
GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 51
shoes to rotate very slightly with the 
drum, rocking an adjusting lever, thereby 
causing rotation of the adjusting scr ew. Some drum brake systems are 
designed to self-adjust duri ng application whenever the br akes are applied. This 
on-board adjustment system reduces  the need for maintenance adjustments 
and keeps both the brake function and pedal feel satisfactory.  
POWER BOOSTERS  
Virtually all modern vehicles use a va cuum assisted power brake system to 
multiply the braking force and reduce  pedal effort. Since vacuum is always 
available when the en gine is operating, the system is simple and efficient. A 
vacuum diaphragm is located  on the front of the master cylinder and assists the 
driver in applying the brakes, reducing both  the effort and travel he must put into 
moving the brake pedal.  
The vacuum diaphragm housing is normally  connected to the intake manifold by 
a vacuum hose. A check valve is placed  at the point where the hose enters the 
diaphragm housing, so that during periods  of low manifold vacuum brakes 
assist will not be lost.  
Depressing the brake pedal closes o ff the vacuum source and allows 
atmospheric pressure to enter on one side  of the diaphragm. This causes the 
master cylinder pistons to move and app ly the brakes. When the brake pedal is 
released, vacuum is applied to both si des of the diaphragm and springs return 
the diaphragm and master cylinder pist ons to the released position.  
If the vacuum supply fails, the brake pedal  rod will contact the end of the master 
cylinder actuator rod and  the system will apply the br akes without any power 
assistance. The driver will  notice that much higher pedal effort is needed to stop 
the car and that the pedal f eels harder than usual.  
VACUUM LEAK TEST  
1.  Operate the engine at idle without t ouching the brake pedal for at least one 
minute.  
2.  Turn off the engine  and wait one minute.  
3.  Test for the presence of assist va cuum by depressing the brake pedal and 
releasing it several times. If vac uum is present in the system, light 
application will produce less  and less pedal travel. If there is no vacuum, air 
is leaking into the system.  
SYSTEM OPERATION TEST  
1.  With the engine  OFF, pump the brake p edal until the supply vacuum is 
entirely gone.  
2.  Put light, steady pressu re on the brake pedal.  
3.  Start the engine and let it  idle. If the system is operating correctly, the brake 
pedal should fall toward the floor if t he constant pressure is maintained.   

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 309
 
Fig. 5: Servos, operated by pressure, ar e used to apply or release the bands, to 
either hold the ring gear or  allow it to rotate 
The accumulators are used to cushi on the engagement of the servos. The 
transmission fluid must pass through the ac cumulator on the way to the servo. 
The accumulator housing contains a thin piston which is sprung away from the 
discharge passage of the accumulato r. When fluid passes through the 
accumulator on the way to the servo, it  must move the piston against spring 
pressure, and this action smooths out the action of the servo.  
HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM  
The hydraulic pressure used to operat e the servos comes from the main 
transmission oil pump. This fluid is channel ed to the various servos through the 
shift valves. There is generally a manual  shift valve which is operated by the 
transmission selector lever and an automat ic shift valve for each automatic 
upshift the transmission provides.  
Many new transmissions are electroni cally controlled. On these models, 
electrical solenoids are used to better  control the hydraulic fluid. Usually, the 
solenoids are regulated by an electronic control module.   
There are two pressures which affect t he operation of these valves. One is the 
governor pressure which is effected  by vehicle speed. The other is the 
modulator pressure which is effected by  intake manifold vacuum or throttle 
position. Governor pressure rises wit h an increase in vehicle speed, and  

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 369
ROCKER ARM COVER 
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION  
2.5L ENGINE  
 
Fig. 1: Valve and pushrod covers for the 2.5L 
1.  Disconnect the negative battery cable.  
2.  Remove the air cleaner assembly.  
3.  Disconnect the throttle c able at the throttle body.  
4.  Remove the PCV valve from the cover.  
5.  Remove the spark plug wires from t he clips. Remove the clips from the 
valve cover.  
6.  Remove the EGR valve. Loosen t he throttle body to gain clearance, as 
required.  
7.  Remove the valve cover retaining  bolts and remove the cover. Tap on 
the valve cover with the palm of your  hand or use a soft mallet to loosen.  
To install:   8.  Clean the sealing surface on cylinder  head and intake manifold of all old 
RTV or gasket. Make sure no oil or ol d gasket is present when applying 
new RTV or gasket.  
9. Place a 
1/16 in. (5mm) bead of RTV sealan t all around the rocker arm 
sealing surface or use a cork  style gasket. (When going around the 
attaching bolt holes, always flow t he RTV on the inboard side of the 
holes).  
10. Install cover and torque bolts  to 8 ft. lbs. (11 Nm).  
11. Finish installation by reversing removal procedure.   

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 370
2.8L AND 3.1L ENGINES  
 
Fig. 2: Valve cover removal for the V6 
1.  Disconnect the negative battery cable.  
2.  For the left side valve cove r removal, proceed as follows:  
a.  Remove the accessory drive belt.  
b.  Remove the transmission  dipstick, if required.  
c.  Remove the air management hose  and air conditioning bracket, if 
equipped.  
d.  Remove the intake plenum and  throttle body assembly, on fuel 
injected engines.  
e.  Remove the valve cover reinforcements and nuts.  
3.  For the right side valve cover removal, proceed as follows:  
a.  Remove the EGR valve adapter  with the EGR valve and shield 
from the exhaust manifold.  
b.  Remove the coil and coil mounting  bracket from the cylinder head.  
c.  Disconnect the crankcase vent pipe.  
d.  Remove the intake plenum and throttle body assembly.  
e.  Remove the valve cover reinforcements and nuts.  
4.  Remove cover. If cover adheres to cylinder head, shear off by bumping  end of rocker arm cover with palm of  hand or rubber mallet. If cover still 
will not come loose, CAREFULLY  pry until loose. DO NOT DISTORT 
THE SEALING FLANGE.  
To install:   5.  Clean the sealing surface on cylinder  head and intake manifold of all old 
RTV or gasket. Make sure no oil or ol d gasket is present when applying 
new RTV or gasket.   

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 374
5.  If cover adheres to cylinder head, 
shear off by bumping end of rocker 
arm cover with palm of hand or rubber  mallet. If cover still will not come 
loose, CAREFULLY pry  until loose. DO NOT DISTORT THE SEALING 
FLANGE.  
To install:   6.  Clean the sealing surface of cyli nder head and intake manifold of all old 
RTV or gasket. Make sure no oil or ol d gasket is present when applying 
new RTV or gasket.  
7. Place a 
1/8 in. (3mm) bead of RTV sealan t all around the rocker arm 
sealing surface or use a cork  style gasket. (When going around the 
attaching bolt holes, always flow t he RTV on the inboard side of the 
holes).  
8.  Install cover and torque bolts  to 8 ft. lbs. (11 Nm).  
9.  Finish installation by reversing removal procedure.  
PUSHROD SIDE COVER 
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION  
2.5L ENGINE   1.  Disconnect the negative battery cable.  
2.  Mark and remove the distributor assembly.  
3.  Remove the ignition coil and bracket.  
4.  Remove the side cover retaining nuts and remove the cover.  
To install:   5.  Clean the cover sealing surfaces  of all RTV or gasket material.  
6. Place a 
1/16 in. (5mm) bead of RTV sealan t all around the rocker arm 
sealing surface or use a cork  style gasket. (When going around the 
attaching bolt holes, always flow t he RTV on the inboard side of the 
holes).  
7.  Install cover and torque bolts to 89 inch lbs. (10 Nm).  
8.  Finish installation by reversing removal procedure.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 378
6.  Install the rocker arm, balls and 
nut. Tighten the nut until all lash is 
eliminated.  
7.  The engine must be on the No. 1 fi ring position before proceeding. This 
may be determined by placing your fi ngers on the No. 1 rocker arms as 
the mark crankshaft damper is rotat ed towards the "0" on the timing tab. 
If the arms did not move, it is in the  No. 1 firing position. If they did move, 
turn the crankshaft one full revoluti on to reach the No. 1 position. 
Remember, the mark on the crankshaft balancer must be aligned with 
the "0" on the timing tab.  
8.  Adjust the valves as follows:  
V6 ENGINES  
With the engine on the number 1 firing pos ition, exhaust valves 1, 2 and 3 and 
intake valves 1, 5 and 6  
may be adjusted. Back out t he adjusting nut until lash is felt at the pushrod. 
Tighten the adjusting nut unt il all lash is removed, then tighten the nut an 
additional 1
1/2 turns to center the lifter plun ger. Turn the engine one revolution 
until the "0" timing mark is once again al igned. Exhaust valves 4, 5 and 6 and 
intake valves 2, 3 and 4 may be adjusted.  
V8 ENGINES  
With the engine on the number 1 firing posit ion, exhaust valves 1, 3, 4 and 8, 
intake valves 1, 2, 5 and 7 may be adj usted. Back out the adjusting nut until 
lash is felt at the pushrod. Tighten the  adjusting nut until all lash is removed, 
then tighten an additional 1 turn to center  the lifter plunger. Turn the engine one 
revolution until the 0 timing mark is once  again aligned. Exhaust valves 2, 5, 6 
and 7, intake valves 3, 4, 6 and 8 may be adjusted.  
9.  Install the rocker arm cover.  
2.5L ENGINE   1.  Disconnect the negative battery cable.  
2.  Remove the valve cover.  
3.  Remove the rocker arm  bolt, ball and rocker arm.  
4.  Remove the pushrods, if necessary . Place components in a rack so they 
can be reinstalled in the same location.  
To install:   5.  Coat the bearings surf aces with a thin coating of Molykote® or its 
equivalent.  
6.  Install the pushrod, if removed,  through the cylinder head and into the 
lifter seat.  
7.  Install the rocker arm, ball and bol t. Torque to 22 ft lbs. (30 Nm).  
8.  Install the valve cover.   

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 381
It is not necessary to remove the radi
ator hose from the thermostat housing.   
4.  Remove the two retaining bolts from  the thermostat housing and remove 
the thermostat.  
To install:   5.  Using a new gasket, install  the thermostat and housing.  
6.  Tighten the bolts to 21  ft lbs. (28 Nm).  
7.  Fill and bleed t he cooling system.  
INTAKE MANIFOLD 
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION  
When servicing all vehicles, be absolutel y sure to mark vacuum hoses and 
wiring so that these items  may be properly reconnected  during installation. Also, 
when disconnecting fitting lines (fuel  lines, power brake vacuum lines, 
transmission and engine cooler lines, etc.),  always use two flare nut (or line) 
wrenches. Hold the wrench on the large fitti ng with pressure on the wrench as if 
you were tightening the fitting (clockw ise), THEN loosen and disconnect the 
smaller fitting from the larger fitting. If  this is not done, damage to the line will 
result. Always relieve fuel system  pressure before disconnecting lines.   
CAUTION  - When draining the coolant, keep  in mind that cats and dogs are 
attracted by the ethylene gl ycol antifreeze, and are quite  likely to drink any that 
is left in an uncovered container or  in puddles on the ground. This will prove 
fatal in sufficient quantity. Always drai n the coolant into a sealable container. 
Coolant should be reused unless it is  contaminated or several years old. 
2.5L ENGINE  
Fig. 1: Intake manifold bol t torque sequence for 2.5L engine  
1.  Disconnect the negative batte ry cable at the battery.  
2.  Remove the air cleaner assembly.  
3.  Remove the PCV valve and hose.  
4.  Drain the cooling system.  
5.  Disconnect the fuel lines from the  Throttle Body Injection (TBI) unit.  
6.  Mark and disconnect the vacuum li nes and the electrical connections 
from the TBI unit.  
7.  Disconnect the linkage from the TBI  unit (throttle, downshift, and/or 
cruise control, as applicable).  
8.  Disconnect the coolant inlet and outlet hoses from the intake manifold.  
9. Remove the air conditioning co mpressor support brackets and the 
compressor. DO NOT disconnect the refrigerant lines from the 
compressor. Lay the compressor aside.  
10. Remove the manifold attachi ng bolts and remove the manifold.  
To install:   

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 382
11. Position the manifold into place and install manifold attaching bolts. 
Torque manifold bolts to specificat ion (see illustration for tightening 
sequence and torque specifications).  
12. Install the air conditioning comp ressor and compressor support brackets, 
if so equipped.  
13. Connect the coolant inlet and outlet  hoses to the intake manifold.  
14. Connect the linkage to the TBI unit  (throttle, downshift, and/or cruise 
control, as applicable).  
15. Connect the vacuum lines and the elec trical connections to the TBI unit.  
16. Connect the fuel lines to the Th rottle Body Injection (TBI) unit.  
17. Install the PCV valve and hose.  
18. Install the air cleaner assembly.  
19. Connect the negative battery cable at the battery.  
20. Fill the cooling system.  
2.8L AND 5.0L CARBURETED ENGINES  
 
Fig. 2: Intake manifold bolt removal