[salvator_rizzo]

Right now I am at the point where i need to take the cam gears off of my engine (ej255, 06 wrx, dohc) and I dont really want to fork out the 100 dollars + shipping for tools i will only use once.

does anyone know an alternative (and non destructive) route to removing cam gears?

 

[GF8er]

either an impact or a strap wrench.

 

[sense of nature]

Hammer & punch , hit the head of the bolt, sometimes this works,

 

[bl_easy]

Cobb sells the cam sprocket tool for $50. tools are your friends

a buddy of mine welded a crowbar to the cam sprocket bolt. it worked

 

[salvator_rizzo]

how does that work? the gear would still spin though. ive read about people doing that but i dont understand how that would do anything


ive been looking at the cobb tools, its just that i would have to buy 2 different ones because the upper and lower cam gears are different

 

[GF8er]

one of these

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1289727

or these

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...7&group_ID=599&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

used like so.

 

[MattB]

I used a Craftsman Strap Wrench and an Impact gun. Came off in about 2 seconds...SO EASY.

Here - http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...renches&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

I used the RED one.

 

[bl_easy]

srry. old timing belt was being used, IIRC

 

[salvator_rizzo]

ok cool, ill go and pick up one of those strap wrenches and a bit for our impact gun tomorrow, that sounds pretty good to me. don't really like that chain one though, looks like it would beat up the teeth pretty easy

thanks for that too, that should be a major money saver!

 

[GF8er]

just make sure you get one with a quality strap, some of the lightweight rubber ones are kind of weak.

 

[salvator_rizzo]

ill go to sears and get a craftsman or something of name brand, thats a good idea, breaking tools is no fun - even with a lifetime warranty

 

[4080wrx]

i lucked out that one of i-club members here in hawaii had a wrx speific cam gear wrench. i cant even imagine not having it........good luck

 

[scoobaroo]

use the old timing belt, wrap it around the sprocket and crank sprocket and Gera pair of vice grips to clamp it down tight. Make sure the fly wheel doesn't spin and just get a big freaking breaker bar. Done.

 

[Danny Boy]

When I do this (soonish) I'm probably going to just take my heads over to the dealer and have them take the gears off with the right tool. They've done work like this for me before for free or cheap.

 

[Brydon]

Whatever you do don't use a cheap allen. It will break or strip out the bolt. Get a quality impact allen in 1/2 and then impact that bad boy off of there.

 

[salvator_rizzo]

ok cool so the impact driver with strap wrench didnt work and neither did the breaker bar. the strap wrench didnt hold the cam well enough for the breaker bar and it vibrated too much for the impact driver to do much of anything.

so I'm back where i started, what else should i try?

 

[URAL]

Damn thats some bolts u got there!
I used and Impact gun today to remove mine, worked perfect...

 

[lovemyscoob]

I took an adjustable wrench and put it on the part of the cam that was able to fit on it then got my dad to take the breaker bar to the actual bolt and they came..

 

[t3hWIT]

Seriously dude, pick up a cheap electric impact gun. I think I paid $50 for mine and I just removed two cam gears an hour ago without any trouble.

 

[nfj79]

ok cool, ill go and pick up one of those strap wrenches and a bit for our impact gun tomorrow, that sounds pretty good to me. don't really like that chain one though, looks like it would beat up the teeth pretty easy

thanks for that too, that should be a major money saver!

Also use a blow torch to heat up that bolt and spay some PB Plaster around the bolt. Then go to town.