13 replies to this topic

[IainNeon91]

Am I being a complete noob or do you have to take out the distributor driveshaft in order to remove the camshaft from the block??

[phil hill]

Yes you have to remove the distributor drive to remove a camshaft.

 

Phil.

[tiger99]

Just a quick bit of advice, in case you are doing it with the engine and gearbox assembled, or even in the car. Get a long (3 or 4 inches) 5/16" UNF bolt and screw it into the tapped hole in the centre of the distributor drive. Use the bolt to pull it out. Otherwise, it tends to drop into the gearbox, which usually means a full strip down to retreive it. I suspect that many people here have had the misfortune to do that, once. I managed to retreive mine, way back in about 1969, but I can't remember how I did it. Not something that I would ever risk again!

 

A camshaft can be changed in the car, and rally teams used to do it. It requires radiator removal, and one of the bars between cooling slots in the inner wing cut out. It only works on cars with removable tappet covers, because you need to always fit new cam followers (tappets) with a new cam, or rapid destruction follows. If you only needed to take the cam out and put the same one back (but why would you need to do that?), you could hold the cam followers up with magnets via the push rod holes, on engines without tappet covers, such as A+ and most 1275s.

[IainNeon91]

Just a quick bit of advice, in case you are doing it with the engine and gearbox assembled, or even in the car. Get a long (3 or 4 inches) 5/16" UNF bolt and screw it into the tapped hole in the centre of the distributor drive. Use the bolt to pull it out. Otherwise, it tends to drop into the gearbox, which usually means a full strip down to retreive it. I suspect that many people here have had the misfortune to do that, once. I managed to retreive mine, way back in about 1969, but I can't remember how I did it. Not something that I would ever risk again!

 

A camshaft can be changed in the car, and rally teams used to do it. It requires radiator removal, and one of the bars between cooling slots in the inner wing cut out. It only works on cars with removable tappet covers, because you need to always fit new cam followers (tappets) with a new cam, or rapid destruction follows. If you only needed to take the cam out and put the same one back (but why would you need to do that?), you could hold the cam followers up with magnets via the push rod holes, on engines without tappet covers, such as A+ and most 1275s.

Cheers for that mate. I am going to use this tip even though my engine is stripped and split

[IainNeon91]

Soooo..... umm, yeah, this happened... 

 

 

"$£%$^&*&!!!

[freaker]

your a strong man...

 

 

that block seems scrap....

 

freaker

[Nick Warwick]

Billy big arms!

[tiger99]

I think the block can be saved. Soak with lots and lots of the best penetrating oil that you can find (not WD40, which is actually not a penetrating oil). PlusGas is recommended by some here. Keep it soaking for a week or two, build a dam around it with plasticene or similar, so it can be kept really wet.

 

Meanwhile, make a heavy bridge piece from a scrap of steel bar, and drill a clearance hole for 5/16" in the middle, 8mm or 8.5mm should be ok. Get a long 5/16" set screw and full nut , grade 10.9 if possible, otherwise at least grade 8.8, and a couple of washers. Put the nut on the set screw, followed by the washers, and grease it well. Pass the end through your piece of steel bar, and screw securely into the distributor drive gear. Tighten nut, and you have a home-made puller, specially for this task.

 

It may not work, for a number of reasons. The drive gear may break or strip its thread, or may be forcibly pulled through the remnant of the distributor mount. So the next line of attack is to get hold of a very large tap, and matching bolt, nut and thick washer, tap the remnant of the adaptor and screw your huge bolt into it. Try pulling with that, torque up, apply freezer spray, torque up again, apply heat, rinse and repeat, it should begin to creep out.

 

Or, get an engineering workshop, such as your local engine reconditioner, to mount the block at the correct angle and run a large drill through it, leaving just a thin shell of metal, which will contract as it will be too weak to remain tight, and will come out easily. Or grind a groove down the inside with a small grindstone, slow and tedious but invariably works.

 

That block is not dead yet, and with patience and reasonable luck will be saved.

[IainNeon91]

THE A SERIES IS SAVED!

 

Got the rest of the dizzy housing out without damaging the inside of the block. as well as the driveshaft and camshaft!

[freaker]

still your a strong man :) 

 

freaker

[tiger99]

Well done! There is usually a way....

[IainNeon91]

Well done! There is usually a way....

Yeah it took some thinking! haha

[tiger99]

You learn to think a lot, and develop strange physical and gymnastic skills, when you have a Mini! You could argue that every young person should have one at some stage, as part of their education.

[IainNeon91]

You learn to think a lot, and develop strange physical and gymnastic skills, when you have a Mini! You could argue that every young person should have one at some stage, as part of their education.

You're spot on there! I've have learn't everything i know about car mechanics from owning my mini!