Metro - carbon on the piston head?

[Johnny Mullet]

Hope the # is still good, but you can check by calling the dealer. I forgot my camera.

GM# 996246

[an0nymous]

Nice. I'll call around today.
Thanks.
9/4 Camshaft arrived today. Yaay for Delta cams. I need to ship them my core back.

9/5 hmm -no one has the seals.. autozone will order the felpro ones (part number ss72710) for 21$. Beck Arnley (?) were 14$.

9/6 Additional edit: Waiting on valve stem seals. wait wait wait...
I will post side by side photos of the metro cams (original/xfi) for the curious tomorrow.

9/7 no call about valve stem seals... here's the xfi vs stock 98 metro cam comparison. differences:
1. holes- there are 2 holes in the xfi (presumably older but reground as xfi, not stock xfi) (pic 4) **so that's what you were talking about, Schultz!**
2. middle Bearing surface on the xfi has 2 small grooves scribed in it ..probably not a big deal, but interesting. (pic 2)
3. The end piece (dunno the name) on the non distributor side is shiny and looks like the other bearing surfaces on my stock 98 cam. It's not due to actual contact because the whole piece is shiny right up to the threads. (pic 3)
4. And of course the cam lobes are different. That's kind of the point, innit?
5. Oh and there is a boss with an "y" stamped on the 1998 cam and a "x" on my "xfi" cam. (pic 5)

...continued on next post due to limit on the number of photos.

[an0nymous]

....continued
Ah. A few additional differences I noted and wanted to archive for posterity's sake.
6. The xfi cam actually has the "XFI" engraved on the endcap (pic 1) Dunno if this factory or Delta's doing
7. The distributor end is totally different. (pic 3) Wow! the 1998 has a stop the xfi is missing, the diameter of holes is different... is there some compatibility issue here? The notches look to be at the same height. The differences in thisside are quite dramatic.
8. There is an embossed "D" and "E" on the xfi and 1998's cams, respectively. (pic 2)
9. And finally the XFI cam feels much lighter. Trying to find a scale to measure the difference.

[Johnny Mullet]

You might have to use a pre-1995 distributor for it to work.

[metroschultz]

There is no pilot on the distributor drive so I don't believe there will be an issue with the different diameter holes.
The drive is offset so the distributor only goes in one way. Be careful, it will allow itself to be "forced" in upside down. (don't ask me how I know )
And yes those are the holes I was referring to.
Adios,
Schultz

[an0nymous]

...and we're back.. got the valve stem seals, they look exactly the same except the fel-pro valves have green rubber. I have also constructed a new conduit/valve depresser. Used 3/4 inch threaded brass conduit .. should have more strength than my other now bent conduit, and had the added advantage of being larger (thereby affording a bigger work area) and non-magnetic (the other one kept grabbing the magnet I was using to catch the keepers).
Waiting for pep boys to open up in order to get the valve spring compressors. Plan to get this head done this weekend. If you have any tricks with valve stem seals, shout them out.

EDIT Never mind, these seals are stupid easy.

[an0nymous]

Alright calling it a day... valve seals have been replaced (and needed to be from the looks of the old ones. Springs are back in place. I put the lifters back in the head (they've been soaking in oil since reassembly) Camshaft is sitting on the engine but the mains have not been bolted down. .. need a metered torque wrench.
Tomorrow, mains and distributor. All in all I am feeling quite pleased with my progress for today.

[an0nymous]

And we're off. Little nervous about applying silicon to the no 1 and 3 housing mating surface, but I plan to be very sparing.

[an0nymous]

Aggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
&^*&^*(^)*^&*%^*$&%&**$%^#%#%^#%^!!!!

Agggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! !!




I never even got close to 100 ft lbs -I was just lightly tightening and the torque wrench just rolled right through it -no *tink* or anything.
It's buried in the head now.

gah.


Any machinists in the RVA area?
Also: sources for replacement bolts?

[5 O'Clock Charlie]

Dude

100 ft lbs ??? my manual for a 92 Metro says the Camshaft housing bolts are torqued to 97 in lbs ( that's about 8 ft lbs )

Do you have a set of screw extractors ? If you have a steady hand, you can drill down into the center of the broken piece and insert a screw extractor and carefully wind it out ..... they usually work pretty good for me.

Good luck ...