I tried doing a search but didn't find much info on what I really need to know. If someone knows where thread will have some info on this, please point me to it.

Anyway, how much and how long should I expect a shop to charge me for installation of cams, springs and retainers. I found a guide on cams install but nothing on springs and retainers.

Is there a "How To" for springs and retainers? If not, how hard is it to do it?

The place I am thinking about taking it to saids it will take about 4 hours for the cams and from what I have read, I agree. But when I told him that it should only take another couple of hours for the springs and retainers, he said....no way!!!! And it is quite difficult on our EVO and it will take a lot longer.

Can anyone please provide me with some advice. Thanks!!!

 

Why dont you ask Works what they charge?

 

cam installation should take at least 4 hours and cost a couple hundred bucks to put in. valve springs and retainers take just as long if not longer to install than cams so based on an hourly rate it would cost you more for install also. thats why i havent put in my valve springs/retainers in yet, just my cams. but a rough estimate for install should ring you up close to $800+. and it can be done in one full day.

 

Thanks for the info megatron!

 

I can't give an estimate on time or $$ on the spring/retainer install, but unless you have the head off of the car OR have the correct tools, the spring/retainer install would be fairly difficult for the DIYer. If you're handy, you could pull the head, install them with a common C-shape valve spring compressor (~$20-$30?) and reinstall the head. Most C valve spring compressors will not come with the OHC extension...in a pinch I've use an O2 sensor socket since it has a slot it it, but the proper extension can be purchased separately.


To do the springs/retainers with the head on the car is a completely different story. There are generic/cheap valve spring compressors that supposedly do this, but I've yet to see one work on a 4G63 head.

The "right" way to do it would be to pressurize the cylinder you are working on with compressed air to keep the valves from falling down when the keepers are removed. The valve spring compressor itself is a multi-piece tool with a rod that is bolted across the head to be used as a fulcrum point and a lever with a slotted tube on the end of it (example). Put it over the retainer of a valve on the filled cyl, push the retainer/spring down, grab the keepers with a pick-up magnet, release the lever and remove the retainer/spring. Repeat for all 16 valves (one pressurized cyl at a time) for removal and again for reinstall.

It's really all the same work you'd have to do anyway, but you don't need to remove the head which saves a bunch of time. The only caveat with an on-the-car R&R is that you must be SUPER careful not to drop/lose any of the keeper halves. They're slippery little suckers and will have absolutely no problem burying themselves into the deepest corner of the head...if they don't go down a passage and end up in the oil pan

 

turbotrix charged me 225 $ for the cams, i dont know about springs and retainers.

 

I paid $500 for install of cams, springs and retainers. The shop said the springs were the hardest part, but with some finesse and the right tools they got it done. Took them a day. Well at least they had it a day before I picked it up.

 

Springs and retainers are quoted at an additional 1.25 hours on top of a cam install. This isn't a significant amount added to the 4 hours of labor for the cams themselves (unless you want to do it the hard way and remove the head ).