Holy bat crap that wasn't fun and I'm not even done yet---I started Friday afternoon and took the front end apart---BATTLE #1 ---wrestling the frickin radiator out was a major pain--I couldn't get the pipe off the motor nor could I get to the clamp on the lower radiator hose for quite sometime, that was the first battle---
Saturday morning I did the dowels and then it BATTLE #2---why doesn't someone tell you what measurements to cut those back dowels--I cut a little and tried and cut some more--I broke one(thankfully there was 2 extra in the cummins kit) finally I won, but geesh if I would've known I would have been ahead of the game---I then pulled the cam and tried to persuade the came gear off the cam, this was BATTLE #3---why doesn't someone tell you that you need a 20 TON PRESS to get this done or a 20 TON JACK with hilbilly engineering--
I ended up buying a press yesterday and then it was smooth sailing until BATTLE #4--up to now it's been just me, but a friend came by and lent a hand to get the tappets installed---back 3 went in slicker than snot and then the problems arose---couldn't get the next one to pull up all the way--we monkeyed with it for 1/2 hour and then we got it and then the next one was no problem, but then it was tappet war--we spent the next hour trying to get this tappet in--it did just what the 4th one did--it would go up but not far enough to let you spin the tray--we took it out and then put it in about a dozen times, before I figured out that the string was going down the wrong hole--NO not the one in the head, but once the string got thru the head it would go through an oiling hole is what I think--I could pull the tappet up but not enough to be able to spin the tray---this was quite frustrating as it was so close but wouldn't go---finally I got up there and got my head lodged in there so I could eagle eye it and bingo I saw the problem, after that the last two(front two) didn't really want to turn but with a 16lb sledge and 1 1/2" solid pipe and 50 good whacks---NO< NO>NO I just nudged them with one of the dowels and bingo---all tappets in ...........
BATTLE #5 I knew would be fun but it was just getting the cam in at the very end--took me about 15 minutes and then darkness hit--so I stuck the push rods in and there she sets--I will post the measurements of those dowels later---the saga continues later this afternoon---
oh yea this was a blast so far---NOT, but still definite learning experience---chris
Saturday morning I did the dowels and then it BATTLE #2---why doesn't someone tell you what measurements to cut those back dowels--I cut a little and tried and cut some more--I broke one(thankfully there was 2 extra in the cummins kit) finally I won, but geesh if I would've known I would have been ahead of the game---I then pulled the cam and tried to persuade the came gear off the cam, this was BATTLE #3---why doesn't someone tell you that you need a 20 TON PRESS to get this done or a 20 TON JACK with hilbilly engineering--
I ended up buying a press yesterday and then it was smooth sailing until BATTLE #4--up to now it's been just me, but a friend came by and lent a hand to get the tappets installed---back 3 went in slicker than snot and then the problems arose---couldn't get the next one to pull up all the way--we monkeyed with it for 1/2 hour and then we got it and then the next one was no problem, but then it was tappet war--we spent the next hour trying to get this tappet in--it did just what the 4th one did--it would go up but not far enough to let you spin the tray--we took it out and then put it in about a dozen times, before I figured out that the string was going down the wrong hole--NO not the one in the head, but once the string got thru the head it would go through an oiling hole is what I think--I could pull the tappet up but not enough to be able to spin the tray---this was quite frustrating as it was so close but wouldn't go---finally I got up there and got my head lodged in there so I could eagle eye it and bingo I saw the problem, after that the last two(front two) didn't really want to turn but with a 16lb sledge and 1 1/2" solid pipe and 50 good whacks---NO< NO>NO I just nudged them with one of the dowels and bingo---all tappets in ...........
BATTLE #5 I knew would be fun but it was just getting the cam in at the very end--took me about 15 minutes and then darkness hit--so I stuck the push rods in and there she sets--I will post the measurements of those dowels later---the saga continues later this afternoon---
oh yea this was a blast so far---NOT, but still definite learning experience---chris
OH: My first cam took ~16 hours. The next one would have taken 8 hours but Matt broke one of the injector harness studs. The next time I think I spent about 90 minutes installing tappets on a fresh block. It only gets easier! 
