Thread: Had my Son's cam degreed today.

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Nice looking engine. The timing chain cover is so different from the one's I'm used to on my Fords. It's cool seeing something different for a change. Degreeing the cam is something I never heard about until I read this thread. I had no idea of the variations when you assemble an engine!

Thanks Steve. Yeah, I'm like you, I always just lined up the two marks on the cam and crank sprocket and installed the timing chain that way. But from being on forums like this with guys like Pat, Jerry, and the others who REALLY understand engine science it has made me aware that there is so much more to properly building an engine than I ever knew.

I must be really stupid because as much as I have read up on the subject of cam degreeing, and how much help I have gotten from guys on here, and even watching the guy do it on Dan's motor, I still don't understand what all is involved. When the guy was doing it he was nice enough to take the time to show us every step and explain what he was trying to do, but it was as if he was talking Martian.

I guess I'll stick to my backyard engineering and pay an expert to do the fancy stuff.


Don

Don its all looking very spiffing, Some engines like the Cadillac 472/500 are slightly retarded from the factory, just degreeing in the cam will really wake them up.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Thanks Steve. Yeah, I'm like you, I always just lined up the two marks on the cam and crank sprocket and installed the timing chain that way. But from being on forums like this with guys like Pat, Jerry, and the others who REALLY understand engine science it has made me aware that there is so much more to properly building an engine than I ever knew.

I must be really stupid because as much as I have read up on the subject of cam degreeing, and how much help I have gotten from guys on here, and even watching the guy do it on Dan's motor, I still don't understand what all is involved. When the guy was doing it he was nice enough to take the time to show us every step and explain what he was trying to do, but it was as if he was talking Martian.

I guess I'll stick to my backyard engineering and pay an expert to do the fancy stuff.


Don

Originally Posted by roadster32

Don its all looking very spiffing, Some engines like the Cadillac 472/500 are slightly retarded from the factory, just degreeing in the cam will really wake them up.

Steve,
I think sometimes that I was slightly retarded from the factory, too , but usually a cup or two of black coffee wakes me up enough to hide it.

Originally Posted by rspears

Steve,
I think sometimes that I was slightly retarded from the factory, too , but usually a cup or two of black coffee wakes me up enough to hide it.

Rog, I don't even have a pulse til half way thru the second cup! and I have the appropriate coffee mug, it sez "Is there life before coffee?"

Back to the post... It's really good to know exactly where the cam is at when everything is all done and you start wondering where there's a bit more performance... Dialing in a cam is one more thing that really sold me on the hydraulic roller cams, with the super fast ramp rates you can run less duration and move the valve opening and closing events around.... Makes for better performance and still maintains good street manners...

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

It's really good to know exactly where the cam is at when everything is all done and you start wondering where there's a bit more performance... Dialing in a cam is one more thing that really sold me on the hydraulic roller cams, with the super fast ramp rates you can run less duration and move the valve opening and closing events around.... Makes for better performance and still maintains good street manners...

I'd really like to see a "primer" tech article on the right way to degree a cam, what it can do for you and what you need to be aware of for a long term, reliable engine. Maybe a new thread in Engine Talk? Or maybe a link to a good article?