I need to take the timing gear off the front of the cam to replace the front cam bearing support. The support bolts into the head with 2 bolts and one nut, and there's the oil feed line on the top right side (facing). The timing gear is held by one nut (need the torque specs please) and the big issue the I see is the timing chain guide on the right side of the chain.
It appears that this is held in place with a single bolt, and a dowel that is inserted through the front of the head.

I'd like tips on removing this adjuster dowel, IF I NEED TO.

I only want to pull the gear and chain out of the way enough to replace the front bearing support on the cam. I think I'm gonna have to loosen the other cam supports to get clearance to get the # 1 support out, due to the little stud at the left rear of the support. Maybe a 13mm nut.
That nut is also very tight and might dictate that I do other disassembly to get to the nut too.

Help from anyone who's been there would be greatly appreciated.
I plan on washing down the chain, sprocket, and cam and cam supports and marking them all with a scribe to make sure I reinstall it in the same "timed location". Keeping tension on the chain so as not to slip off the bottom sprocket.

waiting for help.
mike

Mike, the chain rail wont matter after you've slacked the tensioner. Old style metal chain rails that can resurfaced with fresh rubber should NOT be replaced with crummier new plastic versions BTW. But the chain tensioner is probly worth replacing if you've got any chain stretch or lotsa miles on the engine.... reconnoitre about $80 in parts well spent.

Regarding replacement of camshaft bearing tower, thats kinda dicey because clearance specs are specific to each camshaft bearing unique specially after coupla hundred thous miles or so. Better recommended is replace the entire camshaft with another that includes matched set of bearing towers specific to each bearing journal. IOW, ye *might* find excessive play between yer new donor tower and recipient camshaft bearing journal. Compare the fit to others with cam'n towers outa the car and dont mix em up. Use micrometer if ye wanna be exact.

Otherwise its piece of cake knockin off the cam sprocket with rubber hammer. Cram rags into chain gallery so nothin falls and sustain tension on chain with bungee cord so it dont slip if yer pullin the sprocket. Yer right to paint mark sprocket teeth to chain for exact reassembly. Ideally ye wanna do this with engine at TDC cam stantion marks lined up too. Good opportunity to swap woodruff key too if ye wanna set timing exact to accomodate chain stretch.

Sorry caint help ye with torque specs for chain sprocket nut, about 50+ lbs is my guess. Some had fold washers to hold em in place. And naturally pull camshaft tower bolts gradually in cyl head styled pattern to relieve stress from rockers in gradual fashion. Again sorry caint provide torque specs for them.... 50lbs? Meanwhile same as cam towers, dont mix up the rockers but try keepin each in arrangement to its cam lobe. And it'll be visually obvious if any are worn and might need replacement with core metal exposed. Naturally you will want to pull the entire camshaft to replace the front tower.

Am wondering whats yer reason for replacing front cam bearing.... cracked tower?

Yeah Dog,
the front tower is cracked on the left side. A disinterested party mentioned this happened to him when he jumped time. The engine cranks, but no compression due to the tower wobble. I'm gonna have to have a good look at this situation. I did buy 3 used towers from a 300 which appear to have the same part #'s per the seller. the bits look the same, but don't know about the bore matching up. If I replace all three, I'm guessing that I should be OK with adjusting all the valves b4 I crank it over.
Don't know where the chain tensioner is, and have not looked for it yet. The Haynes book of lies doesn't cover this older lump in detail. I'm guessing that there's a bolt on the side of the block to adjust the tension on the chain. Left side facing?
Thanks for your input. Anyone have a 'quick' fix for this problem?
mike

The camshaft towers are matched for height-don't worry about the bore as the cam always rides in the top of the bore. Replace the towers as needed without the cam followers and rotate the cam by hand. If it turns freely you're good to go. If there is resistance, relax the bolts holding the towers untill you find the tight tower. Shim or shave the offender(s) and repeat.

And if thats the engine skipped timing gear teeth then ye deffinitely wanna get it set up with exact timing wheel professionally after yer done. Otherwise if the tensioner didnt occur to you then forget about timing the engine correctly yerself. Beat chain tensioner is probly the reason it skipped teeth. And whats all this nonsense about scribing the towers for reassembly? And/or dangling the cam to slide front tower in place? Whatever ye do start with settin it at TDC matchin cam tower mark to flywheel at/near O/T. Deffinitely paintmark sprocket to chain and hope for the best. Good luck, it aint difficult.

Those towers are from a 240, MIke.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Is there any chance the Chamshaft itself is bent?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

once it's apart, I may put the cam in my lathe and put a dial gauge on it, or roll it around on a steel table.

Tom, Do you have the camshaft from the towers?

Yes I do. I have two available. One I believe to be from the 115 240 the other is from a 123 240. I would assume them to be interchangible but I don't know this for a fact.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.