1982 CHEVROLET CAMARO Repair Guide

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 497

Fig. 3: Use a telescoping gauge to measur e the cylinder bore diameter - take
several readings within the same bore
The amount of cylinder wall wear is a lways greater at the top of the cylinder
than at the bottom. This wear is known as taper. Any cylinder that has a taper of
0.0012 in. (0.305mm) or more, must be rebored. Measurements are taken at a
number of positions in eac h cylinder: at the top, middle and bottom and at two
points at each position; that is, at a point 90 degrees from the crankshaft
centerline, as well as a point para llel to the crankshaft centerline. The
measurements are made with either a special dial indicator or a telescopic
gauge and micrometer. If the necessary pr ecision tools to check the bore are
not available, take the block to a mach ine shop and have them mike it. Also if
you don't have the tools to check the cylinder bores, chances are you will not
have the necessary devices to check the pistons, connecting rods and
crankshaft. Take these components with you and save yourself an extra trip.
For our procedures, we will use a tele scopic gauge and a micrometer. You will
need one of each, with a measuring range whic h covers your cylinder bore size.
1. Position the telescopic gauge in t he cylinder bore, loosen the gauges
lock and allow it to expand.
Your first two readings will be at the top of the cylinder bore, then proceed to the
middle and finally the bottom, ma king a total of six measurements.
2. Hold the gauge square in the bore, 90 degrees from the crankshaft
centerline, and gently ti ghten the lock. Tilt the gauge back to remove it
from the bore.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 498
3. Measure the gauge with the microm
eter and record the reading.
4. Again, hold the gauge square in t he bore, this time parallel to the
crankshaft centerline, and ge ntly tighten the lock. Again, you will tilt the
gauge back to remove it from the bore.
5. Measure the gaug e with the micrometer and record this reading. The
difference between these two readings is the out-of-round measurement
of the cylinder.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5, each time going to the next lower position,
until you reach the bottom of the cyli nder. Then go to the next cylinder,
and continue until all of the cylinders have been measured.
The difference between these measurements will tell you all about the wear in
your cylinders. The measurements whic h were taken 90 degrees from the
crankshaft centerline will always reflect t he most wear. That is because at this
position is where the engine power presses the piston against the cylinder bore
the hardest. This is known as thrust wear. Take your top, 90 degree
measurement and compare it to your bottom, 90 degree measurement. The
difference between them is the taper. W hen you measure your pistons, you will
compare these readings to your pist on sizes and determine piston-to-wall
clearance.
CRANKSHAFT
Inspect the crankshaft for visible signs of wear or damage. All of the journals
should be perfectly round and smooth. Slight scores are normal for a used
crankshaft, but you should hardly feel them with your fingernail. When
measuring the crankshaft wit h a micrometer, you will take readings at the front
and rear of each journal, then turn t he micrometer 90 degrees and take two
more readings, front and rear. The differ ence between the front-to-rear readings
is the journal taper and the first-to -90 degree reading is the out-of-round
measurement. Generally, there should be no taper or out-of-roundness found,
however, up to 0.0005 in. (0.0127mm) fo r either can be overlooked. Also, the
readings should fall within the factory s pecifications for journal diameters.
If the crankshaft journals fall within specif ications, it is recommended that it be
polished before being returned to service. Polishing the crankshaft insures that
any minor burrs or high spots are smoot hed, thereby reducing the chance of
scoring the new bearings.
PISTONS AND CONNECTING RODS
PISTONS
The piston should be visually inspect ed for any signs of cracking or burning
(caused by hot spots or detonation), and scuffing or excessive wear on the
skirts. The wristpin attaches the piston to the connecting rod. The piston should
move freely on the wrist pin, both sliding and pivoting. Grasp the connecting rod
securely, or mount it in a vise, and tr y to rock the piston back and forth along
the centerline of t he wristpin. There should not be any excessive play evident
between the piston and the pin. If there are C-clips retaining the pin in the piston

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 499
then you have wrist pin bushings in the rods. There should not be any
excessive play between the wrist pin
and the rod bushing. Normal clearance for
the wrist pin is approx. 0.001-0.002 in. (0.025mm-0.051mm).

Fig. 4: Measure the piston's outer diam eter, perpendicular to the wrist pin, with
a micrometer
Use a micrometer and measure the diamet er of the piston, perpendicular to the
wrist pin, on the skirt. Com pare the reading to its original cylinder measurement
obtained earlier. The diffe rence between the two readings is the piston-to-wall
clearance. If the clearance is within specif ications, the piston may be used as is.
If the piston is out of specification, but the bore is not, you will need a new
piston. If both are out of specificati on, you will need the cylinder rebored and
oversize pistons installed. Generally if two or more pistons/bores are out of
specification, it is best to rebore the entire block and purchase a complete set of
oversize pistons.
CONNECTING ROD
You should have the connecting rod chec ked for straightness at a machine
shop. If the connecting rod is bent, it will unevenly wear the bearing and piston,
as well as place greater stress on these components. Any bent or twisted
connecting rods must be replaced. If the rods are straight and the wrist pin
clearance is within specifications, t hen only the bearing end of the rod need be
checked. Place the connecting rod into a vi ce, with the bearing inserts in place,
install the cap to the rod and torque t he fasteners to specifications. Use a
telescoping gauge and carefully measure t he inside diameter of the bearings.
Compare this reading to the rods or iginal crankshaft journal diameter
measurement. The difference is the oil clearance. If the oil clearance is not

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 500
within specifications, install new bear
ings in the rod and take another
measurement. If the clearance is still out of specifications, and the crankshaft is
not, the rod will need to be reconditioned by a machine shop.
You can also use Plastigage to check the bearing clearances. The assembling
section has complete instructions on its use.
CAMSHAFT
Inspect the camshaft and lifters/followers as described earlier in this section.
BEARINGS
All of the engine bearings should be visua lly inspected for wear and/or damage.
The bearing should look evenly worn a ll around with no deep scores or pits. If
the bearing is severely worn, scored, pi tted or heat blued, then the bearing, and
the components that use it, should be brought to a machine shop for inspection.
Full-circle bearings (used on most camshafts, auxiliary shafts, balance shafts,
etc.) require specialized tools for re moval and installation, and should be
brought to a machine shop for service.
OIL PUMP
The oil pump is responsible for provid ing constant lubrication to the whole
engine and so it is re commended that a new oil pump be installed when
rebuilding the engine.
Completely disassemble the oil pump and thoroughly clean all of the
components. Inspect the oil pump gears and housing for wear and/or damage.
Insure that the pressure relief valve oper ates properly and there is no binding or
sticking due to varnish or debris. If all of the parts are in proper working
condition, lubricate the gears and relie f valve, and assemble the pump.
REFINISHING
Almost all engine block refinishing must be performed by a machine shop. If the
cylinders are not to be rebored, then t he cylinder glaze can be removed with a
ball hone. When removing cylinder glaz e with a ball hone, use a light or
penetrating type oil to lubricate the hone. Do not allow the hone to run dry as
this may cause excessive scoring of t he cylinder bores and wear on the hone. If
new pistons are required, t hey will need to be installed to the connecting rods.
This should be performed by a machine shop as the pistons must be installed in
the correct relationship to the rod or engine damage can occur.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 501

Fig. 5: Use a ball type cylinder hone to remove any glaze and provide a new
surface for seating the piston rings
PISTONS AND CONNECTING RODS
Only pistons with the wrist pin retained by C-clips are serviceable by the home-
mechanic. Press fit pistons require special presses and/or heaters to
remove/install the connecting rod and sh ould only be performed by a machine
shop.
All pistons will have a mark indicating the direction to the front of the engine and
the must be installed into the engine in that manner. Usually it is a notch or
arrow on the top of the piston, or it ma y be the letter F cast or stamped into the
piston.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 502

Fig. 6: Most pistons are marked to indica te positioning in the engine (usually a
mark means the side facing the front)
C-CLIP TYPE PISTONS 1. Note the location of the forward mark on the piston and mark the connecting rod in relation.
2. Remove the C-clips from the piston and withdraw the wrist pin.
Varnish build-up or C-clip groove burrs may increase the difficulty of removing
the wrist pin. If necessary, use a punch or drift to carefully tap the wrist pin out.
3. Insure that the wrist pin bushing in the connecting rod is usable, and
lubricate it with assembly lube.
4. Remove the wrist pin from the new piston and lubricate the pin bores on
the piston.
5. Align the forward marks on the pi ston and the connecting rod and install
the wrist pin.
6. The new C-clips will have a flat and a rounded side to them. Install both
C-clips with the flat side facing out.
7. Repeat all of the steps fo r each piston being replaced.
ASSEMBLY
Before you begin assembling the engine, fi rst give yourself a clean, dirt free
work area. Next, clean every engine component again. The key to a good
assembly is cleanliness.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 503
Mount the engine block into the engine
stand and wash it one last time using
water and detergent (dishwashing deter gent works well). While washing it,
scrub the cylinder bores with a soft bristl e brush and thoroughly clean all of the
oil passages. Completely dry the engin e and spray the entire assembly down
with an anti-rust solution such as WD-40 or similar product. Take a clean lint-
free rag and wipe up any excess anti-rust solution from the bores, bearing
saddles, etc. Repeat the final cleaning process on the crankshaft. Replace any
freeze or oil galley plugs which we re removed during disassembly.
CRANKSHAFT 1. Remove the main bearing inserts from the block and bearing caps.
2. If the crankshaft main bearing journal s have been refinished to a definite
undersize, install the correct undersize bearing. Be sure that the bearing
inserts and bearing bores are clean. Fo reign material under inserts will
distort bearing and cause failure.
3. Place the upper main bearing inse rts in bores with tang in slot.
The oil holes in the beari ng inserts must be aligned with the oil holes in the
cylinder block.
4. Install the lower main bearing inserts in bearing caps.
5. Clean the mating surfaces of block and rear main bearing cap.
6. Carefully lower the crankshaft into place. Be careful not to damage
bearing surfaces.
7. Check the clearance of each main bearing by using the following
procedure: a. Place a piece of Plastigage® or its equivalent, on bearing surface
across full width of bearing cap and about
1/4 in. off center.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 504

Fig. 7: Apply a strip of gauging material to the bearing journal, then install and
torque the cap