2005 RS Delta Cam install
 

Can anyone tell me of a good shop to get my cams and flywheel installed for a good price? Maybe an estimate of what it would cost? Or talk me into doing it myself? Haha. Thanks!

are you doing a new clutch or just the flywheel?

I was thinking just the flywheel. The current clutch only has ~40k miles on it. Now that I see that in writing tho, maybe a new clutch too lol

I would wait until the clutch goes bad before you fork out the cash or spend the time to do the flywheel.

Flywheels are totally worth it. If you drive like a n00b, do the clutch now. If you're nice to it, no need to get the replacement yet.

Well I figure the engine will be pulled or at least seperated from the tranny for the cams, and I have a flywheel already.

$600 for the cam install alone. Does NOT include adjusting the lifters, if needed. The engine should not need to come out or be separated from the trans for any reason, to put the cams in. It'd be another $500 to pull the trans and put the flywheel in.

I would assume lifter buckets are going to have to be changed with new cams. I may be wrong, but I would assume lash from cam to cam is not identical. At minimum, they are going to have to be checked.

+1.

The cheapest/easiest way to do this properly is to pull the heads off the motor in your own garage (which I believe isn't too hard as long as you have stock head bolts instead of ARP head studs or something that would require pulling the motor out).

Then take the heads to a machine shop. Have them clean 'em up, install and lash the new cams... should be around $300-$400 in labor. Then install the heads back on the motor yourself.

I can't imagine how much of a PITA it would be to setup the heads for the new cams with the heads still in the car. Then again, I've always paid someone for that sort of work so I don't personally know how hard it is... but even with the heads off the car, it's booked as a 4 hour job or so IIRC.

Sweet baby Jesus. I guess that convinced me to do it myself lol. Has anyone here done it before? Any tips? I thought I read that it was way easier to do it if you pulled the engine out about 6 inches, and I assumed that meant seperate it from the tranny first. There's a walkthrough on RS25 that I browsed, but I'll read it a few times before I attempt it. I kinda want someone who has done it before there with me, if I could talk anyone into it ;)

Sperry: that sounds like a good idea, can you give me the name of a shop or shops that I could take the heads to?

I think it would probably be easier to just pull the trans. I know I looked into that when I did my clutch and when I mentioned the engine method to Cory I think he said "F**k no, just do it the regular way." I think it would be even faster for you since there is not intercooler and turbo to work around. Either way I wouldn't mind helping you... since I am going to be taking my trans out again soon and might need an extra pair of hands. ;)

You big winkers, you.

I have an engine lift and stand; I don't have a car lift, tranny jack, or upper body strength. I'd do the engine method if I was doing it at home, but I'd expect an actual mechanic (or just somebody with access to a lift) to do it that way.

My roommate has a tranny jack he said he wouldn't mind lending. He said you need really tall jackstands for it tho. I'm one hell of a helper, but chances are I don't know what I'm doing, so I need explicit directons. When did you plan on pulling your tranny? I'm free Friday or Saturday. Why are you pulling it?

lol

Oh it's not that heavy! I just did an 07 WRX clutch two weeks ago on my back, on jack stands. I charged a LOT for it tho! :D

Cory's a tranny lifting beast!* Ask him about the time he dead lifted my 6MT into place! ;)



*insert joke here

Yeah I don't know where I am going to get the bigger jack stands from. I think my dad has a pair that he uses for his F-350 so I would need to find 2 more. My trans needs a second gear and I don't have all the parts yet so I am just going to take my time with the removal since I have another car I can drive in the meantime. When are you planning on doing your flywheel? Here is the DIY that I read over and over again to help when we did my clutch. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1324240

How can you dead lift and transmission into place? I can tell you workout.:P

My buddy has some jackstands for his truck he'll let me borrow. For sure 2 of 'em. I don't know when I plan on doing my flywheel though, I've had it since the summer, so waiting isn't a big deal. Maybe next weekend or something. Were you planning on doing your tranny this weekend?

Its kind of one of those "when I feel like it" type of jobs and today I just don't feel like it. Next week isn't looking so good either.:lol:

Haha that's how I feel about my flywheel and cams, mostly cuz I don't know what I'm doing. This weekend is gonna be my rear sway, and then enjoying the sway. Maybe next weekend will be the time for the flywheel, and tranny fluid. Nothing needs to be replaced when I do the flywheel right? Because there's all the gaskets and stuff for the cams. Maybe I should do tranny mounts... Something is squeaky when my car is idling, and I figured it was engine mounts or tranny mounts, but what do I know lol. Maybe I could do a short throw shifter too. Can anyone tell I got a student loan check?? Haha

I don't see any need to replace those mounts especially since you only have 40k on the car. A short shifter is definitely an easy/cheap/quick project and yields instant awesomeness.

The car has 61k on it. I got the tranny replaced at ~20k because I drove like an idiot in hs in the winter. Michael Hohl told my parents that my clutch was gone and I should replace it then while the car was already apart. Tranny was under warranty, clutch wasn't. I was young and stupid...

[insert joke]I'd rather lift trannys than jack them.[/insert joke]

Harbor Freight has some larger jack stands that work for this. The trick is to jack in stages so the car is never at too crazy an angle.

A tranny jack makes alignment of the tranny super-easy, and with the car up that high there is lots of room under there.

I just turned the tranny sideways on the jack to slide it out from under the car and vice-versa.

Juice, where are you sourcing your new tranny?

I am going to do the LGT 1st and 2nd gear swap.

hey big have you completed this yet.
cam swaps on SOHC motors are super easy and dont require shims or buckets.
5 spd transmissions are quite light really and can be easily done by two people in a garage.

Well, I came in here to bump this and ask for some advice and words of encouragement lol. Street Pirate: sorry I didn't see your post ever, but no, I have not done the cams yet, but would like to in a couple weeks. I am definitely intimidated by the process tho. I have access to just about anything I could need, including a cherry picker if the timing is right. The only tools I will need are feeler gauges, and a Torx Plus bit (T-40, I believe). If anyone could lend them to me, that'd be sweet, otherwise I'll buy them.

For those of you who have changed your cams, how did you go about it? There are a few ways to do it from what I understand: 1) pull the engine, then have your way with it, or 2) pull just the heads, and work on them. I figure if I can pull the whole motor, I may as well. Is there anyone that could help me in the next couple weeks sometime? It is my only vehicle, so I need to finish in a weekend. I'll have a 4 day weekend (Fri-Mon) July 31st through August 3rd, and I figure this would probably be the best time, but I can work around anyone's schedule and take a 3-day weekend whenever necessary. The only experience I have working on cars is what I have done to my own, which is just about everything for an NA Subaru short of cams and front sway. If anyone could help, it would be much appreciated, and I could repay with beer/money/sexual favors (I'm lookin' your way, Joel ;))

Did it just get super gay in here?

I don't know why you are always looking my way. Your mouth aint that purdy.:shocked:

I think I have a T40. What do you need it for?

I believe for the bolts holding the head together. I feel like I'll know when I get there

It's TorxPlus T40 I think, for the cam plates. Cory just did cams (essentially; didn't change the cams but removing them is part of the process of changing valve seals) and the motor was out since I had all the time in the world to get the job done. You could get the heads out without pulling the motor, but I'm not sure it's really any easier.

You'll also want to replace your timing belt while you're in there. It's not near the end of its lifespan yet, but you have to take it off anyway, and this way you can put it back another 100k or so.

Yeah I was planning on the belt as well. Thanks. I was hoping the cams were gonna be the expensive part, but it seems like all of the other stuff I should do while I'm in there is. The gasket overhaul kit, timing belt, coolant, oil and filter, air filter...

Cory, is there any way I could talk you into helping me with this project? Or anyone else that's been inside an engine before?

If you're doing all that, do the waterpump, waterpump gasket, thermostat, and thermostat o-ring as well. I'm assuming cam seals get done w/ the new cams.

I believe the waterpump gasket comes with the gasket overhaul kit, and I'll look into a waterpump as well, thanks. I just changed my coolant and thermostat about 10k ago, but maybe I'll do the thermostat again. I know it's not much, but all the little costs add up quick, as I'm sure everyone knows. Any other suggestions?

As I'm sure you can imagine, my schedule typically stays pretty full. Shit, sometimes I don't see my house in daylight for so long I forget what color it is! But if you dig into the job when I've got some free time, I could come and offer a professional hand or two. Say when.

July 31-August 4, or August 7-10, whenever you have time, I'll take the time off. Lemme know what you want in exchange. And please don't say my exhaust lol

I did the t-stat and o-ring, but since the water pump was showing zero signs of leakage, Cory and I figured there was no reason to mess with it.


So, next week I'll probably find 3 drops of coolant in the driveway. :|

What I need help with most is:

1) Setting valve lash. I have no feeler gauges, and really have no idea what I'm doing here.

2) Setting timing on my timing belt. Really really really don't want to f this up.

3) Saying "don't touch that" when working on the inside of my engine. Seriously. I have a feeling this will be a big part of my engine running once it's all put back together lol

The rest should just be taking stuff apart and putting it back together, basically.

How many miles are on your car?

Also, how much is a waterpump at the dealership? I might hold off unless I need it, and then just go grab it from the dealer if I do. That's always a gamble though

I haven't got the slightest idea how many miles are on that water pump actually. Could be as high as 150k, but probably a lot less. I'm at least the 3rd owner of that motor. But, the seal was totally intact, not even the slightest bit of leakage, so I let it be.

Water pumps aren't all that expensive. I think I got mine at NAPA for like $80, comes with a seal. I've actually got one here, but again, it was decided not to fix something that wasn't broke. Water Pump leaks are not an inevitability, like timing belt wear or rear mains. They could go at any moment, or last forever. So I took a chance to save that much labor while the motor was out.

Yeah I'll probably pick one up. Like I said earlier tho, none of the individual parts are too expensive, but it adds up quick. The good news is, I'm getting excited to finally be doing my cams haha

Once the motor is out and the timing belt is off, the water pump it all of 8 bolts to replace. I did mine on the SVX when I had everything apart even though it looked in pretty good shape. Of course my pump had 220kmiles on it.

I'll probably just do the water pump while I'm in there. Anything else I missed? Are there any other special tools required besides a T40 bit and feeler gauges? Can anyone lend me feeler gauges?

Big breaker bar, 10mm hex bit (allen key) to fit the breaker bar, and a "bad mother fucker" disposition, for removing the cam gears...

All of the parts I replaced when doing the timing belt on my car looked brand new. Idler gears, timing belt tensioner, water pump, thermostat, even the timing belt itself and the coolant. Stupid preventative maintenance.

I got all of the parts, coolant and coolant conditioner from John Gue, a guy I've known for years. He works at the parts counter of Heritage Subaru on the E. coast but they don't charge much for shipping at all. Best customer service from any online OEM parts counter, ever. He'll bend over backward to find part numbers and cross reference stuff for you.

www.subarupartsdepot.com

Well, I have the wallet that says I am... And I'll have to check on the hex bit. I know my roommate has a set of Allen wrenches, but I'm not sure on bits. I either saw those here or at Robby's place. Are either of those weekends gonna work for you? And are jackstands ok, or do you want me to bribe Robby for his lift?

Cody- I'll take a look, and as long as their cost after shipping is less than subarugenuineparts.com I'll order from them. Thanks

Cody: it's all a little cheaper through subarugenuineparts.com. I didn't see what the shipping would be, but their policies are similar, and it would have to be free for your friend's place to beat the overall price

Maybe email him and ask him if he'll beat their price. No biggie though.

Here's a current deal they're doing that might help: http://www.wrxfanatics.com/index.php?showtopic=59630