Can someone please tell me if the cam sprocket bolts are reverse-threaded? I'm trying to tear an old motor down and just can't get these bastards loose!

 

Normal thread, but they're tight, especially on older motors. Use an impact gun if you've got one or a breaker bar.

 

Not to be a ninny, but is this in the right forum?

 

I've tried both impact wrench & breaker with no luck yet.

 

I had a bear of a time on one a while back... it had a lot of miles on it.... in the vehicle we put a wrench at the center of the cam, with a big bar on it, and then a breaker bar, with a big bar on it on the cam bolt... finally came loose...

good luck....

 

Hey I know what you're going through, we tired everything, Todd at engnbldr.com the rebuilder on the Toyota 3.0 engines informed me that some guys use Loctite and theym have to drill the center out and remove.

We felt like with the air gun not working, the giant breaker bars and crescent wrench with a cheater would do it. We were leaning so hard that we stopped before tearing hell out of things.

Grinder and got two replacement cam bolts from an engine recyler in Portland
Oregon for a couple of bucks. Be careful, also had a casualty of war with the grinder and needed to add $20 used for anew cam sprocket (sp?)a.

If you need the number I can provide it for you. Good luck as I was right where you are and it wasn't a lot of fun at that point but $25 bucks later the job moved successfully forward.

Remember to ENJOY the experience, that's why you're a gearhead on these things to begin with. Remember all the $ you're saving and the info you learn can be used later

 

If you use a crescent wrench to hold the cam and use a 1/2" breaker bar with a regular socket then you can break it loose. But the knock pins that are beside that bolt will bend unless you use a cam sprocket tool or a homemade one. You might get lucky and the pins won't bend at all. The pins don't cost much at all though. I went thru this when I rebuilt my top end on my 3.0.

 

I'm having the same problem on mine. I'm in the process of taking the heads of and the Pass. side bolt just won't break loose Even with my impact gun.I may try borrowing a buddy of mine's gun as he has a nice Cornwell tools one and mine is just a cheap Campel Hausfield. Am I understanding right that some guys have had to grind the head of the bolt of to get them off? My drivers side was a little tight but it finally came off. Didn't look like it had any loctite on the threads though.

 

Got mine off today. Tried again with my gun, no luck. Borrowed my friends and it came right off.

 

I would get 2 cam holders. I believe you can get come "cheap" form Harbor Freight. I would get two, because mine broke getting the second cam bolt out. Get a breaker bar, 1/2" preferably, and a 4' peice of STRONG pipe. If doint it by yourself, place the cam holder in the sprocket with the handle pressing against the other cam sprocket. Attqach breaker with pipe, put shoulder under pipe, and stand up. Whalla!

This is what I had to do to get mine off. It sucked.

 

Hah this is a common problem? Damn now I feel better.

 

When I did my engine, I was talking to one of the guys at my machine shop, and they said that ALL of the Toyota 3.0's they had ever worked on were like this. They said that the bolts were waayyyy too tight, and combined with the cycling of temperatue would cause them to bind pretty bad.

I told him what had hapened to my tool, and he pulls out his personally made 4130 chromoly 5 FT. breaker bar with a cam holder tool with 4130 bungs welded on it. He said after he broke the 3rd "pro" quality version of the cam holder, he made his own.

I thought I was either gonna pick up the car, or rip the engine off its' mounts with mine.

 

Ok, I went to Sears & bought their most powerfull impact gun$$$$. After probably 30-45 seconds of continuous pounding @ 700ft lbs, they both broke loose! Once I get the head bolts undone, I'm off to Sears to return that thing!

 

I have always had good luck putting a large wrench on the cam, then spining the cam until the wrench binds on the head.

1/2" thick aluminum head is always stronger than a little M14 bolt with loc-tite on it! Tho I have beaten one one head I was working on up a little bit. There was no damage, just cosmetic.

 

This engine is on a stand, so I don't have the luxury of leverage against the whole car or anything. I was also scared to let the cam rotate in fear of valves bending against pistons (timing belt was already off). The expensive a$$ impact wrench worked great!

 

A little off topis.What size are the bolts you are using to keep it on the stand. I can't find anyone here that sells m12 x 1.25, that is the right sizeright?

 

I think it is. I bought them from...Pep Boys I think years ago when I was rebuilding my 22RE. Same bolt size.
Where are you?

 

its a non interfierance engine, so thats not a problem.

How much is that impact gun by chance?

 

Get out! I thought for sure these were interference! Oh well, can't hurt too much to be extra carefull. The impact wrench was just under $200.