How to remove siezed camshaft 96 Geo Metro 1.3L and what might be causing it?

BCECIL123

MEMBER
1996 GEO METRO
1.3L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
200,000 MILES

1.3L engine that camshaft is seized in, breaker bar cannot turn camshaft even with all
valves no longer attached. Distributor casing removed and gear pulley removed from each end of cam. Manual seems to indicate that you can just push the camshaft out in the direction on the distributor side but even tapping bolt head on other side does not move it. 1) how to get camshaft out? 2) what could cause this

1 Reply

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

This may sound silly but try using heat on journals then quenching with oil it may beenough so you can drive the cam out. It may or maynot move if not take the head off as it willhave to anyhow and get a replacement head or take to a rebuilder. It probably seized due to either lack of oil, low on oil low oilpressure or a blocked passage from sludge. With mileage on it I would think low on oil and or sludge or complete oil pump failure and continued driving with it failed. Check the rest of engine bearing as well. If the cam has bearing caps like the picture then remove the bolts and take a hammer an dtap caps one way then another and cam should come out.

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