How to change the inlet-cam?

Just got the reprofiled inlet cam from Autosprint. Many thanks to frank for putting up with my nagging and finding an 1.3 inlet cam so Geoff could reprofile it (Y)

Here is my precious :p
8.jpg


As a newbie to these things I wonder if anyone could give me some advice how to change it and what to look for (any pitfalls). :blush:

We are moving now to our new home (finally a garage :p) so the work on my micra will start appro. in 2 weeks :grinning:

Any advice would be great (Y)
 
ozi, if you position the exhaust cam so that it,s partly opening 2 sets of valves, it wont jump a tooth when you pull the inlet sprocket off and slacken the chain :doh:.
then stuff some rag around the exhaust sprocket to keep the chain in situ.
then take the inlet sprocket off (i use 2 x 22mm spanners), and cable tie the chain to it
then take out the inlet cam, and lift each bucket one at a time, to insert the spare stock shim onto the valve (shampfered edge upwards) which brings your shim/bucket up level to the new cam.
then fit the cam and sprocket, and turn the engine over by hand (plugs out) and check the timing with the diagram.
then check the clearances are within tolerance
http://www.micra.org.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12381&stc=1&d=1237971515
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http://www.micra.org.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12383&stc=1&d=1237971515
 

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How do I check the clearances?

How many shims must I add so that it's the way it's suppose to be?

ozi, you check the clearances with feeler guages, and the 2.5mm stock shims that geoff sent, compensate for the 2.5mm that he ground off the cam (to get the desired profile)
so 1 shim under each bucket :)
 
Changed the cam or better to say the cam is in. But I ran into a problem cause I couldn't fix the sprocket of the cam back after removing the inlet cam cause the chain was to tensioned...then I removed the plastic thinky to hold the sprocket to the chain - eeeee wrong :doh:

So now I put the sprocket on the inlet cam and positioned it the way it was before but now I can't get the chain on one sprocket :doh:

I'm running out of ideas....help :blush:
 
you'll need to remove the tensioner and reset it. (you'll be able to see it a little way below in the inlet cam chain route, its behind the side access panel -- which im assuming you'll have already removed.) then put the sprocket and chain on together.
 
Removed the tensioner first thing.....still can't bring the chain on. If I put the sockets on first I can't get the chain on the second socket. If I put the chain on the sockets and then try to put the inlet socket on I still can't do it arghh
 
I get the chain hmm when I put it on both sprockets (the exhaust is fixed to the cam) and try to put the inlet sprocket on the cam I almost get it on. The inlet sprocket won't fit - it's like 0,2mm going wrong so I can't fit it arghh
 
you might be able to move the exhaust cam very very slightly backwards (im talking fractions), to loosen the top chain part (the bit between the cams) a little bit...it might give you the extra you need. Just make sure you dont rotate stuff to much, cos you dont wanna drop a link or anything.

though use your judgement...as you can see this first hand, it may not necessary :)
 
Fitted the sprocket finally. Didn't see that the back end of the sprocket is - we say "konus" shapped (can't remeber the English word) - so when I put on the sprocket to tighted it the last 0,1-0,2mm snapped on and it's the way it should be.

But my life really is pain. I did that one thing you're not supose to do. I dropped a bolt from the tensioner into the lower chain area.

If I'm not back.......I shot myself lol
 
Fitted the sprocket finally. Didn't see that the back end of the sprocket is - we say "konus" shapped (can't remeber the English word) - so when I put on the sprocket to tighted it the last 0,1-0,2mm snapped on and it's the way it should be.

ah right, i mis-understood i thought you meant the sprocket was off .2mm left/right as opposed to .2mm front/back.

But my life really is pain. I did that one thing you're not supose to do. I dropped a bolt from the tensioner into the lower chain area.

If I'm not back.......I shot myself lol

lol.

Depending how lucky you are, the tensioner bolt may have caught up on something making it easier to get...cos you dont wanna be having to take apart the side of the engine / sump.
 
Still alive and kicking....

The bolt is deep down and there is no chance of getting it out. Stopped the work for today but will carry on tommorow.

So here are again some questions

1. The engine "holder" (can't remeber the right word now - tooooooo angry) - does it have to go off completely?

2. Where to lift the engine up so I can get the "holder" off?

3. What else needs to be done - oil drained? sump removed? main puley removed?

Regards and see you tommorow :p
 
if its really far down...id reckon you can either try and get it to fall into the sump...if it does you'll only need to remove the sump to recover it...also if you dont have a socket that matches the pulley bolt, its probs the only option unless you go out and buy one. :)

If you can see the bolt, id try a magnet attached strongly to a piece of wire, or just use the wire bent into a hook to try and catch or flick it into to sump.

or remove the rest of the panel side, im pretty sure you'll need to remove the whole engine mount, side cover (iirc theres a bolt holding it onto the sump strainer -- so will need to remove the sump before the cover comes off), main pulley, belts etc etc.

Id jack up the engine and get a stand at the back of the engine...you dont need alot of support (but you dont wanna be underneath it), but its best to see where you wanna support it by looking at it...tbh. easier than describing it.
 
With the socket for the pulley bolt you mean the main pulley that has tha large bolt?

I can't see the damn bolt arghhh will try to get it out with a magnet first and the search the sump - if it's not there then a lot of work is waiting for me....
 
oh ozi :eek:
i doubt it will drop into the sump, you should be able to fish it out with a magnet tho, good luck dude :)
 
The sump is down as is the exhaust and the hmmm gearbox "holder". The engine is jacked up a bit - I can see the bolt right behind the main chain sprocket.

Hope to get it out another way then to break the engine even more apart...
 
The bolt is out (Y) only had to brake down part of the engine - as I saw hmmm I avoided 2/3 of work with my lucky hand and a magnet :p

First I tried to get the bolt out at the bottom - but the damned bolt wouldn't move. So I positioned it so that the head faced up and got it out (Y)

Today I won't move a muscle anymore and grab myself a beer lol

ps. couldn't check the clearances yet cause I don't have an 0,5mm feeler gauge :doh: is this so so so import to do?
 
nice one ozi (Y), and yes, it,s important, with too little clearance you will burn the valves, and too much will make the engine noisy :eek:.
and have you checked the timing ?
 
Didn't do much today. Got myself the magnet and fished the bolt out. The rest of the day I was gone....

So first I have to put the engine back together the way it was before the "accident" lol

Then I'll check the timing.

I have max 0,3mm feeler. I'll try to get 0,5mm this week and check the clearances - so how exactly do you do that?
 
I have max 0,3mm feeler. I'll try to get 0,5mm this week and check the clearances - so how exactly do you do that?

ozi, you turn the engine (by hand) to position the lobe "upwards", then try different feelers (or combination of feelers, ie .05 + .03 = .08) till you find one that is a snug fit between the cam and shim, writing each one down on a diagram
 
If I understand it right you mean something like this :p

untitled-1.jpg


So the gap should be 0,5mm right?

With snug you mean tight?

And another thing - if it's not 0,5mm how to correct it? Grind the added shim off? :eek:
 
you,ve got it ozi :p the clearances need to be about .3mm (anything between .2 and .4 would be ok) if they,re out, you might be able to switch your top shims around (the shims i sent are all the same size) or else order the correct size from nissan
 
Top shim hmmm....when I lifted the buckets there were no other shims than the one I added. Or is the top shim "stuck" in the bucket...

Hmmm....just looked at my pics and the stock shim seems to be well held in place so if I have to change it I would have to force it out.

But we'll see this week as I'll have more time for my micra :grinning:
 
yeh ozi, there,s a little notch in the bucket, so you can flick the shim out and measure it with a micrometer (the size is etched onto the back too) :)
 
It's me again....lol :p

Today I'll order a new sump gasket so when I get it I can work again on my micra. So now I have to wait till I get it :glare:

Another thing that I wanted to ask - with how much torque do I have to tighten the bolts which hold the cam in place hmm....

These (not a Micra engine :p)
untitled.jpg
 
Thx. Already order the sealent for the sump - thought it was a gasket. And the gasket for the valve cover - that's a bit price thou.

Wednesday everything should be hear so I can start rebuilding the damn thing.

And again....another question lol

1.As a put the cam etc. I see that the chain is not very tensioned. The tensioner is reset and in place. When does it tension the chain? At the firste engine start or when I turn the engine by hand?
 
Ok thanks - just needed someone to confirm this :p

Another thing - I screwed the cam today in the 3 stages you posted. But it seems a little "soft" (can't remember the right word) 11Nm hummm....

Let's go on :grinning:

So I tightened the cam and turned the engine by hand. No piston to valve contact hehe

Then I measured the clearances.

If you're standing in front of the engine it was...from left to right (from the chain to the dizzy)

1. 0,3mm
2. 0,2mm
3. 0,3mm
4. 0,3mm
5. 0,2mm tight
6. 0,3mm
7. 0,2mm
8. 0,3 very tight
 
#5 - the 0,2mm only just squeezes in with a little force. It's very tight. The 0,15mm feeler is fairly loose. You can slide it in and out as you please.

In the middle when you pull it out you can feel a small drag on the feeler - the rest is like pushing a hot knife through butter :p
 
ozi, ideally you need to fit a smaller shim or juggle the others around or shave a nats gooley off it, but as long as the .15mm feeler is very loose i dont think you,ll have any problems :)
 
I'll try this setup first. What should I look/hear for if something isn't ideal?

Another thing - when I took the sump off there were huh "moon"-shaped (C-shaped is better lol) gaskets on both sides. These stay there and you just put the sealant around when you refit the sump?

And another thing - did you maybe mistype 11Nm for the cam? Cause I can hardly find a torque-wrench that goes so low - in SLO :wow:
 
ozi, it wont sound any different, and yes add the sealer to the rubber seals, and no typing pistake :p (that was haynes, autodata says 9 to 12nm)
 
A quick question, why would you need to put shims in, wont the 1.3 cams fit direct and bolt on to the 1.0L engine without any problems???


Thanks

James
 
In most cases it will be a straight swap as far as i can tell (although there are plenty of threads about it if you search)
 
Thanks moddedmicra!! all i need is a set of 1.3 cams and ill do a swap over.. would it make any performance difference that i would feel that you know of have experiance???

Thanks

James
 
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