Doug- you have an xlnt article on in car cam installation.You mention you have to remove pushrods and lifters (and all the other stuff). The Haynes manual says you have to remove the head. I got the idea from your article that you didnt have to remove the head per se. Can you take out the lifters (long nose pliers?) after taking out the pushrods with the heads still in place? Sure would save some work.

Hey Noisydart,

If this helps, I did my cam swap without pulling the head. I used a strong minimagnet to get the lifters out. It was kinda tricky getting the magnet on the lifters, but it pulled them right out. Putting them in, I lubed them up, and used a Sneaky Pete to set the lifter close in the bore, then used a piece of CLEAN SMOOTH roundstock to gently work the new lifter in. Worked great.

Hope this helps.

Tim in Detroit

The thing we need to remember is that new lifters should always be installed on a new cam. (there are some exceptions but let's not go there for the moment)
This means you need to get the lifters out of the engine, not just pulled-up out of the bores and "set aside" untill the new cam is installed, then slipped back into the bores.

You can get the lifter out on most Slants with the head on except for the 76-80 small plug (no spark plug tube) mechanical lifter engine. The push rod holes are smaller then the lifter so there is no way to "fish them out".

On the later hydraulic lifter engines (wide valve cover) the pushrod holes are 1 inch so it is possible to get the lifters out with-out pulling the head.
It is also pretty easy to get the lifters out on all the spark plug tube heads. (1960-75)
DD

I guess I assumed that new lifters being installed was a given. Don't want to mislead anyone

No problem Tim, I always need to remind myself to spell-out all the little details in a message / post, saves a lot of "back and forth" questions later.
I'm sure I bore the crap out of some of the "veterans" who already know this stuff but we need to watch-out for the new guy.
DD

i also used a magnet to pull the lifters in my 67 dart, if they dont come out easily you can use the magnet to pull them up as far as you can and use needlenose pliers in your other hand to pull them out all the way.....