camshaft reassembly question

[Chrisrich]

Once the camshafts are back on and their caps torqued down (9lbs), should I not be able to rotate the shafts relatively easily in order to line up the markers on the gears? I slipped a gear on the end of the shaft and tried to rotate with some degree of force, and I get no movement. Am I binding, perhaps? Should I be setting up/rotating with the caps loose?
Thanks-

chris

[elan_fan]

yes they should, first of all, have you assembled with oil or graphogen on the bearings, you can slack off each cap just slightly in turn and this should show up a binding bearing straight away. The line bores in the head are not always that true at the age of these engines and the pros suggest re using the old cam bearings if they are not badly worn (which they usually aren't if the oil has been kept clean). Assuming that you or someone else haven't mixed up the cam caps and that you do find a tight cap then you are in old school engine building country and you will have to scrape the bearing and check it with prussian blue. First of all though just take off the caps and get some graphogen on them and get the lobes lubed up well and check again. They will turn with a ratchet, make sure the pistons are out of the way though as the valves will hit the pistons and then they definitely won't turn.

regards
Mark

[DrEntropy]

And do one side at time with the other cam OUT. Just nicking one valve against another will be enuff to do damage.

[gjz30075]

In addition to what Dr E said, make sure all the pistons are at mid bore so there's no chance of the valves hitting the pistons. Now that you know the cam rotates nicely, set the engine at TDC and put the front intake and exhaust lobes facing outward and you're close.