I have been looking at the ready-made tools for holding the camshafts in place and tightening the top of the head onto the bottom of it when doing a head gasket, but I cannot figure out where this tool goes or is used. It is a part of the whole kit (that I am trying to make a homemade version of) and it looks like this:

http://tooladdiction.com/VOL5451PIN.jpg

On this page it is shown in use (in the 3rd and 4th pictures below the paragraph of text), but it is up so close I cannot identify where it is or what it is holding.

http://tooladdiction.com/volvo_cam_crank_tools.htm

If anyone can point me in the right direction as to where this is being used, I would greatly appreciate it. The Haynes manual does not show anything that looks like this in the homemade tool pictures it has and I want to make sure I am securing everything I should.

Thanks,

Tracy

 

I believe they go in the back of the cams, where the distributor and the cam sensor would normally go. They lock into the notches in the back of each cam and keep them from moving when you remove the head from the car.

 

fcpgroton

I think your talking about the other 2 piece tool.


Well, the one in the 1st link is to line up the crank, but if you have it lined up at the front, where the oil pump is, then you do not really need it. You have to remove the starter to use it, never used it personally.

 

If you remove the starter, there is a plug in the block. The pin goes in the plug hole to lock the crank in place. IMO it is not needed. I used it on my eng rebuild, but really did not do anything.

 

I guess I can't really speak for the head gasket part, but personally, I say you still do not need any of those tools. I felt that it was a bit easier without anything bolted to the cam cover when I was tightening it down. Just watch the cams, and then tweak em a bit when it's all tightened down so it's in time

 

The second image in the second link I made my own tool. I took a piece of angle iron and cut it to the width of the grooves where the black spark plug cover goes into. Then I cut a square to weld into the end of each of the ends of the angle iron. The after the pieces are welded in you cut a groove so the tool will slide into the grooves where the black cover goes. For the screw part for the center I took an old spark plug and broke the porcelain out then took an old headbolt and welded it to the metal part of the spark plug. Then you screw the rod into the spark plug hole and slide the tool on and use a nut to tighten it down.

We used to just use the screws to pull the cam cover down. But when customers mess their cars up a few times and the head is done a few times all the holes strip out.

So now I use the tool all the time. If I can I will take pics of it tomorrow.

 

I did not know this...excellent info!

 

Here is the pics of the tool I made.