camshaft replacement

[mickus]

my distributor was locked up, after inspecting a weight had broke off and jammed the distributor, looking at the camshaft insitu the gaer for the distributor drive is well worn so my question is can i replace camshaft with the engine still in the tractor and how difficult will that be? from what i see i have to remove the head, front grill, radiator anything else?
Mick.
edit it is a 1964 mf165 with continental g176.

 

[Tom from Buckeye Lake]

Overhead valves? If so no need to remove the head. Remove valve cover pull off the rocker arm, remove side covers and pull lifters out. Keep them in order.
May have to remove water pump to get to timing cover.

 

[Dieseltech]

There's NO side covers for lifter service on that engine, the MUSHROOM type lifters need the engine block upside down for camshaft removal.

 

[mickus]

I thought i could use either magnets or possibly dowels to hold the tappets up to remove shaft. The bigger issue for me is how much of the front end do I need to remove to get to the the cover?

 

[Duner Wi]

I thought i could use either magnets or possibly dowels to hold the tappets up to remove shaft. The bigger issue for me is how much of the front end do I need to remove to get to the the cover?

I have magnets from electric toothbrush that I salvage and they will pick up a claw hammer. They are tiny. Might work.

 

[mickus]

So after removing all the sheetmetal and radiator this afternoon I can now see what the issue is, the camshaft cannot be pulled out without removing the large metal casting at the front which means the front axle assembly with steering linkage needs to be dropped and removed. there is a loader in the way so i will have to remove axle assembly in pieces. I am doing this in the back 40 which adds another layer of difficulty.

 

[Dieseltech]

As an OLD MF mechanic, it's easier to roll the front axle and support casting away in one assembly, this leaves the steering all together, NO ball joints need removed at all.

 

[mickus]

I would agree but due to having a front loader installed that I cannot safely remove i have to at least remove the wheels and possibly the sliding axle members. On the plus side the loader arms will provide a stable frame to install a chain hoist making the drop and lift fairly simple. Would definitely be nice to have another pair of hands but such is life.

 

[Dieseltech]

What make/model loader is on it? I'll bet it's still easier to remove the loader and sub frame first instead of messing around with all the steering linkage.

 

[Powered By IH]

I have seen on Youtube the magnet trick on Cummins engines when they are doing a flat tappet conversion...maybe you could try something similar?

 

[mickus]

your bet would loose. The loader is from a piece of construction equipment that after modification to loader and tractor I installed about 30yrs ago, it has not been off since. If it was simple to remove where my tractor happens to be i would have done it and towed the tractor to my workshop. Unfortunately you are not aware of were the tractor is and though what you say would normally be true the effort needed to remove it is far greater than the effort required to to remove the wheels and axles out of the way. I am also working alone and it being planting season here help is in very short supply for the foreseeable future so I will do a little each day till mission accomplished/or not as the case may be. My wife has finally agreed we should get a replacement tractor though I am not sure that I will find one that will be as good as this old Massey has proven to be.

 

[pomester]

my distributor was locked up, after inspecting a weight had broke off and jammed the distributor, looking at the camshaft insitu the gaer for the distributor drive is well worn so my question is can i replace camshaft with the engine still in the tractor and how difficult will that be? from what i see i have to remove the head, front grill, radiator anything else?
Mick.
edit it is a 1964 mf165 with continental g176.

" the distributor drive is well worn...."

How so? Did that have anything to do with the distributor malfunction?

At least for the short term it would seem you could plop a new/different distributor into place and keep right on tractoring.