OK.... i searched on the org about the secret cam swap right.... well went to a local junkyard and got the intake cam, tower,and lifters off of a 95 2.3 and i know that it is the right one for the swap. Now i went to another junkyard and had them pull off the exhaust cam, tower, and lifters. I dont think it is the right one because the pulley for the timing chain is a dual sprocket pulley. The casting number on the top of it is 22535435. can anyone tell me if this cam will still work for the swap, it was off of a 90 2.3.
I have a couple more questions also
1. Can i just take both of these towers and bolt them on to my 2.4 head or do i actually have to take the cams out of them and switch them to my 2.4 cam towers?
2. Do i need that flange adaptor kit for the 2.3 intake manifold to bold on to my head or no?
3. If anyone can give me a play by play manual for this swap it would be appreciated.
Thanks guys
so i wouldn't screw up the exhaust cam. I bought mine new. Also you cannot go buy casting numbers on the tower most of them are the same but with different cams.
1. You should be able to use your stock tower unless you are using HO cams.
2. A flange would make things alot easier for you.
3. I kind of have one that was done by suncavi but if you can get a hold of a GM shop manual the directions are right there to the detail. I used those instructions.
here is the info i have on the swap.
CAM INSTALL
I swapped them and it is not that bad as people think it is.
It took about 6 hours to do with a friend to help you and mainly with the
timing adjusting. Just taking it easy.
I wrote you guys a manual to do it yourself if you want Cause I love JBO and appreciate what it did for US.
*First secure the car up in the air and the motor with a separate jack.
*Disconnect the battery.
*Take your right front wheel off and loosen lower motor mount (15mm) socket..
*Take the upper motor mount off (13mm) and the bracket for the motor mount (18mm).
*Take off water reservoar beacuse it will just be in the way.
*Take the crank pully off(27mm) and the belt with the tool called (HARMONIC BALANCER PULLER) because that is what the crank pully is.
*Unbolt the timing chain housing plate. (25 little bolts, 10mm).
* ''''''' Before you start taking the timing chain tensioner and sprockets off and all make sure that the motor is at TDC( #1 piston is at top dead center).
You are going to do this by making sure that a little ridge at your crank( after you take the pully off) is at 12 o'clock.
''''' IT SHOULD ALIGN WITH A LITTLE RIDGE THAT IS ON THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING that is also at 12 o'clock.'''''
''''''''Also, make sure that your cam sprockets are where they should be (both intake and the exhaust). There is a little hole in each sprocket and if you put those holes at 6 o'clock, take a bolt that will fit THROUGH them and there is a little hole behind each sprocket on the timing chain housing that you can't see, the bolt SHOULD GO THROUGH THE SPROCKET IN THE HOUSING to hold the sprocket from moving.
Now your motor is at TDC and you can start taking the chain and the rest off'''''.
* To take the camshafts off you are going to have to take the sprockets off so if they go out of whack just make sure that the holes on them are at 6 o'clock and that they are secured with the bolts that go through them in the housing.
*Take the timing chain guides off (pop them off with a flathead screwdriver), the tensioner (2 bolts, 8mm), chain, the sprockets(15mm). (in this order).
*Loosen the timing chain housing from the water pump(10 or 13mm) (3 bolts), take the (4 bolts) on the bottom off(10mm) and( 8 bolts) off, 4 behind the each sprocket (10mm). just loosen the timing chain housing ) ''''You don't have to take the timing chain housing off as people say, that would require you taking the lower motor mount bracket off and other $hit'''.
*Take the power steering (13mm) and coil pack cover off(13mm) and the little plate on the other side of the chain on the exhaust cam off(10mm).
*Loosen the cam covers(13mm) and make sure that '''when you are taking the cam cover off you DON'T pull the CAM TOWER OFF with the LIFTERS, BUT JUST THE COVER OF THE CAMS AND THEM PULL THE CAMSHAFTS OUT''''.
*You are going to have to pry 2 pieces off with the flathead screwdriver and make sure that you don't hurt your gaskets when you do that.
*CAMS come out easy, and when you are putting the new ones in make sure you lube them up with LITHIUM GREASE.( so they don't mess up the lifters the first 5-10 seconds of turning when you start the motor.)
The„h cam tower bolts should be tightened in a special sequence from middle on out to sides.
(If you have ever taken the head off the car you know what I am talking about)
*Install is reverse of disassembly.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
If you get the chain put on and it seems like it is loose sometimes it is ok, make sure that your cam sprockets are where they should be and that the bolt that is securing them is acctually in the housing hole.
Also make sure that the ridges on the crank and the housing are at 12 o'clock (1-2 millimeters of play allowed at the crank), which means if your crank ridge is 1-2 millimeters is off to either side it is ok.
BE CAREFULL BECAUSE 1-2 MM IS VERY LITTLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS THEY SHOULD TRY TO MAKE IT RIGHT ON.
*If the sprocket is spinning when you go to tighten it back just put something in the holes that you use to adjust the timing to stop them from spinning.
*If you still pull off the cam towers off and not the cam covers after I told you NOT to and your LIFTERS happen to fall out.
*Make sure you clean the lifters off with GASOLINE AND THEN DIP THEM IN CLEAN MOTOR OIL OR SYNTETIC WHICHEVER YOU ARE USING AND INSTAL EACH WHERE THEY WENT.
*DON'T MIX THEM UP.
*If your lifters fall out and you put them in after you start the car and if you hear a knocking noise IT IS NORMAL because they are settling in.
*When you got to take the cam covers off, the dipstick and the vacuum line(10mm) needs to be moved to the side so you can do that just move them to the side.
*If the timing chain tensioner won't go back there is a little hole in the metel part of it, just put a needle in the hole and move it to the side and squezee it at the same time and it should go in
Now I don¡¦t know what else could go wrong but what I have told you, but if anything else goes wrong feel free to e-mail me.
You should:
*Replace intake and exhaust cam cover gasket, ''''''USE LITHIUM GREASE'''''', USE LOCKTITE for the SPROCKET bolts and tigthen them as much as you can if you don't have the torque wrench.
It is very important that if you don't know a lot about the motor you DON'T TRY TO DO THIS.
Also, if you don't know how to adjust timing and if you think you know, but have never done it, DON'T DO IT.
If you screw up the timing and your valves hit the top of your pistons DON'T BLAME ME I WARNED YOU.
Any other problems just e-mail me and I will try to reply as soon as I can.
Haynes or Chillton manuals really help as in which sequence to tighten the cam cover bolts, and stuff.
SunCavi
Good luck.
2.2 to 2.4 swap in 3-4 days.
2004 Grand Prix GTP (Competition Group)
SOLD-->1999 Z24 5M-#30 to register on JBO
"You can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all the people'
all the time
try www.ny-jbodies.org. they have detailed instructions on the manifold swap with pics
try that.
well i found out that the exhaust cam that i got from the junkyard was def not off of a 90....the dude pulled it off of an 89 2.3. After looking online i guess i deff am not going to use that one. I have the correct intake cam which exhaust cam should i use the 90 lo or ho?
just a question can i use 2.3 cam towers and bolt them on rather than changing the cam out of the 2.3 tower to the 2.4 tower. It just seems easier that way, or is that not an option
Also after searching i found the play by play manual for the 2.3 intake manifold swap thanks to NY jbodies.
Is there a difference in performance between the LO and HO style intakes???
Thanks for all your help guys!
First about the HO manifold.
You don't need the flange adapter.
That whole flange garolite thing is recent actually.
Well, Exploited had theirs for a while.
As for the cam towers,
You can use them....but,
For my 2.3 intake tower, the power steering pump cut out didn't match so I had ot use the 2.4L intake tower anyway.
Also,
On the exhaust tower, there is the one sensor provision.
Same one thats on the 2.4L intake tower.
So you will use one of the two and plug the other.
Have fun,
-M
Remember....syringes go in the RED waste basket.
It's normal to have a double row timming chain. It's only the gear, you take it off and use the 2.4 gear.
Gilles
2.3 Ho
