Ok, I have my cam plate out and am now trying to figure out how to remove the cams without a press and without damaging the plate.

I have already released the tension on the inner tensioner, removed the retaining clip from the front cam, and removedthe cam bearing plate. The rear cam is ready to slide right out of the bearing, however the front cam is snug as a bug.

I was thinking about using a socket and a rubber mallet, but just want to make sure that this is how everyone else does it.

 

There is a plug in the top of the cam plate. It is a clean out plug and has a rubbero-ring on it. Remove this plug so theo-ring doesn't melt. Once the plug is removed, put the entire cam plate and cam assembly on a baking sheet and put in the oven on about 300 degrees for 15 minutes or so. Take the baking sheet out and the cams should fall right out. If they don't gently take a socket and a rubber mallet and tap them out. When I did a gear drive swap on my 04 I used the oven/freezer method and it worked totally fine and easy.

 

Yep, the oven method is the way to go.

 

Agreed. The oven method works great. Only thing I'd add is I did 300 degrees the first time I took my cams out and I still had to tap them out with a socket. The second time I used 400 degrees and they just fell right out.

 

Thanks for the replies. The cams did come out using the oven method. Now I am trying to get the rear roller bearing out. Should I heat the plate up again and pop it out with a socket and mallet or is there another method?

 

yes a proper size socket and mallet. put the cam plate on top of 2 phone books or similar items to support the plate.

 

I am installing a gear driven cam set and therefore will not longer have any need to the cam chain tensioners. I am assuming that it is alright to leave the "posts" in the cam plate that the Cam Chain tensioners sit on. Is this a safe assumption?

 

Yes you can leave them in or press them out. If you remove them and decided to go back to chain drives for any reason they can be pressed back in. They don't hurt anything so I leave them in but know guys whopress them out.

 

If your'e planning on heating the plate to 300-400 degrees, I would be sure to take the bypass spring out first. May not hurt it, but then again...

 

+1
At 400 degrees you will start to change the molecular structure of steel. 350 won't hurt but don't go to 400 unless the spring is removed. I would change the spring anyway to increase oil pressure. I'm sure there is a thread on doing that and what type of spring as I have forgotten the one I used.