SteveHobart 57 Posted October 4, 2018 Hi all! Now I have had an issue with my XF Falcon not idling correctly. I have been able to diagnose it to a crook camshaft after having a play with a dial guage (courtesy of EBay of course). So now I have a choice that I was hoping a 4.1 (EFI) guru could help me make. I have spoken to Crow Cams and they have recommended a Street/Speedway Cam for me which cool. I have a Haynes (online) subscription to the XF Manual which states that the cam can be replaced with the engine in the car. My question is twofold:Firstly, for a relative novice, how hard is it to replace the cam in a 4.1 EFI and get it running again and.... I understand that you can replace the Valve Springs with the head in. Considering the cam has probably been dodgy for a while, would I be better off pulling the head while I’m at it and getting a valve grind etc etc before reinstalling the cam? Any advice or tricks would be appreciated! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebouncer 2,389 Posted October 5, 2018 It can be done in the car but it’s a pain. If you have air conditioning you will have to degas it as the camshaft comes out the front you’ll have to remove the condenser and radiator. Replace the lifters with the camshaft, this will be a lot easier to do with the head off.Honestly, I would find the job easier and probably faster removing the whole engine and doing it on a stand. You might as well replace all the bottom end gaskets and also give it a quick hone if the bores are ok. That along with new rings and bearings means you’ll end up with a nice fresh engine 2 SteveHobart and bear351c reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveHobart 57 Posted October 5, 2018 Thanks for the tip. My biggest issue is that I’m not all that confident pulling the engine out myself and it’s expensive as anything to have someone do it for me (been quoted $1700 for removal and install).Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valvebouncer 2,389 Posted October 5, 2018 Take photos, lots of photos. Get a cardboard box, flatten it out and every bolt you take out push it into the cardboard, draw a circle around it and any others you take from the same place then write where they come from. No memory required!! 3 SteveHobart, bear351c and ando76 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ando76 4,354 Posted October 5, 2018 Agree. No easier engine to learn on. It's not that hard and if you take shots on your phone you'll have a colour workshop manual to reference from. If it has wiped a lobe (which is pretty common) you can bet the oil pump will be junk. The oil pump cops any metal dropped through the engine first. Yeah the filter will catch it after the pump has done its job, but you can bet the inside of the pump will look like a concrete mixer. Full gaskets sets are silly cheap. Borrow or buy an engine crane and have a crack. There are some good people on here who will help you through if you get stuck. 4 Valvebouncer, bear351c, SteveHobart and 1 other reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bear351c 10,260 Posted October 6, 2018 Agree 100%. It looks daunting, but, it's not that difficult. If you can swing spanners, then you can do an engine swap, head change, cam and lifters. Just be methodical in the way you approach it. Take photos, keep the bolts with the parts you remove, or wind them back in the holes they came out of. Put them in zip-lock bags and label them, or use cardboard as VB said. You will learn soooo much, and never be afraid to ask questions, anyone here will help. Do it when you're in a good mood, play your fave tunes, DON"T drink alcohol, and you'll love the experience. Then you can say....." I built it myself " 2 Valvebouncer and 351XD_Fairmont reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveHobart 57 Posted October 20, 2018 Thanks for the encouragement Gents. Took the first steps today. Thought it would be easiest to eliminate the easy things first, so have removed the Intake, Plenum chamber and rocker cover. Have removed the rockers and checked the rods to ensure it’s not a bent rod (it’s not). Some observations so far. It’s unnecessarily complex isn’t it, the Vacuum set up from the rocker cover. Took heaps of pics but much of it could be simplified. The head (from the top) looks great, no buildup of gunk or anything else on the inside of the rocker cover or on the top of the head. I ran an oil flush through it before changing the oil and it seems to have done its job. The prior owner had done a bit of work to it from time to time, fiddled with it a bit. However I’m not sure whether he put it back together well. About 1/2 the bolts on the rocker cover weren’t even finger tight. Maybe the issue is just a vacuum leak from the Rocker Cover? The Charcol Canister line is full of oil. Must be a bit of blowby in the engine, maybe a complete strip and rebuild is on the cards?I’ll keep going, planning to remove the head completely and get to the lifters next. Hopefully it’s just a dodgy lifter and not a cam lobe?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Valvebouncer reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted October 20, 2018 crossflows seem to have an awesome ability to make the bolts loose on the rocker cover(i think it's caused by gaskets shrinking.. ) most people silastic the alloy rocker cover on without a gasket.. never leaks.. never creates a vaccuum issue. 2 RuralBogan and CHESTNUTXE reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RuralBogan 6 Posted November 6, 2018 Get used to top cover bolts loosening. Hope all goes well! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerg 10,871 Posted November 6, 2018 I think it can be a case of heat creep too. The exhaust manifold bolts can back out of the alloy (especially with extractors) and inlet bolts on E-series have habit of going AWOL too. Sometimes harmonics can play a part as well. I swear that's what's happening on my clevo's sump bolts. They always work loose down the passenger side and make an oily mess everywhere.Sent from my CPH1607 using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Polson 10,214 Posted November 8, 2018 Relatively easy job to swap cam with motor in car, I had to do it to my old XF wagon when it wiped a cam lobe not long after I got it.Are you located in Hobart (based on your username?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveHobart 57 Posted November 8, 2018 Yup Mr Poison, I’m in Hobart. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 deankxf reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted November 8, 2018 31 minutes ago, SteveHobart said: Yup Mr Poison, I’m in Hobart. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk @Mr Polson aka poison you know you need to accept that name Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveHobart 57 Posted November 8, 2018 Oh man! Ha ha I’m so tired can hardly read the screen! Lol Sorry! But it is a cool name! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 bear351c reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deankxf 20,231 Posted November 8, 2018 25 minutes ago, SteveHobart said: Oh man! Ha ha I’m so tired can hardly read the screen! Lol Sorry! But it is a cool name! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk you're not the first person, it's cool i think looks pretty close on the screen for me also, only i've met Chris and knew his name before seeing the POISON miss spell Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dex 2,065 Posted November 8, 2018 Good to see more tassie guys joining up on here . Top place for info ,, top blokes ,," with a few loons thrown in for good measure " we need some pix of your project ,, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites