4.5 Cam Removal help!

[joshhol]

It's stuck.
The drivers cam has had all bolts remove and is not coming off easily. I've broken it loose with the rubber mallet but there are tabs underneath the feet so it must come off straight up. I'm assuming those are oil passages.
What tecnique is recommended to persuade the cam to cooperate?

Prying evenly against what? In between the lobes?
I'm in the middle of this now and it's frustrating to be stopped.

thanks for the help

[Tomguy]

Having removed and replaced them twice (for a total of 4x)

1) Tie cam gear to the timing chain to avoid skipping a tooth (or more)
2) Remove cm gear bolt
3) Remove cam gear w/rubber mallet
4) Remove all bolts

The cam will usually then be pushed up by the force of the valve springs. You MUST physically pull out the bolts before attempting to yank it out (or it probably wont be forced up on its own even) - yank the bottom row first (I usually loosen, then pull out the entire bottom row, then loosen and pull out the entire top row - the bolts run at an angle to each other, so it is impossible to pull the cam out with the top and bottom rows in. You can remove just the bottom but you can't work the top out).

You might have to "wiggle" the towers back and forth (left to right w/respect to the engine, not front to rear - that's impossible while the cam is still in them) - the fronts have guides that may keep them held in. There is only 1 oil passage - at the middle of the rear tower - and it isn't connected by anything.

[joshhol]

Thanks Tomguy,

Got it.