No products in the cart.
Return To Shop← Back to Video Library
FAQ
Cam Gear Installation
Quick Summary
This video demonstrates the proper procedure for pressing a cam gear onto a Cummins camshaft using a hydraulic shop press. It covers the correct method for supporting the camshaft, orienting the gear and keyway, aligning the components before pressing, and ensuring the gear is fully seated. The video also explains why stopping when the camshaft appears flush with the gear is incorrect and shows how to use an impact socket to complete the installation. Throughout the process, emphasis is placed on preventing camshaft damage and achieving the proper installed position without using heat or an oven.
Read Full Transcript
How to Press a Cam Gear Onto a Camshaft
Start by setting your press plates on the hydraulic press. The camshaft will sit between these plates, supported correctly while the gear is pressed on.
Grab and support the camshaft under the number one journal only. Do not grab or support the camshaft anywhere else. If you support it in the wrong location, you risk bending or breaking the camshaft.
Before pressing the gear on, make sure the camshaft keyway is facing out.
Next, verify the cam gear is facing the correct direction. The timing marks must be on the outside.
Now align the camshaft keyway with the gear keyway. Take your time here. The alignment needs to be correct before pressure is applied.
Begin pressing the gear onto the camshaft. Once pressure builds and the gear stops sliding smoothly, release the press.
At this point, you may notice the end of the camshaft is flush with the gear. This does not mean the job is finished. This is not the completed installed position. If you leave it like this, you can end up with a cam/crank correlation failure.
This is where the impact socket comes in. The socket must be larger than the outside diameter of the camshaft, and it must be an impact socket.
Use the impact socket with the hydraulic press to continue pressing the gear fully into its correct seated position.
No heat. No oven. No special tricks.
A shop press and the correct setup are all you need.
