2012 Yukon XL Denali 6.2L Cam Swap Thread

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
Geotrash

Geotrash

Dave
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Posts
6,384
Reaction score
15,794
Location
Richmond, VA
As promised, here is the final parts list again, plus as many notes from the job as I could remember to share.


Special tools to have on hand before you start:

Notes on the job:
  • Before you do anything, and I mean anything, soak those exhaust manifold bolts with penetrating oil. Ideally, do this several times over the course of a couple of days before you start the job and without running the engine at all. You'll thank yourself later.
  • The whole job is a lot easier if you remove the front wheels and the fender liners. Remove the plastic splash pan below the engine too.
  • I set the front of the truck on jack stands placed under the frame on both sides just high enough to remove the front wheels and be able to slide underneath when needed. Lifting it any higher makes working on the top side a PITA and any lower makes it harder to work the wrenches for removing the cross member, oil pan, etc.
  • You don't have to remove the differential on 4WD/AWD models to get the oil pan off. All you have to do is remove the axle shaft bolts on the passenger side and separate the CV axle from the flange. Then remove the 2 differential mounting bolts on the same side. The differential will hang plenty low enough to wiggle the oil pan out without having to drop the diff completely.
  • Put in a new oil pump and use the right pickup tube o-ring when you install it. It will be the thicker of the two on a truck engine. I didn’t do this the first time I did the job and regretted it when I didn’t have great oil pressure afterwards. So I did replace the pump the second time and used a Melling high volume pump. That was a good decision.
  • Rather than set up a whole contraption to prime the new oil pump, I soaked the pump in oil for a few hours before I installed it and then removed the plate covering the rotor on the pump and smeared some grease around in there. I didn’t completely pack the pump with grease but put in a couple of fingers’ worth. It paid off with immediate oil pressure on the first startup.

Getting the cam and lifters out (tips and notes only):
  • Take off the intake manifold.
    • I started by removing all of the belts and pulleys on the front of the engine, removing the radiator hoses, etc. I also removed the radiator fans and cooler lines so I could get the radiator out. You could wait and do this part later, but it all has to go before you can pull the cam out, so you might as well do it sooner than later. Getting the cooler lines off the radiator is easier than it looks - just have to use a pick to get the spring clips off.
    • Make sure you relieve the fuel pressure on the fuel rail on the manifold or you'll never get the fuel line separated. Use the right size fuel line disconnect tool. You can get a set for like $15 at AutoZone. Place a rag under the Schrader valve before you release the pressure to catch the fuel that comes out.
    • You don't have to remove the connectors for each coil pack - just the main connector for the rack holding the 4 coils on each side. You do have to remove the connector for each injector though, which is easy. Just slide up the little white clip on each one and squeeze in the tab below it, gently rocking it loose.
    • I like to label each connector with a silver or black sharpie but you don't have to. The way the harness is made with different wire lengths and connectors, it's pretty easy to get everything back in the right places without labels. Once I get all of the connectors off, I like to suspend the harness in 2 places with zip ties to either someplace on the cowl or one of the windshield wiper arms to keep it out of the way.
    • Use a diagram to get the right sequence for loosening the intake manifold bolts. I had no problem getting to all of them, even with my big paws. I found that a 10mm deep well socket and a short extension made it easier, and a cordless ratchet will make you think you died and went to heaven. The bolts have a sleeve with a washer welded to it about a half inch from the bottom of each sleeve that makes it a PITA to remove the bolts, but I found that rocking them a little bit while pulling up allowed me to remove them completely. You can still get the manifold off without removing the bolts entirely, but it makes it easier.
    • The intake gaskets are clipped to the manifold on each side, which makes removal and installation easier.
  • Cylinder heads (tips and notes only).
    • Before you put a socket on those exhaust manifold bolts, soak them with penetrating oil again. You don't need to remove the heat shield bolts, just the bolts that mount the manifolds to the heads. They're much easier to get to from inside the wheel wells with the liners removed and with a long extension. Be patient and slow when loosening them, and do not use a motorized wrench of any kind on them. I soaked mine in penetrating oil multiple times over 2 days and had no trouble getting them out, thankfully. Also, I did not need to separate the manifolds from the exhaust flanges below them. I was able to use the plastic handle of a harbor freight dead blow hammer to create enough clearance to get a socket on each of the cylinder head bolts
    • Remove the cylinder head bolts 1/4 turn at a time using the sequence in the service manual, which is the reverse of installation. Use ARP cylinder head bolts. They're easier to install because you can torque them without needing to fuss with an angle gauge like you do for the OEM torque-to-yield bolts. And, they're reusable in case you have to do the job twice, like I did.
    • Use new *OEM* lifter trays for non-AFM engines. I can't stress this enough. Cheaper trays will allow the lifters to wiggle/rotate slightly and will eventually lead to lifter and cam failure.
    • You don't need abrasives to clean the cylinder head and block mating surfaces. Use the Permatex chemical gasket remover and clean, lint-free rags. https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-806...permatex+gasket+remover&qid=1612204042&sr=8-1
    • I didn't bother to have my heads machined or the valves lapped since everything was in such good shape. However I did install new valve stem seals, matched BTR springs and a BTR trunnion upgrade kit.
    • Don't forget to blow compressed air into the cylinder head bolt holes before installing the heads. You don't want any liquid or debris in there when you torque this bolts down.
  • Cam and lifters.
    • I used a magnetic pickup tool to pull each of the lifters out. Worked great.
    • You can use 5/16" wooden dowel rods cut to 24" long from the hardware store to keep the lifters from falling in when you remove the camshaft. You don't need to do this if you have the lifters out, of course, but if for some reason you need to pull the cam for inspection after the heads are back on, as I did, this trick can come in handy. Once you insert the dowels you just spin the camshaft back and forth a few times using two water pump bolts threaded into the holes in the end of the cam to seat the lifters into the trays so they'll stay.
    • I used a 3-bolt cam and removed the VVT hardware accordingly and installed a new correct timing cover. I had to do some finagling to the cam position sensor wiring to get it to set okay behind the harmonic balancer but it worked out fine.
    • I used the comp cams assembly lube on the new cam before I installed it and it has fabulous film strength to protect the cam and lifter rollers at initial startup. I did not use the assembly lube on the lifters themselves as I’d soaked them in clean motor oil overnight.
    • It’s possible to get the timing chain on the cam sprocket with the oil pump and crankshaft sprocket in place, and then get the camshaft gear onto the cam. If it feels too tight when you try, it means that you have a link of slack somewhere on the crankshaft sprocket. I used a flathead screwdriver resting on the oil pan lip to hold the chain up against the bottom of the crankshaft sprocket while I turned the crankshaft counterclockwise a tiny bit and it seated the chain properly, giving me enough slack to get it over the camshaft sprocket and onto the cam. If your timing mark is off a tooth or two, you can hold the cam sprocket in your hand with the chain still around it and shift the chain with your index finger one link and tooth at a time until it’s right.
  • Other notes
    • The dipstick tube was easier than I thought it would be to seat. I set it in place through the exhaust manifold tubes and had an assistant pull it up slightly and feed it back down slowly while I laid under the truck and guided it with my fingers. I couldn’t see where it goes but could feel it with my fingers.
    • Don’t forget to use a small dollop of black RTV on the oil pan gasket at the rear corners by the flywheel. You'll know where I mean when you see the oil pan gasket. You'll also need a dollop on each front corner right before you install the timing cover.
    • I used a floor jack under the exhaust Y pipe to help me get the exhaust manifolds into position for assembly. Be careful with the exhaust manifold bolts - they're super easy to cross-thread. They should go in very easily if they're started right.

That’s all I can think of for now but will come back as I think of things to add.
 
Last edited:
Joseph Garcia

Joseph Garcia

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
7,294
Reaction score
9,834
Geotrash said:
As promised, here is the final parts list again, plus as many notes from the job as I could remember to share.


Special tools to have on hand before you start:

Notes on the job:
  • Before you do anything, and I mean anything, soak those exhaust manifold bolts with penetrating oil. Ideally, do this several times over the course of a couple of days before you start the job and without running the engine at all. You'll thank yourself later.
  • The whole job is a lot easier if you remove the front wheels and the fender liners. Remove the plastic splash pan below the engine too.
  • I set the front of the truck on jack stands placed under the frame on both sides just high enough to remove the front wheels and be able to slide underneath when needed. Lifting it any higher makes working on the top side a PITA and any lower makes it harder to work the wrenches for removing the cross member, oil pan, etc.
  • You don't have to remove the differential on 4WD/AWD models to get the oil pan off. All you have to do is remove the axle shaft bolts on the passenger side and separate the CV axle from the flange. Then remove the 2 differential mounting bolts on the same side. The differential will hang plenty low enough to wiggle the oil pan out without having to drop the diff completely.
  • Put in a new oil pump and use the right pickup tube o-ring when you install it. It will be the thicker of the two on a truck engine. I didn’t do this the first time I did the job and regretted it when I didn’t have great oil pressure afterwards. So I did replace the pump the second time and used a Melling high volume pump. That was a good decision.
  • Rather than set up a whole contraption to prime the new oil pump, I soaked the pump in oil for a few hours before I installed it and then removed the plate covering the rotor on the pump and smeared some grease around in there. I didn’t completely pack the pump with grease but put in a couple of fingers’ worth. It paid off with immediate oil pressure on the first startup.

Getting the cam and lifters out (tips and notes only):
  • Take off the intake manifold.
    • I started by removing all of the belts and pulleys on the front of the engine, removing the radiator hoses, etc. I also removed the radiator fans and cooler lines so I could get the radiator out. You could wait and do this part later, but it all has to go before you can pull the cam out, so you might as well do it sooner than later. Getting the cooler lines off the radiator is easier than it looks - just have to use a pick to get the spring clips off.
    • Make sure you relieve the fuel pressure on the fuel rail on the manifold or you'll never get the fuel line separated. Use the right size fuel line disconnect tool. You can get a set for like $15 at AutoZone. Place a rag under the Schrader valve before you release the pressure to catch the fuel that comes out.
    • You don't have to remove the connectors for each coil pack - just the main connector for the rack holding the 4 coils on each side. You do have to remove the connector for each injector though, which is easy. Just slide up the little white clip on each one and squeeze in the tab below it, gently rocking it loose.
    • I like to label each connector with a silver or black sharpie but you don't have to. The way the harness is made with different wire lengths and connectors, it's pretty easy to get everything back in the right places without labels. Once I get all of the connectors off, I like to suspend the harness in 2 places with zip ties to either someplace on the cowl or one of the windshield wiper arms to keep it out of the way.
    • Use a diagram to get the right sequence for loosening the intake manifold bolts. I had no problem getting to all of them, even with my big paws. I found that a 10mm deep well socket and a short extension made it easier, and a cordless ratchet will make you think you died and went to heaven. The bolts have a sleeve with a washer welded to it about a half inch from the bottom of each sleeve that makes it a PITA to remove the bolts, but I found that rocking them a little bit while pulling up allowed me to remove them completely. You can still get the manifold off without removing the bolts entirely, but it makes it easier.
    • The intake gaskets are clipped to the manifold on each side, which makes removal and installation easier.
  • Cylinder heads (tips and notes only).
    • Before you put a socket on those exhaust manifold bolts, soak them with penetrating oil again. You don't need to remove the heat shield bolts, just the bolts that mount the manifolds to the heads. They're much easier to get to from inside the wheel wells with the liners removed and with a long extension. Be patient and slow when loosening them, and do not use a motorized wrench of any kind on them. I soaked mine in penetrating oil multiple times over 2 days and had no trouble getting them out, thankfully. Also, I did not need to separate the manifolds from the exhaust flanges below them. I was able to use the plastic handle of a harbor freight dead blow hammer to create enough clearance to get a socket on each of the cylinder head bolts
    • Remove the cylinder head bolts 1/4 turn at a time using the sequence in the service manual, which is the reverse of installation. Use ARP cylinder head bolts. They're easier to install because you can torque them without needing to fuss with an angle gauge like you do for the OEM torque-to-yield bolts. And, they're reusable in case you have to do the job twice, like I did.
    • Use new *OEM* lifter trays for non-AFM engines. I can't stress this enough. Cheaper trays will allow the lifters to wiggle/rotate slightly and will eventually lead to lifter and cam failure.
    • You don't need abrasives to clean the cylinder head and block mating surfaces. Use the Permatex chemical gasket remover and clean, lint-free rags. https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-806...permatex+gasket+remover&qid=1612204042&sr=8-1
    • I didn't bother to have my heads machined or the valves lapped since everything was in such good shape. However I did install new valve stem seals, matched BTR springs and a BTR trunnion upgrade kit.
    • Don't forget to blow compressed air into the cylinder head bolt holes before installing the heads. You don't want any liquid or debris in there when you torque this bolts down.
  • Cam and lifters.
    • I used a magnetic pickup tool to pull each of the lifters out. Worked great.
    • You can use 5/16" wooden dowel rods cut to 24" long from the hardware store to keep the lifters from falling in when you remove the camshaft. You don't need to do this if you have the lifters out, of course, but if for some reason you need to pull the cam for inspection after the heads are back on, as I did, this trick can come in handy. Once you insert the dowels you just spin the camshaft back and forth a few times using two water pump bolts threaded into the holes in the end of the cam to seat the lifters into the trays so they'll stay.
    • I used a 3-bolt cam and removed the VVT hardware accordingly and installed a new correct timing cover. I had to do some finagling to the cam position sensor wiring to get it to set okay behind the harmonic balancer but it worked out fine.
    • I used the comp cams assembly lube on the new cam before I installed it and it has fabulous film strength to protect the cam and lifter rollers at initial startup. I did not use the assembly lube on the lifters themselves as I’d soaked them in clean motor oil overnight.
    • It’s possible to get the timing chain on the cam sprocket with the oil pump and crankshaft sprocket in place, and then get the camshaft gear onto the cam. If it feels too tight when you try, it means that you have a link of slack somewhere on the crankshaft sprocket. I used a flathead screwdriver resting on the oil pan lip to hold the chain up against the bottom of the crankshaft sprocket while I turned the crankshaft counterclockwise a tiny bit and it seated the chain properly, giving me enough slack to get it over the camshaft sprocket and onto the cam. If your timing mark is off a tooth or two, you can hold the cam sprocket in your hand with the chain still around it and shift the chain with your index finger one link and tooth at a time until it’s right.
  • Other notes
    • The dipstick tube was easier than I thought it would be to seat. I set it in place through the exhaust manifold tubes and had an assistant pull it up slightly and feed it back down slowly while I laid under the truck and guided it with my fingers. I couldn’t see where it goes but could feel it with my fingers.
    • Don’t forget to use a small dollop of black RTV on the oil pan gasket at the rear corners by the flywheel. You'll know where I mean when you see the oil pan gasket. You'll also need a dollop on each front corner right before you install the timing cover.
    • I used a floor jack under the exhaust Y pipe to help me get the exhaust manifolds into position for assembly. Be careful with the exhaust manifold bolts - they're super easy to cross-thread. They should go in very easily if they're started right.

That’s all I can think of for now but will come back as I think of things to add.
Click to expand...


Outstanding post. Thank you!!
 
97audia4

97audia4

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2018
Posts
208
Reaction score
190
Awesome job, glad to see it worked out so well. Stock converter I assume?

Did you leave it tow haul mode or manual shift it while towing with the camper? What is the GVW on the camper?

Now that both of my bikes are completed before race season, Im going to start using your list to buy up some parts you have listed.
 
OP
OP
Geotrash

Geotrash

Dave
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Posts
6,384
Reaction score
15,794
Location
Richmond, VA
97audia4 said:
Awesome job, glad to see it worked out so well. Stock converter I assume?

Did you leave it tow haul mode or manual shift it while towing with the camper? What is the GVW on the camper?

Now that both of my bikes are completed before race season, Im going to start using your list to buy up some parts you have listed.
Click to expand...
Funny you should ask. Just today I took the whole rig to the CAT scale. The camper weighs in at 6,580 with empty tanks, full propane and all of our stuff in it. I just use tow/haul mode and let it shift itself. Does fine, even provides engine braking on hills. Yes, stock converter.

Glad the thread is helpful to you. I’ll be around if any questions come up.

8beaa50193aa7c1693aeb240875efac8.jpg
7fcb980da821c5e0c84d9fb79f423d69.jpg


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Geotrash

Geotrash

Dave
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Posts
6,384
Reaction score
15,794
Location
Richmond, VA
Just a quick update now that I’ve had some time to do a lot of towing over the past couple of months. Tell him performance is so much better than stock. On interstate highways at 65, I’m only turning 2000 RPMs about 90% of the time, and downshifting to 3000 RPMs or so on the grades. Only very rarely and on the steepest grades in the mountains will it downshift one more gear and turn 4000 rpms. And that’s only for maybe 10 or 15 seconds before it upshifts again to finish the climb.

Very happy with this setup. It’s a beast. And the valvetrain is quiet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
Geotrash

Geotrash

Dave
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Posts
6,384
Reaction score
15,794
Location
Richmond, VA
Well, here we go again. It’s been about 8000 miles since the cam swap was completed with the Brian Tooley cam and Morel 6504 lifters. During our long trip to Yellowstone and back, I had a fairly consistent lifter tick on cold startup, but it quieted down after a couple of minutes, which I consider to be normal. However, yesterday I changed the oil and really got on it once during my post oil change run, and when pulling back in the driveway noticed I had another loud noise happening at the same frequency as camshaft rotation, as shown in the video

I got out a mechanic’s stethoscope and the sound appears to be coming from the number two cylinder rocker box area, so tomorrow morning I’m going to start by removing the rocker cover on that bank of cylinders to see what I have going on. My gut feeling based on the sound it made when the Vinci cam failed, is that I have another lifter starting to eat itself. I had a bad feeling about the lifter trays (I used the ones I got from Vinci) because they weren't as stiff or snug on the lifters as OEM trays, but I used them anyway.

So frustrating because I did this work to prevent having lifter problems, followed the best guidance I could find, and was meticulous in my work, including torque wrench settings, cleanliness, everything. If it turns out to be a lifter or a cam, the only parts going back into this engine will be OEM GM parts. I'm over it. That said, I'm grateful that it waited until we got home from our trip to let loose.

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
2007 Yukon SLT 5.3 to 6.2 swap, VVT cam replace options, and long tube headers
Replies
1
Views
3K
Geotrash
Geotrash
JimBe937
My Yukon Troubles!
2
Replies
12
Views
899
j91z28d1
J
S
2012 Yukon XL - 6.2L Engine Rebuild/Swap & Addressing AFM/DOD
Replies
9
Views
8K
Fernando Escobar
Fernando Escobar
drastevenson
Lifter, Cam Swap Help
2 3
Replies
21
Views
5K
drastevenson
drastevenson
1
2012 Yukon SLT - Front Cam Bolt Orientation
Replies
3
Views
2K
Geotrash
Geotrash

Forum statistics

Threads
132,087
Posts
1,862,133
Members
96,554
Latest member
eod_tech

Latest posts

Top