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While everything was apart I took the opportunity to check crank runout. I used this tool from CFU-Tools. It was the least expensive one I found, and it worked pretty well. I did have to take off the oil line cover to allow it to sit flush. One minor note: It claimed to be "Made in the USA," but the dial gauge it came with is a Chinese HF unit. I assume the mounting plate was made locally by CFU, and it fit well. I don't mind the cheap gauge really... It worked fine and kept the cost down.
After zeroing out the gauge I gave it a few full rotations. I saw readings from -0.0005 to +0.002, so a total variance of 0.0025. The manual states that it shouldn't exceed 0.003 (in the video I see it says +0.0025 at one point, but I think I may have jostled the gauge... After a few rotations, it never exceeded +0.002).
My conclusion: Good enough that I won't worry about it, bad enough that I'm glad I stuck with chain drive cams.
Here's a video of the tool in action (I didn't realize the music was so loud until after I played it back):
I bought an inner cam bearing remover/installer tool from Heartland. There are no instructions, but it wasn't difficult to figure out. Some of their sets use the locating plate for removal, but this one only uses the plate for installation. Removal is a pretty standard blind-hole puller. It worked well, although I had to use a hammer to close the end of the collet a bit before it would slide into the bearing, and then a hammer was needed for a light tap to drive the rod through the collet (taking care not to hammer it against the flywheel!). Both inner bearings came out easily.
One more from tonight... This one is kind of scary - There is almost nothing left of the inside tensioner. It's not quite metal on metal against the chain, but not far from it. I'm really glad I didn't put this off any longer! I'll inspect the chain carefully once I pop the cams out of the plate, and of course I'll drain oil fully and look everywhere I can see for debris...
Any suggestions on how to make sure there isn't anything anywhere troublesome?
Yes. I felt pretty good at first, when I could only see the outer tensioner... Any thoughts on what could lead to such a drastic difference?
I guess it doesn't really matter why it happened, since the cause most likely lies in something that's being changed (cam plate, oil pump, tensioners and cams will all be new). But if there is a potential problem that I'm overlooking, I would like to be enlightened...
I'm not well versed on the cam drive specifics but the inner always wears faster than the outer. Not to this degree, but still...
A few thoughts unrelated to engine-specific junk.
-Spring manufacturing tolerance (more than nominal on inner, less than nominal on outer)
-Shoe material tolerance.
-Burrs on inner chain.
-Tensioners were not replaced in sets.
I'm not well versed on the cam drive specifics but the inner always wears faster than the outer. Not to this degree, but still...
A few thoughts unrelated to engine-specific junk.
-Spring manufacturing tolerance (more than nominal on inner, less than nominal on outer)
-Shoe material tolerance.
-Burrs on inner chain.
-Tensioners were not replaced in sets.
Here are some more,
- heavy valve spring popping the tensioner off the chain as the lifter rolls off the lobes.
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