Ok I bought a LS1 cam to go in my 5.3. The guy is gonna install it for a couple hundred bucks. He said that we are gonna do nothing about the rockers and HOPE they don't fall. He said if they fall then the price to put the cam in will be doubled. I really dont want to pay a lot just because some stupid rockers fall. Should I buy the JPR tool? Or should I just make one out of a 5/16" piece of steel from Home Depot? Pen Magnets? I don't know, what do you guys think????

 

I think BLK6.0HD made some to hold them up with strips of metal like you are talking about. Worked really well.

On mine we ended up using compressed air to hold the lifters up LOL

The 2nd time we used the right tools

 

Yeah $90 is a lot to pay to use the tool once.

 

I agree mate. I wish my buddy had his cell phone working I would ask him how he made the tool and if he could email ya with the instructions. Or tell you how we did it with air. I was at Jack in the Box getting him foo dwhile he did that part. LOL

 

Can you not just use a plain piece of 5/16" steel? Or do you have to grind it down or something?

 

You can make the tools out of just about anything you wish but some of the popular choices are copper tubing, wooden dowels and aluminum flat bar simply because they are soft and are less likely to scar anything when you slide them in/out.

 

Pen magnets will hold the lifters just fine.

 

I used the 5/16" rod method the issue i had was the passenger side rod would not go in i ended up using something smaller i think it was 3/16"rod
the next size down i could find at the Home depot
Make sure you sand down whatever you use and plenty of lube
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?ar...eddfa0a650353d
here's a good page on cam swaps

 

I had the same problem as GMC SKI with mine. I made these test fitting them on an engine on a stand, so I could see what they were hanging up on. They hang up on the 2nd set of 4 lifters on the passenger side of the block. I had to grind a little off mine to get it to work. What I would do now with mine is get a pen magnet, just 1, and pull the lifters up as far as I can, then put the rod in between them. The rod actually goes into an oil gallery and hits the lifters on the unfinished part of them to hold them in place. Once the rod was in and I made sure the lifters were all up as far as I could get them, twist the tool to put pressure against them and they should stay right there.

You shouldn't have to pay for that guys mistake. I don't think that's quite fair.

 

that was a great site for the install help. I'm hoping on getting a cam very soon.