Yes, no problem! A service manual may be nice if you're not too mechanically inclined, but is not a necessity if comfortable. Good luck.

Jay

[chris450R]

thanks alot guys! for all the helpful info! that really is alot more than i really thought about it being, but i will probably just go by ya'll steps and try my best. i am mechanically inclined but not as well as others. i am sure it isn't too hard to handle, just takes patience and being careful! well thanks again for the help! c-ya, chris

oh and yeah, if any of ya'll would like t know i threw down at the track this weekend. first race pulled the hole shot!! heck yeah! and pulled out and kept the lead all the way too the finish line. second race pulled third out of the hole but in the second turn made a pass for second. ended up stayin there for a second palce finish to my step-brother and my other step-brother come-in at third. oh and we were racing in open B 4-stroke. there was about 10 in the class. so i would sya that i did pretty good.

[lukester720]

Congrats on the race man! If you need to swap out the shims and your dealer doesn't know what kind it takes they are the 9.5mm diameter ones, I've heard that they are different diameters on different bikes.

[BIGRED400]

Stuff clean rags in the cavity in the vicinity where you're working ,that way if you do drop something it catches it and goes no farther, it could make life easier for you:D, torque everything to spec,lube the cam real well, most important keep the idle up for cam break-in without synthetics.

[ssrogers]

Tell me when you try to change that cam if you do it yourself. I would like to watch.

You know who this is.

I sure hope this is who I think it is.

[ssrogers]

By the way, Here are my forums. (If you care)

http://digitalcorvettes.com/

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/index.php

The first one is my favorite. I want you to join them because they are where I get all those videos and you can't watch them unless you are a member.

Don't worry, I'm not going to be a problem, I just wanted to be able to post replys if I wanted to.