Removing cam covers

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Steve Meltzer
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Location: with Barney the Beagle boy and Enzo 8995

Removing cam covers

Post by Steve Meltzer »

There was an interesting tidbit in the discussion of this 330GT S2 https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966- ... /#comments. It involved removing the cam covers to set the valves. The poster uses a slide hammer and some safety wire after removing the decorative balls from the cover.
I've done this job a couple of times and have always employed a small hammer and high quality putty knives all used judiciously. What is the best way? If you've used the slide hammer, can you give the specifics of how to use it and how and where to put the safety. Thanx steve
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
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tyang
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Re: Removing cam covers

Post by tyang »

There are a hundred ways to skin a cat, and that might not be the way I would remove my valve covers. Boy, reading those comments on BAT is almost as painful as reading some F-chat threads! (Sorry, did I say that out loud! back to lurking)

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
Steve Meltzer
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Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:31 am
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Re: Removing cam covers

Post by Steve Meltzer »

Tom, I'll have you know that my matching numbers cat Enzo, Houston SPCA registration #8995, was highly offended by your cruel comment about skinning his brethren. And, yes, sometimes you need to wear Nomex if you get into the mix on BaT. Who'd a thunk? s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
DWR46
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Re: Removing cam covers

Post by DWR46 »

Steve: I really think the best approach to removing the cam covers is to follow the one major rule I have used successfully for almost 50 years of working on Ferrari's. "Never force it, just get a bigger hammer".
Steve Meltzer
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Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:31 am
Location: with Barney the Beagle boy and Enzo 8995

Re: Removing cam covers

Post by Steve Meltzer »

Or the corollary: "when you're a hammer, everything in the world looks like a nail". Dyke, thanx for the laugh. s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
Lowell
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Re: Removing cam covers

Post by Lowell »

About the year 2,000 I think it was, we visited the Ferrari factory.
Everything was very clean and tidy, but it was before robots and potted plants.
As the cars moved along the production line they paused at work stations where a specific small task was performed.

At each of these work stations there were only a very limited number of tools --- maybe 3 or 4 as I remember ---just those tools needed for that specific task.
However, every work station had one additional tool that was the same at every station. It was a hammer.
Lowell Brown
1966 Gold 330 2+2 Series II
daytonaman
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Re: Removing cam covers

Post by daytonaman »

Just did this last week. Gentle slide hammer works great -- lift mostly from rear. Back off the bottom 4 nuts on each disy drive and flop it back a little to allow the cam cover to come back a little away from the square O ring in the chain cover
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