Camshaft replacement without pulling the head?

[JeepDawg25]

2.5L engine. Is it doable or would there be too much risk in damaging the bearings sliding the old cam out and the new cam in?

 

[Flyer58]

It should be ok once you get the first two bearings lined up. The tolerances are pretty tight so it should guide the cam through the rest. Use a lot of thick engine rebuild lube.

Silly questions but you did pull the lifters out, right? I'd install new lifters too.

If you need help guiding the cam just drop the oil pan for easier access.

So why a new cam?

 

[JeepDawg25]

Thanks - I am just not sure if the guiding the cam in will be possible without scraping or dinging the bearings. Are the bearings pretty resilient in that regard or is it a valid concern?

I would put in new lifters with the new cam. I am weighing my options because I tried new lifters a few weeks ago and one got chewed up immediately (like within 3 miles of driving after the break in). See picture below of the chewed lifter next to a normal one - I have to assume there is significant damage to the correlated cam lobe right?

 

[Flyer58]

Well I can't go back and edit what I wrote but yeah the cam will drop onto the bearing surface as you push it through and the lobes will strike the bearing surface. You will need access from underneath to guide the cam along through the bearings. Unless you has something special to keep it perfectly level and prevent it from dropping each time a journal cleared the bearing.

I don't know what I was thinking as I've done this a few times.