Morris Minor Owners Club

I am about to change camshaft for a SW5.
Bearing in mind previous problems with head gasket, my question is this.
Would I be better to unscrew tappet setting screws in rockers , to enable pushrods to be removed or remove rocker shaft. Which obviously would nessitate removal of 4 headnuts. Would this affect pressure on headgasket by removing just 4? or would I have to remove all nuts and refit new gasket. Again.
Ian.

Ian - this is just not worth doing on a 1098 - the AEA 630 cam in that engine is fine as it is ! The Mini lads go for this cam because the standard cam in a 998/1275 engine is NOT as good as the AEA 630 in the 1098 - which incidentally has same timing and lift as the original Cooper S camshaft - and Minis mostly need to pass emissions tests at MOT - which Minors don't !! The SW5 is an emissions friendly cam with very soft timing but better lift all through the valve cycle. It is also unlikely you will get an SW5 which has been machined to match up to your oil pump drive - and so changing pumps means lifting the engine away from the gearbox. Far better to fit an MG Metro cam - but that also means oil pump change. This engine keeps blowing gaskets - so you don't want to strain it any more than necessary until you get your 'new' engine ready! If you really MUST change it - then yes - you will need to ease the rocker shaft out of the pillars, OR you may be able to fiddle the push rods out past the rockers. Remember you also need to pull the dizzy drive shaft too. It's quite a job - definitely not worth it against the standard 1098 cam.