pi Cams and pi intake on npi heads

d.garza18 · Oct 28, 2017

I recently read an article on here about the benefits on pi swapping cams and intake manifold on npi heads and read that you wont have to take off the front timing cover as long as you have an "ANDERSON TOOL", has anybody done this? would love to hear some input and open to suggestions on what cams to get etc

07GtS197 · Oct 28, 2017

Ive never used one but how many miles are on your motor? It might be worth it to tear down the front cover anyway to replace the timing components.

PinkieT · Oct 28, 2017

07GtS197 said:
Ive never used one but how many miles are on your motor? It might be worth it to tear down the front cover anyway to replace the timing components.

68,000 miles, picked it up in Tennessee and brought it to Ohio. Very well cared for. If the motor had double the mileage I would seriously consider pulling it and going through it, but hate to do something and screw up a good clean motor.

NEURON · Oct 28, 2017

You might try Googling it, there is a bit of information on orher sites too.

07GtS197 · Oct 28, 2017

Did I miss something?

PinkieT · Oct 28, 2017

Nope, I did. Sorry.

07GtS197 · Oct 28, 2017

Lol no worries. I was like maybe the whole thread didnt load again lol.

96blak54 · Oct 28, 2017

The anderson tool takes experience understanding the chain tentioner. Although its a no brainer how it works, the experience needed is how to maneuver it with a cover on. Not saying you folks dont hold the skill, but keep in mind how that tool came about.....lots of front cover removals, lots of experience and a solution was needed.

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d.garza18 · Oct 28, 2017

my motor has about 100k miles but it runs smooth. also im more than sure i can pull timing cover and doit that way but i dont feel like putting all that time into it myself. does anybody know how much a shop would charge to doit?

96blak54 · Oct 28, 2017

If i were to perform the cam, intake swap,...no less than $500 labor. Id imagine a shop would be compatible

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d.garza18 · Oct 29, 2017

i can do the intake no problem been thinking about it but i might just do the cams myself and use it as a learning experience for future projects

Burninriverdiver · Oct 29, 2017

I swapped PI cams in mine by pulling the timing cover, after I saw how it worked I was able to leave the front cover on when I upgraded to comp cams.

I used a thin piece of hardwood and attached an extra thick hanger to it to wedge into the gap between the chain where the tensioner sits (one side at a time). I wedged it in securely with a long screwdriver and some light taps on the end. I also zip tied the cam gear to the chain to make sure it didn't slip without tension up top when the cams were removed.

I was just way too cheap to buy the tool and also didn't want to wait on shipping. It worked just fine but I was extremely careful. Here are some photos for reference.

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96blak54 · Oct 29, 2017

Burninriverdiver pretty sharp dude! He has great ideas!

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Burninriverdiver · Oct 29, 2017

96blak54 said:
Burninriverdiver pretty sharp dude! He has great ideas!

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Ive learned from the best of you guys!

Sidenote: Plastic would be more ideal (if you can find a piece to make that shape) because if the wood splintered off it would turn into a nightmare. I wouldn't use anything soft like pine either that is more prone to splitting. On the other side I realized this could turn out disasterous and wrapped it in electrical tape for added protection.

PinkieT · Oct 29, 2017

I love shade tree engineering solutions! Did you keep the tool? If I find the right cams at the right price, I might want to rent it from you.

Burninriverdiver · Oct 29, 2017

PinkieT said:
I love shade tree engineering solutions! Did you keep the tool? If I find the right cams at the right price, I might want to rent it from you.

Me too, as long as the tool does the job and cost minimal! I did keep the tool, if you ever need it just send me a message and I'll send it up north or meet you half way (no charge). I waited a few years before I found my comp cams for the right time, it takes a while for them to pop up for an affordable price on Craigslist

d.garza18 · Oct 30, 2017

thanks man huge help! do you by chance have any pics on removing the cams? and what comp cams would you recommend?

Silver95bird · Oct 30, 2017

I like the idea of the tool, but to me it just seems like we're going nuts to save pulling the balancer, removing the ps pump bolts, and pulling the cover? It just seems like spending 3 hours finding a solution to a 2 hour problem.

But then again, I'm of the opinion that even the stock npi/pi cams would gain from being set to 106 icl. And without removing the cover and setting the timing on each bank, they're likely off relative to each other. It's hp on the table. Putting in pi cams to get 12-15hp peak, and leaving probably 5-10 there not taken. I suppose to each their own.

96blak54 · Oct 30, 2017

Horse power lays within the details. Even if its just mediocre hp. Small bits build to big potential.

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Burninriverdiver · Oct 31, 2017

d.garza18 said:
thanks man huge help! do you by chance have any pics on removing the cams? and what comp cams would you recommend?

No problem, I don't know if I've got any photos of the cam removal but I'll see if there are any on my computer. I just have the stage 1 xe262ah since I got a deal on them used. They're nice for a street car and have a noticeable sound difference from stock.

Silver95bird said:
I like the idea of the tool, but to me it just seems like we're going nuts to save pulling the balancer, removing the ps pump bolts, and pulling the cover? It just seems like spending 3 hours finding a solution to a 2 hour problem.

But then again, I'm of the opinion that even the stock npi/pi cams would gain from being set to 106 icl. And without removing the cover and setting the timing on each bank, they're likely off relative to each other. It's hp on the table. Putting in pi cams to get 12-15hp peak, and leaving probably 5-10 there not taken. I suppose to each their own.

If you work as slow as me, it's a big time saver lol. I took the cover off before and it was time consuming since I had to make a trip to the parts store to rent a decent puller. It's also about laziness in my scenario. As far as leaving HP on the table, the mad scientist [MENTION=14727]96blak54[/MENTION] is a genius for squeezing the most out of a setup. He'd be the guy to get into a deep discussion with and take notes before a build