Ok, I've pretty much read all the various posts on the Marcelino Mod. Not sure who produced the "Condensed Version", but appreciate that as well. But my question is, can the valve retime be done without cam removal?
Can you get enough slack in the chain by removing the cam chain tensioner to rotate the sprockets fasten and then rotate the entire cam CW or CCW the number of teeth per instructions? My preference regarding the KACR would either be to just leave it alone or remove the spring. I haven 't pulled the cam cover so don't know whether removal of the spring is possible while cam is still installed. I prefer not to disturb anything that doesn't need to be disturbed Thanks..

 

I do not think there is enough play in the cams to do the work without removal, plus you can break the bolts loose while the cams are in the head, but I personally wouldn't risk taking them out and putting them back in just to avoid dropping one down the cam drive tunnel. I broke them loose, then pulled the cams and did the actual changes on the bench, then put them back in, got them set, then torqued the nuts properly. I just don't absolutely trust my ability to not screw up and drop a nut, then requiring pulling the clutch cover off to find the bolt and pull it out.

Getting the cams back in properly isn't a big deal other than just getting them in the right place. I kept making a mistake having them off a tooth or two, but that's quite obvious when I did make a mistake and wasn't a big deal to redo the position since the cam cap is off and it's still easy to change the position. It's actually easier than it looks and sounds.

Maybe someone has done it the other way, but again I just don't trust my fingers to get the bolt in without dropping it... You know, Murphy's law - if it can go wrong it will go wrong.

Just make sure you get the cam cap on fully seated, you don't "pull it down" with the bolts, that's a good way to break things. I put in the cam cap carefully and tap on it with the plastic end of a screwdriver, the handle, because it should go in place easily.

 

Appreciate your advice/

 

Well there is a way, but you better be good. Unbolt the cams, rotate the crank one way to rebolt one cam, rotate the otherway to do the other cam. It's probably easier just to lift the cam caps.

 

That could work as long as one made sure the direction of rotation was correct... that and not drop a bolt in the engine. Stick a rag down in the tower if doing it this way and verify the exact appearance it should have from the illustraions.