Before I could start the cam install, discovered that the cam holder threads in the head were jammed full of gunk that needed removing, as the cam cover bolts would not thread down at all. So I found a sacrificial bolt of the same spec (in this case M6, 1.0 thread pitch) and cut two long slots down the sides -
Slowly screwed it into the threads until the resistance stopped it, backed it out and all the crap shores up in the slots. Airgun that out and repeat (some threads took 5-10 passes to get everything out) - worked a charm.
Before doing anything, both cam chain tensioners needed to be fully compressed to take off as much tension on the chains as possible to allow for an easy installation. Pulling up on this part of the main tensioner flattens out the plastic "bow" part of the tensioner giving you more room to work -
Same thing with the intake cam chain tensioner - flatten that thing out as much as possible and install the lock bolt on the front of the engine.
Molybdenum grease'd the cam bearings and holders. Installed the exhaust cam, sprocket sitting on cam (not bolted onto shoulder) and exhaust drive chain installed on sprocket making sure the dots on the sprocket align with the head -
- and the engine is at 1 4 TDC -
Lobes of cam on #1 cylinder pointing toward the spark plug, and it this point the notches on the end of the cam
should align with the head. They don't though (see below pic) because other cam lobes prevent the cam from seating completely. This gets resolved later though. Making sure the dots on the sprocket are still aligned and the engine is still at TDC, installed A and E cam holders (moly grease on the bolt threads), finger tight at this point -
Install the tach cam holder (after replacing the oil seal inside), making sure the threads on the worm gear align with the threads on the cam, and D cam holder, finger tight again and then bolt all 4 down firmly in a criss-cross pattern -
Going back to the notches on the cam, these now need to be aligned with the head. To do this I used a pair of channel locks, gripped the flange on the cam that the sprocket bolts into and turned the cam enough to align the notches. Note that at this point the sprocket is sitting on the cam, and therefore will not rotate when the cam does (and therefore stays aligned with the head) -
With the cam seated, I could then maneuvere the sprocket up onto the shoulder of the cam, making sure the dots on the sprocket still aligned with the head -
Applied blue loctite to the threads of the sprocket bolts - installed one finger tight (with a rag in the cam chain tunnel - don't need anything else taking a dive down there again), rotate the crank counterclockwise from the left hand side of the engine (holding onto the intake cam chain) 360 and installed the other sprocket bolt and torqued it, then another 360 degrees back to the first sprocket bolt and torqued that one. Torqued the 4 cam holders down to spec in a criss-cross pattern.
Then installed the intake cam, making sure the dots on the sprocket align with the head -
Installed the two outside cam holders, then the two next to them, bolted them down. Cam notches should align with the head -
Installed the cam guides, and then the other cam holders on the exhaust cam - along with the oil pipe - were installed, and the other cam holders on the intake. All torqued to spec.
Job's a good'un.