VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 '54 235 camshaft removal (again)

O.K. guys, on the continuing saga of my camshaft removal from my 235, I have the timing chain cover off. What next to get the cam out? Also, the gear that is on the cam, can I just gently pry it off or does it require more pressure to get it loose? How many bolts on the timing plate and where are they located? I can see one on the driver's side...do I have to turn the cam to go through the sprocket to get the other screw? How many total screws are there? Thanks much...Bob

The gear is pressed unto the camshaft.The "Chevrolet" way to remove the gear is to remove the camshaft and press the gear off.The old mechanics way is to leave the cam in the engine, break off the fiber gear and split the metal ring on the inner part of the gear with a chisel.The less safe but common way the oldies installed the gear was to remove the fuel pump, place a bar behind the fuel pump lobe so as to not drive the camshaft thru the plug at rear of block, and drive gear on with a hammer.The modern way is to drill and tap a hole in the center of the camshaft and use a bolt to pull the gear on.
If you are removing the cam there are two bolts holding the cam retaining plate to the block.They are removed thru the holes in the gear - rotating the gear is necessary to gain acess to them.

If the fibre gear is stripped, there is no reason to "Baby" it but as Gene said, you have to either pull the cam shaft or bust up the remainder of the fibre gear,Then sometimes it is a bugger to get the hub off of the camshaft the metal gear also has been known to fail usually due to poor lubrication of the rocker shafts, cam bearings distributor, lifters or something that puts stress on the gear teeth. Just think about it the timing gear has a big job keeping everything moving and in the proper timing sequence, specially in the inline six.


I was thinking about the 36 thru 39 when I said to pull the front clip off, It also works on the 40s cars because it is easier to get to the camshaft than it is to work around all that sheet metal and it isn't all that diffucult to remove and replace the front clip, body men and painters do it all the time.

I had not thought about it but I wonder if you could get a dremel tool in close enough to cut and split the hub of the old gear? Also Gene, what size tap would be needed to tap the end of the camshaft for a bolt? I had a gear on a 235 truck cam that was frozen on the cam, had to pull the camshaft and use a shop press, then before I put it back in I drilled and tapped the new cam with a 5/16 SAE thread, fortunately I never had to replace the new metal gear.

Thanks guys.....the old fiber gear has already been replaced with a metal gear...what I was hoping to do was get the gear off while the cam was in the engine so that I can manuever the cam out without having to take out the grill assembly.

It doesn't sound like I'm going to be able to do that though?

Much appreciated guys!

Bob

Too many threads about cams and timing gears, you and whmarquis got me mixed up, you are changing the cam or the timing gear or both? Whmarquis just has a bad timing gear I reckon.... and he has a 40 and you have a 54 OK!

I'm attempting to get the cam out of my '54; it has a newer metal timing gear on it now...looks like I won't be able to pull it out enough to clear without removing the grill, with the gear still on it? Is that correct? If I can get the gear off before pulling it out, should the cam clear the sheet metal then?

Bob

The grille will need to be removed with the gear on...not sure about with no gear but why install it with no gear??...pull the grille as a unit and make it easy.

Yep , Gene pulling the grill as a unit is almost as easy as pulling the entire front clip to start with (IMHO)

FRONT CLIP REMOVAL

Raymundo, You are one of the causes of me advocating front clip removal. along with several body off restorations and subsequent engine and firewall projects I have been around. It is easier than I imagined only a couple of years ago. I have a 51 that is getting the treatment as soon as I get around to it, it has only been 8 or 9 years since I did anything major with it, and that was to sand blast the body.

Thanks everyone! Out to the shop!!

Bob