Horse Sense:
Rick Anderson tells us that while his new Cam Chain Retention Tool will save hours on a Two-Valve cam swap, he cautions not to rely on the retention tool for any length of time since the tool is used to simply prevent the timing chain from losing tension. Rick recommends having the new cam laying within arms reach so that the other hand can hold on to the tool for an extra measure of security against the chain losing tension, because if the chain slips you'll be spending the next couple of hours tearing down the front of the engine.
The AFM Cam Chain Retention...
The AFM Cam Chain Retention Tool is designed to slip down into the timing cover cavity and retain the chain's tension during a cam swap. The tool comes powdercoated and is simple to use.
Starting with the driver-side...
Starting with the driver-side cam cover, remove the cam cover retaining bolts and set them aside.
You will need plenty of working...
You will need plenty of working room to remove the cam cover, so disconnect the four fuel injectors, the four coil packs (or plug wires), and the electrical and vacuum connections to the electric fuel pressure regulator found on the fuel rail ('99 and later).
 Once you have everything disconnected,...  Once you have everything disconnected, carefully pull the engine wiring harness up and over the fuel rail. There should be enough tension to hold it in place, out of the way. You can also use a couple of tie wraps to hold the harness out of the work area as well. |  Finally, unbolt and remove...  Finally, unbolt and remove the four coil packs from the engine ('99 and later). The coil pack sits directly on the spark plug, so once the retaining bolt is removed, it will take a twist and pull motion to separate the coil pack from the spark plug. |  Now that everything is clear,...  Now that everything is clear, you can lift the cam cover off the engine. It might take a bit of rotational movement (toward the engine) to clear the cam caps under the cam cover. Also take care to prevent damaging the reusable cam cover gasket. |