Back to the original topic...

Breaking the cam gear bolts loose from the camshafts is a real *****, but we found a way to do it which will break them loose, in the engine, no problem. We spent at least 15 minutes on the exhaust cam before we found this technique, then broke the bolt loose on the intake cam in less than a minute.

What you want is a long handled open end wrench which you put on the cam (there's only one hex shaped place to put it). Put a long handled ratchet or breaker bar on the cam gear bolt, with the handle pointing straight up. You should have two handles sticking straight up about 8-10 inches apart.

Now, put a stout metal bar about 4 feet long running crosswise between the two handles -- at the cam gear end, it will go on the front side of the ratchet or breaker bar handle, and at the cam end, it will go on the rear side of the open end wrench handle. Get one person on each end of the metal bar and twist the bar against the wrenches. That should provide enough leverage to break the bolt loose. You do need two people to do it, and a third might be prudent -- the third person would hold the wrench handles so they don't fall over into the open head when the bolt breaks loose.

 

Cool. When I was doing mine all my friends were at school n work, so I had to do it all by myself.

I also thought of placing some kind of iron/steel/al block over the engine (clear of perishable parts of course) to hold the wrench. I think it woulda worked by I counlt find any block of metal big enough.

Oh well. If most people are changing both gears and cams, its better just not to mess with the cam gear bolts and just buy an extra set from Mitsu.

I think the gears are definitely needed anyways for Stage 1. Also, you are already there.

Oh, and ARPs are not a bad idea when your inside the head already either.

 

Also, did you notice the loose head bolts on cylinder 4? Mine were only torqued around 50-55 ft lbs when the specs say 78!!! I retorqued all of them but the ones on cyl 4 took a while to catch.

Remember all the engine failures due to overboost (2 or 3 in here that ran w nitrous)? They said all were due to head bolts on cyl 4 becoming loose and ended up blowing the head gasket.

TIGHTEN YOUR HEAD BOLTS!!!

STi

 

Update. The guy with a balck STi that I mentioned that I wanted to rice I think is featured in MZMs customer car page. He has a SP50 turbo and is running ~370HP/~370TQ!!! Im glad I didnt go out there and got embarrased! I havent done my mods yet back then also.

Ill be keeping an eye on him and ask him for a 1320 showdown at Alamo Raceway!!!

STi