Hydrasport23
Member
We had to replace a cam and set of lifters yesterday on a 5.7. It was a quick repair and not a complete overhaul or upgrade. We just needed the truck back in service asap. I found a Mellings stock MDS cam in stock at a local parts house, ordered Felpro gasket set and head bolts with 2 day delivery and got lucky at a local dealership on an OEM MDS lifter set. I know the Mopar lifters are well over $1400 a set but I was quoted $215 each for a total of $860 plus tax. I told the parts guy to put them on the counter with my name on them and I was on my way. He messed up and gave dealer cost.
I would like to offer a tip on replacing a cam without removing the oil pump as this was a 4x4 and a lot of time could be lost if the timing chain fails to stay on the crank gear during the cam replacement. I have read about people trying to mark the chain only to have the chain move on the crank gear after removing the cam gear, which can cause reassembly problems. You cannot see the timing marks on the crank gear without removing the oil pump. Removing the oil pump on a truck requires dropping the pan which is not bad on a 2wd, but the 4x4 takes a lot more time. The oil pick-up tube is bolted in two places and cannot be easily lowered. Too insure the chain did not move, I used a piece of tapered plastic shim. It was about 6" long, 1/2" wide and tapered from 1" up to 2". A piece of hardwood will also work. Press the tapered shim between the lower crank gear and windage tray. Set the timing to TDC before starting the job. You can now safely drop the chain out of the way and it will remain on the lower crank gear. Swap the cams and reinstall the cam gear with the factory timing marks. No chance of the timing chain moving on the lower crank gear.
I would like to offer a tip on replacing a cam without removing the oil pump as this was a 4x4 and a lot of time could be lost if the timing chain fails to stay on the crank gear during the cam replacement. I have read about people trying to mark the chain only to have the chain move on the crank gear after removing the cam gear, which can cause reassembly problems. You cannot see the timing marks on the crank gear without removing the oil pump. Removing the oil pump on a truck requires dropping the pan which is not bad on a 2wd, but the 4x4 takes a lot more time. The oil pick-up tube is bolted in two places and cannot be easily lowered. Too insure the chain did not move, I used a piece of tapered plastic shim. It was about 6" long, 1/2" wide and tapered from 1" up to 2". A piece of hardwood will also work. Press the tapered shim between the lower crank gear and windage tray. Set the timing to TDC before starting the job. You can now safely drop the chain out of the way and it will remain on the lower crank gear. Swap the cams and reinstall the cam gear with the factory timing marks. No chance of the timing chain moving on the lower crank gear.
