Hi Guys Been through some old posts but none give the exact info I need. I need to change my cam seals as one of them is leaking bad. I know I need to remove the cam belts but how does one remove cam sprockets and the seals from their seats. Can you just removed the seals with a pick and tap the new ones in, do they need sealant on them. As for cam sprocket how do you undo the bolt holding them on. Any advice or direction to a thread appreciated. Cheers Neil.
Make sure to mark everything before you take it apart. Keep in mind that these are interference engines, meaning if you accidentally turn the camshafts but not the crankshaft, the valves will hit the pistons and bend. The motor will then no longer have any compression. Ferrari made a special tool to lock the cams. These are long gone from the dealer, but you might find one on ebay, or borrow from another forum member. Probably the safest method would be to remove the cams and place them in a vice with wood blocks. You could also use a universal tool that holds the sprocket, or make your own cam locks out of wood, or something else. The seals can be pried out with a small screwdriver. They don't need any dressing, but I like to put a dolop of silicone sealer between the head, and valve cover junction, right at the seal, so the seal has silicone on it as well. In my experience, if you don't do this, your new seals will leak. There are other methods that can be used as well, such as using square seals, or truing the surfaces. I don't like the idea of trueing the surfaces because they will eventually warp again anyway.
The end of the cam shafts should have a flat machined on it, it is then stamped with a flat mark. All 4 cam marks should line up with the indicator arrows when the engine is on one of its tdc positions. This will give you a ref position if you have a problem getting the timing belt pulley off
