Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Cam gear install

Found the only shop in my area that is willing to install cam gears, they gave a quote of $215, though he said it would be less if it took less time. It's a real good shop, they do a lot of performance work, had a porshe being worked on, a 300zx, jag, datsun 510, corvette in parking lot,,, and two cars built for drag racing and mazda mx6 with some work done..... But $200 is a lotta money... pre98s are different than foci and 98+ as far as the timing belt,pulleys, and covers go. I'm unsure that I could install these myself with following directions for other vehicles. I know more work is involved on my car than others, and I'd have to buy some tools to do it all,, and I have to have my car for transportation, so if I messed something up, I'd be screwed... Has anybody installed cam gears on a pre98? Do ya'll think I should just take it to the shop?

Changing the cam gears is like changing the timing belt. Instead of just loosening the old cam gears you go ahead and take them off and put the new ones on. No big deal if you can do a timing belt. To get the timing where you want you may have to get in there several times, no matter who puts the gears on.

You'll need some fancy tools to do that, some extreme size
wrench to hold the camshafts and you'd need a sprocket
holding tool too. And something very strong with a long
extension bar to do/undo the torx bolt holding the sprocket.

The Haynes book has good instructions.

I almost went that way b/c I had some trouble replacing the
belt last time.

T.

Well I think Ima go ahead and have the shop do it. If I had another car, I'd spend some time and do it myself, but can't really do that. I reckon I'll just try to get a few more hours in at work to help recover the cost. I know I'll be tinkering with the cam gears all the time, but that's what adjustable cam gears are for. I'm just gonna have the shop set them to 0,0. ..... When we changed the timing belt we didn't loosen the cam gears, wasn't really a reason to,, maybe if you have VCT you HAVE to do that, but not with a pre98.

Haynes book doesn't have specific instructions for aftermarket cam gears... though I'm sure I could have used it to help get the job done. Seems with a pre98 zetec you're looking at atleast 2 hours to do the job. With a 98+, atleast according to darrel,, there's a lot less work involved and it takes about 45 minutes. I'll let ya'll know the results once the shop installs them, probably thursday. Feel free to post recommended settings. Though I think it's different on every car so I'll just have to experiment.

I know the part of the actual installing the gears is about the same, it's getting to the tensioner really that adds all the extra time. There's no way you could install cam gears on a pre98 in 45 minutes,,, just too much work involved,, well maybe you could if you've done it 20 times before and we're flying through it.... you gotta remove motor mount (which means removing coolant reservoir,etc.), then idler pulley and water pump pulley, remove middle timing belt cover, remove wheel, crank pulley cover, set to TDC, remove valve cover, lock cams, etc. then remove cams, install new ones, tighten everything,, setting the tensioner pulley is probably gonna take a few minutes for them to get figured out, then checking everything and putting everything back.... I think a trip to Chicago would end up costing bout the same with work missed, gas, food, hotel, etc. I think a bunch of CEGers just need to move to south Georgia.

And about the loctite? Does that just go on there one time, like on the screws where they screw in? Or do I have to put that on the lock nuts every time I adjust the timing?

I could probably do the install in 1-2 hours.