Ok so I managed to get a dead engine off eBay, it was only £20 and 10mins up the road from me so I bought it for crash spares as all the casings etc are good and I may let someone have a play with the heads if they are all good.


The guy I got it from had bought it seized as well and had no idea how or why it was seized, it will turn oven but only about a quarter of a turn with a socket on the end on the crank, it then goes solid.

So I've been tearing it in bits today and all was going well, cams out, all head bolts out, heads loosened and seal broken onto casing, but the cam drive gear that sits in the middle of the head wont budge. It will rotate when I spin the engine but it will not pull out.

So I took the sump off and the oil pick up etc so I could get access to the bottom of cam drive gear with a length of timber and then hammer it out, again no joy, it is not for moving.

I've had a torch into the bottom of the engine and can see nothing obviously wrong with the engine, there is not metal in the sump when I took it off, so I'm a bit stumped I cannot get the cam drive gear out and so I cant get the heads off.

Anyone got any suggestions how to persuade the cam drive gear out or what could have shat itself in the engine to cause them to become stuck?

Chaaaaaaaaaarge!




















Sorry that wasnt much help was it

28hodge wrote:Ok so I managed to get a dead engine off eBay, it was only £20 and 10mins up the road from me so I bought it for crash spares as all the casings etc are good and I may let someone have a play with the heads if they are all good.


The guy I got it from had bought it seized as well and had no idea how or why it was seized, it will turn oven but only about a quarter of a turn with a socket on the end on the crank, it then goes solid.

So I've been tearing it in bits today and all was going well, cams out, all head bolts out, heads loosened and seal broken onto casing, but the cam drive gear that sits in the middle of the head wont budge. It will rotate when I spin the engine but it will not pull out.

So I took the sump off and the oil pick up etc so I could get access to the bottom of cam drive gear with a length of timber and then hammer it out, again no joy, it is not for moving.

I've had a torch into the bottom of the engine and can see nothing obviously wrong with the engine, there is not metal in the sump when I took it off, so I'm a bit stumped I cannot get the cam drive gear out and so I cant get the heads off.

Anyone got any suggestions how to persuade the cam drive gear out or what could have shat itself in the engine to cause them to become stuck?

You have removed the bolts that are in the middle of the V right?

There are 4 bolts that hold the cam gear from inside the head and one in the middle of the V (1 for each cam gear).. they are a bastard to remove without also taking off the water pipe that runs along the V as it gets in the way, and always replace the gaskets and o-rings on that pipe if you take it off.

You should never have to hammer the cam gear out

Drunkn Munky wrote:Chaaaaaaaaaarge!



















Sorry that wasnt much help was it

It was after an afternoon of doing just this that I decided that i'd best ask for guidance!

Neo, I'm pretty sure I have everything removed, I followed Haynes, bit I have only removed bolts from inside(under the cams/cam cover) I haven't removed any bolts from the external of the engine if that makes sense?!?

no I wasn't expecting to have to hammer it out and to be fair I didn't totally go to town on it, but with it being a seized engine I was wondering if something has gone astray and jammed them.

sounds like I have missed a couple of bolts I'll have look tomo.

Neo is right - There are 2x 6mm bolts that are on the inside of the V, next to the water pipe. One of them can't be removed until you remove the pipe, but can be loosened and left hanging so you can remove the cam gears. DON'T force the gears without removing these!

How have I managed to miss this bit in the Haynes?? right them bolts are still in the engine which will explain why I cant get the gears out, luckily I did question myself after a couple of knocks hadn't budged anything and so gave up for the day.

This engine will, I'm 99% sure, never go back together as a complete motor, though that does kinda depend on what I find has caused it to seize.

Think when I get the gear out that I have had a couple of knocks at I may well junk it to be on the safe side.

Cheers guys