Someone needs to come up with a HOW-TO for camshafts

[Matthew]

please dont make me do it, but if no one has one done within the next two weeks, i should be getting my intake camshaft from mitch and ill attempt to do one...the problem is, ive never done something with a motor, so i hope i dont **** s*** up...i do have a shop manual and a very competant brain though

EDIT

wow, i never really looked at the shop manual...i just looked at it, and it seems very difficult installation...is it just because the manual is more mechanically oriented, or is it going to be very difficult for me to do? will mazda install it for you?

 

[Captain KRM P5]

any kind of work where taking an engine apart is involved will more than likely run you a pretty penny. my dealer, when i was looking to go NA, wanted to charge me $2000 labor on cams and pistons. ick!

 

[Matthew]

it seems like it should be relatively easy as far as disassembling and reassembling, but im concerned i might have to reset the timing and im not sure how to do that

Ok here i go again (sorry i am a newb at the mechanical stuff and im going to pick all of you experienced people for all you know):

where do i get and what kind of crap is the sealant they talk about in the manual?

where it says to use oil, should i just buy like a quart of 5w-30 and use that?

where can i get the timing light and is it easy to reset the timing, assuming i need to after the installation?

in general, i guess i wish someone who has installed the stuff themselves could post some of the stuff to "watch out for" or tricks to installing the camshaft properly...my car has less than 3k miles, and i dont want to ruin the engine by screwing up or missing one stupid step.

 

[KYREDP5]

If your unsure about it, I wouldn't do it yourself. My Mazda dealer only charged me $275 to do them both. A much beter than f'ing my motor up IMO.

 

[TheMAN]

you don't seem sure about what to do

please don't break your engine and have someone help you do it!

taking apart the engine is not an easy thing to do, the shop manual is a good enough "how-to" as it is

 

[Matthew]

yea mazda wants 330 but what about camshaft bearings! no one has even mentioned them but everyone says you need them

 

[TheMAN]

no, reuse and reinstall the bearing caps at the SAME location and position as before. Replace the seals and gaskets just in case, but if you car is low mileage you won't need to if you're careful about removing them

 

[FC3s Boy]

my shop charges $125.00 for the install, very easy for a good mech. $330.00 that is a rid-off try calling around your area for a better price.

 

[Matthew]

my car has about 3500 miles

 

[Matthew]

fc3s i wish i had a good shop in my area, but no one does that work here

 

[FC3s Boy]

ahh that sucks i did'nt see you were in Oklahoma, try calling around to some good repair shops in your area, it is'nt very hard to install..

 

[Matthew]

i tried, no luck :-(

 

[cortez]

How far are you from OK City?

Call:
Performance Dynamics
1023 NW 8th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
405-230-1313
Ask for Randy Saucier. He is a 2 time SCCA SSB National Champion in a Mazda Miata and his shop does prep work on Mazdas. He might be able to give you a much better deal than the dealer.

I've met Randy a couple of times when I lived in Texas. He is a great guy.

 

[Matthew]

wow ok thanks

 

[Matthew]

damn i tried to call but it just rang and rang...ill try back later...im about 88 miles from OKC so i could request a 4 day weekend at work and have him work on it if its reasonable

 

[PaulMP3]

Some one needs to do a How to on brakes. I need to replace my rotors and pads, but have never worked on brakes b4, and would love to learn.