camshaft pulley!

[burn_your_money]

I've seen about 3 cams that broke because of people using the cam lock to tighten/loosen the cam. One snapped right at the #4 bearing

[Makebeleaf]

You can get the tool from Princess auto for $15 from Princess Auto. Pretty darn cheap and no messing around!

http://www.princessauto.com/tools/auto-repair/auto-repair/8159808-camshaft-holding-tool?keyword=cam+tool

[smutts]

Bit of lead flashing to protect the cam lobe, seems easiest.

[Vincent Waldon]

My thoughts are:

- if you use the cam lock to to loosen the cam sprocket you will very often get this result:



It's not designed for those forces evidently.

- if done properly, this is safe:



"Done properly" means the wrench is very carefully adjusted so that it's grabbing the sides of the cam lobe rather than the profile that actually engages the lifter.  That way even if a nick results it's not on the part of the cam that pushes against the lifter.

- having said that, the tool on the bottom (as suggested by Makebeleaf) is dirty cheap and works extremely well for all kinds of different sprockets:




I can't imagine taking the risk with any other method... just my opinion.

[rabbitman]

I really doubt an adjustable wrench could hurt a cam lobe, that stuff is sooo hard.

I have a junk cam I will smack with different stuff (hammer, screwdriver, punch, chisel yada yada) and see how it takes it.

[theman53]

I smacked one with a hammer as hard as I could once. It was an accident I was using a punch to get out a headbolt and missed the punch . It did make a mark on the cam, but I ran it afterwards with no ill effects. I could basically see it, but not really feel it, and it was off to the side so it wasn't on the lifter squarely.

[smutts]

If anyone in experimenting with a knackered cam with a hammer, mind your eyes if the result is shrapnel.

[Rabbit on Roids]

ok, well, if someone does some valid testing, and the cam doesnt scratch, i will use that method next time i do something up there. i could see it working if you used a wrench with nice clean jaws, and no burrs anywhere to mar the cam, and with it nice and tight against the cam and tightened so it couldnt slip or twist, it seems like it would work fine. i keep forgetting these cams are SUPER hard alloy, probably harder than any tool alloy really.

[Vanagoner]

Please help school me up-  I always leave the cam free and hit a wrench with a brass hammer to loosen it.  I tighten it up that way too when I'm done.  Am I hurting the belt or anything else by doing so?