[Casper98GT]

Well, i installed the PI cams in my NPI 98 Gt today.

Started out with: Cams, Cam bolts, 6 qts. Mobil 1 oil and Motorcraft filter, assembly lube, 180 degree thermostat.



Started off by yanking the CAI out of my way and nitrous silinoids. Took my IAC hose and PCV hose out of the way. Then started taking the bolts out of the valve cover on the right side. You will need a swivel 8mm, a deep 8 mm and a 13mm deep socket. There are all 8mm except the one at the back of the cover is a 13mm.





Once i got all the bolts out there is silicone at the front where the valve cover meets the front cover. So use a scraper or razor blade to get it off. Once everything is clear the cover can come off.



After the valve cover is off you can now see the cam exposed. First i use the Ford tool to jam in the timing chain so the timing doesnt jump on me. I dont remove the front cover when i do cams. But if you dont have the right tools then youre probably going to. Alot of garages will remove the front cover and re-time. But i dont. Then i used another Ford tool to remove the roller follwers.



After all 8 rollers are out of my way now i could remove the 10mm bolts holding down the girdles. Which in my thoughts are the biggest pieces of trash ever. They are cheap aluminum and they break....trust me. So after the number 3/4 girdle cracking i used my diegrinder and cut them up so they are now just cam caps like the PI motors use. So now all the bolts are out and girdles are off, now time to remove the cam gear. I used my impact gun with 18mm socket. Buzzed it off and slid the gear off. Put in the new cam and used assembly lube excessivly. Put the cam girdles back on and modified one in the rear. Then torqued down the cam girdles to 100 inch lbs. Then torqued down the cam gear to 95 ft. lbs.



If you notice in the picture the rear 3/4 girdles are modified. But thats only because they cracked.

Now i can put the rockers back in. Putting each cam lobe to the top and installing them one by one. Its now time to install the valve cover. I bought 2 brand new valve covers with gaskets in them from ebay shipping to my house for 12 dollars. So now i have new valve covers, clean!! Now its time for the other side.



So the other side was a bit more time consuming, but i took quick care of it. Start by removeing all the plug wires out of the way. Then i removed the coil pack out of my way, followed by the powersteering res. with 3 10mm bolts, 2 on top and one on the left side.






Now i can get to the multiple 13mm bolts and nuts on the bracket in front of the head. Once out of my way i cleaned it up. Removed the cam sensor and set aside. Remove the valve cover and cleaned up the head. Removed the girdles, and rockers. Removed the cam and put more lube on it before assembly.



Now you can reassemble. Put back together the same as the other side. Put my oil in and drained the coolant real quick and threw in the 180 stat.



Now i was ready to fire it up.

Started good and sounds very nice.

Just a few things i have noticed.

First off it runs better, i dunno why but it does. The motor doesnt shake NEARLY as much now.

Sounds much louder. Not so much the CAM sound, but alot differerent sound.

Much more powerful above 2700rpms. I only pulled up to 5k rpms, but much better. Stronger and along with the PI intake i have it feels alot stronger then a stock 99+ car.

When i take the car up to 3-4k rpms and let off....it comes down alot better and is much more responsive.

Next to dyno it. :award [/img]

[MustangMatt96GT]

Yay its up!! It looks great too! BTW what type of cams did you put in it? And is the general public able to get that tool from ford? Thanks and looks great! And definatly make this a sticky!

[Boomer]

You did not degree them? I actually degreed a set of P.I cams and noticed a gain.... yea,yea your calling bs but 6*'s of timing(advance) on one cam and 3*'s retarded on the other is huge.


BTW that OTC tool is great, one of the best investments I have made for working on modulars..

[Casper98GT]

No i didnt degree them. If i paid huge money i would have done it. But for free money i didnt. I dont call BS because its possible probably even from the stockers. Anyways...if you were at my shop you would have heard me swear for hours. Those friggen girdles get right in the way of that tool. The PI cars are MUCH easier i have done 3 sets now on PI and the NPi suck.

[tlr96]

you are f*cking great! i gettting ready to order pi intake and cams, this detailed step by step will be pricless. THANK YOU for taking the time to do this!

[ujslost]

yeah thanks for the write up bro. I think this will help me alot tomorrow when I attempt my cam swap. But i forgot my damn torque wrench at work! WTF am I gonna do? BTW keep ya cell close by. I might have to call ya while Im in this thing. I gotta get it finished once I start. Its my daily driver. I wont blow your phone up calling so much I promise. But just in case bro!

[MustangMatt96GT]

wow you are going to do this tommarow ujslost! Good luck! And are you using the tool that is in the pictures or how are you doing this?

[ujslost]

nah im just gonna have a buddy hold up on the cam gear and keep tension on it and the chain. Casper said I could! Im just worried about the lash adjusters and not having my damn torque wrench and its a ft lbs and i need a inch lbs torque wrench also

[MustangMatt96GT]

Yeah the torque wrench is a must! I dont have one in inch lbs so I will need to get one of those and then our torque wrench is old and probably not to acurate so maybe ill get a new one of those too!

[ujslost]

im not affraid to attempt the swap, i know i can do it. I just know Im gonna be running back and forth to the parts store a million times probly.

[MustangMatt96GT]

lol yeah looking at the write up it looks pretty straight forward, but I will have to ask questions as usual! And I bet you wont need too much from the parts store! Its only 10 mm and 13 mm bolts as I see and a swivel socket and then of coarse the torque wrenches!

[MustangMatt96GT]

I was just thinking and this came across my mind! Why put in PI cams in NPI heads if you could have gotten Comp Stage 1 NPIs? Are the PI a different grind than the NPI even though they are both stage 1s?

[Casper98GT]

Thanks everyone

John, i think the only problem you might have is the rockers. Without that ford tool i dont know how people just use a screwdriver.. But i have read some installs and they say they use screwdrivers.. yikes. If its youre daily driver and its all you have i suggest waiting until you get to work and getting that tool. Because like you said, once youre in there....you gotta finish.

Matt, you can get a custom grind cam, but the PI's were free and i dont really spend alot of money in this car because i know its a dog and will always be one. So i just mod it here and there when i can. cheap PI parts work for me

[MustangMatt96GT]

So would it be the same process to do NPI cams in there as well? Because I figure if I am going to do cams I am going to probably do a Stage 1 or 2 if I have enough money for new srings and why not just go with a NPI which was designed for your heads if you can get the same results! Thanks and you know I might not mind having that phone number of yours so when I install my intake if I have a question I can ask it! lol I dont want to screw up my car the weekend before I get my licence that would piss me off so much!

[Casper98GT]

haha. Well just take youre time, its key. I have a wicked temper and sometimes i just have to walk away and calm down, maybe have a bite to eat. But i just take my time on anything i do. Yeah any cam you put in will be the same process. And everything will still be the same with stage 2's with new valve springs. But now youre gonna have to remove the plug and compress that cylinder with air and then use the tool to remove the spring keepers and then replace the spring.

My cell phone is always on and most of the time i answer it.

603-988-9576. If it EVER doesnt get picked up leave a message im usually just busy but will call right back.

[MustangMatt96GT]

Thanks for your number and if I have any problems I will give you a call! And once I get serious about cams I will start asking you alot of questions! You thought I was asking a lot of questions now! lol But I want 4.10s first so then I will get serious about cams! Thanks man!

[Casper98GT]

Well, keep asking questions. thats how you learn.

[Boomer]

I noticed that the otc tool was a pain, I used a 3/8 breaker bar and had little troubles but still cussed. I have plans to build a engine in the somewhat near future and will do a camshaft degree write-up (HOW TO) for a sticky if you would like. If I had the patience I would do a writeup on the whole assembly but I'm not sure I'll have the mental capacity to do both ....LOL

I first have to make the choice of a tube chassis or engine build before I do anything !?!?!?!?!?

[ujslost]

boomer how do you suggest getting the rockers back on. then
I been reading about ppl bleading their lifters down to get the clearance to put the rockers back in. what about pumping them back up afterwards?

[noppe180]

nice write up