See Figures 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24

1. Properly relieve the fuel system pressure. Disconnect the negative battery cable and drain the cooling system.
2. Remove the timing belt.
3. Disconnect the accelerator cable. On 1.8L engine, disconnect the throttle cable.
4. Label and disconnect the spark plug wires.
5. Label and disconnect the necessary wiring and hoses.
6. Remove the intake manifold and the cylinder head covers.
7. Remove the distributor.
8. Hold the camshaft with a wrench on the hexagon cast into the camshaft. Remove the sprocket bolt and remove the sprocket.


Fig. 19: Front camshaft cap bolt loosening sequence for the V6 engines



Fig. 20: Camshaft cap bolts loosening sequence for the V6 engines


9. Turn the camshaft, using a wrench on the cast hexagon, until the camshaft knock pin is aligned with the cylinder head marks.

Do not remove the camshaft caps when the camshaft lobe is pressing on a lifter, as the thrust journal support may become damaged.

10. Loosen the front camshaft cap bolts in 5-6 steps, in the proper sequence. Bolt Ais only on the right cylinder head. Remove the front camshaft cap.
11. Mark the position of the camshaft caps so they can be reinstalled in their original locations. Loosen the remaining camshaft cap bolts in 5-6 steps, in the proper sequence, then remove the caps.
12. Remove the camshafts.

To install:

1. Lubricate the camshaft journals, lobes and gears with clean engine oil. Align the intake and exhaust camshaft timing marks and install the camshafts.
2. The thrust plate positions for the right and left cylinder head camshafts are different.


Fig. 21: When installing the camshafts, ensure that the marks on the cam gears are aligned



Fig. 22: Put silicone sealant on the cylinder head at the positions shown



Fig. 23: Front camshaft cap bolt tightening sequence for the V6 engines



Fig. 24: Camshaft cap bolt tightening sequence for the V6 engines


3. Make sure the camshaft cap and cylinder head surfaces are clean. Apply a small amount of sealant to the mating surface of the front camshaft cap on both cylinder heads and the rear exhaust camshaft cap on the left cylinder head. Do not get any sealant on the camshaft rotating surfaces.
4. Install the front camshaft caps and thrust plate caps and tighten the bolts until the cap seats fully to the cylinder head. Install the remaining camshaft caps in their original locations and loosely tighten the bolts.
5. Tighten the camshaft cap bolts in 5-6 steps to 126 inch lbs. (14 Nm), in the proper sequence.
6. Apply clean engine oil to a new oil seal and the cylinder head. Install the seal, using a suitable installer. Apply sealant to a new blind cap and install, using a plastic hammer.
7. Install the camshaft sprockets. On the right cylinder head, install the sprocket so the Rmark can be seen and the timing mark aligns with the camshaft knock pin. On the left cylinder head, install the sprocket so the Lmark can be seen and the timing mark aligns with the camshaft knock pin.
8. Apply clean engine oil to the camshaft sprocket bolt threads and install. Hold the camshaft with a wrench on the cast hexagon and tighten the sprocket bolt to 103 ft. lbs. (140 Nm).
9. Coat a new gasket with sealant and install onto the cylinder head cover. Install the cover and tighten the bolts, in sequence, in 2-3 steps, to 78 inch lbs. (8.8 Nm). Install the ventilation pipe to the left cover.
10. Apply clean engine oil to a new O-ring and install on the distributor. Install the distributor with the blade fitting into the camshaft groove and loosely tighten the retaining bolt.
11. Install the intake manifold using a new gasket. Loosely install the bolts and nuts. Install the intake manifold stay and tighten the bolts to 19 ft. lbs. (25 Nm), then tighten the intake manifold bolts/nuts, in 2-3 steps, to 19 ft. lbs. (25 Nm).
12. Connect the wiring, hoses, and the fuel lines.
13. Connect the accelerator and, if equipped, throttle valve cables.
14. Install the timing belt.
15. Connect the negative battery cable. Fill and bleed the cooling system.
16. Start the engine and bring to normal operating temperature. Check for leaks. Check the ignition timing and idle speed.