do I need to pull the intake?

[jordanatkins305]

I didn't pay attention when i put the intake on my 390 FE but is there enough room to pull the lifters out for a cam swap without removal of the intake? I'd like to put a cam with more of a lope in it when the warranty expires in about a year. Thanks in advance for any help. I don't know if it matters but the intake is a standard four barrel from the late fifties best i can figure from the size of the thermostat it takes. There is no oil fill in it though.

[KobraKarl]

Jordan,

I would bet if you were really carefull, and lucky you might be able to do it ......but why....you will have to try and suck out the lifters with your pushrods ...but not all the way !.... pull one too far and you are going to have to pull your manifold any way ....then you will have to hold the lifters in mid bore without them falling back in while doing your R&R........you will also chance nicking your cam .

I would want to be sure all was good...and pull the manifold

KK

[Clois Harlan]

Jordan,

Pull the manifold! If you are concerned about resetting your valves just unbolt the rocker arms (4 nuts or bolts) and keep each bolt, push rod, and lifter in the exact order they came out. Pulling the intake is the easy part unless you have one of those cast iron babies that weigh about 60 pounds. Then you not only want to pull the intake but also replace it with an aluminium manifold. I just went through this and it should take you about 3 or 4 hours unless you are interrupted with honey do's. Then it will take you maybe 3 days.

Clois

[jordanatkins305]

it's a pain in the butt i know already but i thought maybe the lifters would fit through the intake, sounds like no though, darn. and yes it is a good 60 pounds when it's in a highboy. thanks guys.

[SCOBRAC]

nope. yep. use a little silicone around the transitions to prevent oil leaks. It's easier than you think.

[A Snake]

Oil fill went away in the late '60's when pcv came in. The big cast iron CJ manifold weighs 85#. Aluminum about 15#.

Manifold's gotta come off to do it right.

Al

[Jack21]

Only with a hydraulic roller cam, can the cam be replaced and the existing lifters be reused. And then only sometimes.

With an FE (or any engine) that hasn't been converted to hydraulic rollers, the cam AND lifters have to be replaced together. There is tons of text available explaining why this must be done, so I won't attempt any re-iteration.

Can you get the lifters out, and a new set back in with the intake in place? If so, leave intake alone. If not, gotta pull the intake.