How to reinstall camshaft and crankshaft

AKIRK18

MEMBER
1993 FORD THUNDERBIRD
3.8L
V6
2WD
MANUAL
130,000 MILES

I’m putting my 1993 3.8L Essex Supercoupe block in my 1989 Thunderbird with a Manual 5 speed transmission. I successfully got the engine out and am taking the old heads off and plan on taking it to a machine shop to get a valve job with my new heads. I also have a new aftermarket camshaft I would like to install. This is my first time installing a new camshaft and also reinstalling a crankshaft. First how do I correctly install both cam and crank without ruining anything and then second how do I tune them timing wise so I don’t blow anything?

7 Replies

DANNY L

MECHANIC
5,648 POSTS

Hello, I'm Danny.

Just a quick question first. Do you have the cam card on this aftermarket camshaft? What brand name is the camshaft?That will help with your timing question. Let me know and we'll go from there. Hope this helps and thanks for using 2CarPros.

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2020 AT 4:52 PM

AKIRK18

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7 POSTS

It’s a comp cam and yes I have the card.

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Friday, September 18th, 2020 AT 5:48 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

Hello, here are two videos that show how to install a camshaft and crankshaft on a similar engine which the process is the same:

https://youtu.be/L38Ul2zwquE

and

https://youtu.be/ubgZ13Br9Pw

Please run down these guides and report back.

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Saturday, September 19th, 2020 AT 12:42 PM

AKIRK18

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7 POSTS

Cam card.

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Sunday, September 20th, 2020 AT 11:06 AM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
48,363 POSTS

Lift @.500 you should not have a problem with valve stem seal clearance issues.

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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 AT 12:25 PM

AKIRK18

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7 POSTS

Those videos don’t really show me how to align camshaft and get timing right.

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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 AT 12:36 PM

DANNY L

MECHANIC
5,648 POSTS

Hello again.

I'm having a hard time finding info for you. What brand of timing chain are you going to install? I contacted Comp Cams and they mentioned on your grind cam you will just install straight up and no need to advance or retard the cam upon installation due it having 4 degrees of advance built into it. Let me know about the timing chain and we'll go from there. Hope this helps and thanks again for using 2CarPros.

Danny-

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