Cam Degreeing

stanyon

Well-known member
I am building a 200 engine and having no success in getting my numbers to match up with the cam card. I have a 278/278 110 cam and when I go thru the degreeing process I come up with 222 degrees at .050 duration and not the 228 degrees as showing on the cam card. Four days on this and untold tear downs - reassemble and the same results. Any help and or leads are appreciated.
 
Im sure you have already checked this, but make sure that the cam is advertised as 228@.050 and not some other like 228@.020 or even 228@.006......
 
Yes CNC both the online listing for the cam and the cam card say that it is 228 degrees @.050. I am beginning to question whether or not this is the cam profile I ordered and not another cam.
 
That has actually been talked about before on here and been known to have happened a time or two. Double check the number stamped on the end of the cam vs. the cam card.
 
Run a copy of your cam card.
Is this the clay smith 278 solid lifter camshaft???
228 @ .050 is a little excessive for a 200 engine.
Advise on the above.
 
WSA111, yes it is the Clay Smith 278/278 -110, The bottom end of my engine has been balanced, decked .020, Silvolite 1100 pistons. The head has been ported as mush as possible, 144 intake valves used for exhaust valves, intake valves are 1.75, head shaved .060, log has been machined to accept a Weber 32/36, Valve springs are Ford 4.0 springs and retainers set at 75#, solid lifters, and dual headers will be used. Yes I reaching as far as cam selection goes, but I hope all my calculations come out.
 
so why do we advise that 228@50 is to big? is it not suitable or just a tad big or not in the rev range for the motor, i was going bigger than this 240@50 with similar bottom end, 200 seven main, maybe a different head setup with triple Su's
 
stanyon":3t07gn7d said:
144 intake valves used for exhaust valves,

Intake valves are made from a different material than exhaust valves, and are not designed to endure the heat of an exhaust valve, and trying to use them as such is a huge mistake....
 
CNC-Dude":vl1mvr8u said:
stanyon":vl1mvr8u said:
144 intake valves used for exhaust valves,

Intake valves are made from a different material than exhaust valves, and are not designed to endure the heat of an exhaust valve, and trying to use them as such is a huge mistake....

Not always. Ford must have kinda messed up a bit by over engineering the first 144 and 170 engines, because they ran the same material, a very good steel.

A set of a set of 144 1.467 intake valves with a .015 oversize stem might set you back 20 bucks if you know where to look.


This from CZLN6 in May 2013

After much discussion and cussin, checking and rechecking with those who should know, our conclusion is that in stock Ford small block application, the intake and exhaust valves are the same in material composition. Both Dennis (200) and I (250) have been running 144 intake valves as exhaust for some time with no unusual result.
 
Since this is a solid lifter camshaft, because of the valve clearance your actual duration @ .050"could be 8-10 degrees less than the 228 degrees listed for this camshaft.
What you have is 222 because of valve lash as part of the equation.
 
wsa111":1hyle9b9 said:
Since this is a solid lifter camshaft, because of the valve clearance your actual duration @ .050"could be 8-10 degrees less than the 228 degrees listed for this camshaft.
What you have is 222 because of valve lash as part of the equation.
True, but the cam card info is based on a "zero lash" method of checking. So it will read the actual specs according to the cam card.
 
Thanks to all for the replies, I have basically given up. The cam card does not give a degree reference for when the lift should be at .050, and this would have been a great help to me. I have been thru the process so many times, and still nothing to verify the right timing. I did find in my many searches that Crane cams do come with the degree reference I mentioned above. Anyway I will start final assembly today and hope it is all as it should be.
 
Degree the cam is using the lobe centerline procedure advance it 2-4 degrees as required for you engine, gearing & C4 trans or stick shift.
Set the valve lash .002" wider cold, breakin the camshaft, reset valve lash & let her roll.
 
Don't advance it. Not before following Mikes processes, then check cam to rod clearance.

JackFish":34b295iu said:
Nope. Pretty weird.


clunk01.jpg


That pic is the 2° advance. #4 cylinder.

Some cast iron rods differ in size, and some cam sets place the cam in a different position.

viewtopic.php?t=65908
 
Good reason to use the earlier forged rods.
Do agree that checking clearance is excellent advice.
 
See as well viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71122&p=545742#p545742


Different cam but same process. Use his calculations, and you'll have all the info.

CNC-Dude":hjwf925z said:
Im sure you have already checked this, but make sure that the cam is advertised as 228@.050 and not some other like 228@.020 or even 228@.006......

Everyone should know that this info is in fact provided by Mike W at Classic Inlines under Details

S278-10s.JPG
,


Its 228 degrees at 50 thou for sure, but the lash spec is 18 thou, not zero lash



and then go to
http://www.classicinlines.com/proddetai ... 278-SSP-10
and http://www.classicinlines.com/CamDegree.asp


A few notes.

1. If you have cast iron rods. Ford specifically changes the 200 and 250 rods for the 1978 to 1979 model year, reverting to an inferior quality cast iron rod. Since castings are not as dimensionally stable as dropped forged con-rods used from 1960 to 1983 for the small six, this means that the 4 degrees advance is a risk with any straight up Clay Smith cam and cast iron rods.

2. The rocker ratio changes. The blanket 1.5 or 1.65 ratio for common rocker arms you might use could in practice be 1.48 or 1.6, as the wiped tip ratio is actually not 1.5 or 1.6 as advertised. So if your seeing only 222 degrees, I'd check the rocker ratio from the rubbed tip of the valve at full lift, to the lever arm from the trunion to the pushrod. I doubt you have a 1.5:1 rocker ratio. This is often discussed when people go to higher rocker ratios.

http://mobile.pistonheads.com/gassing/t ... 9515&mid=0

3. The stated lash alters the peak duration, but how is any bodies guess....the cam designers use a lot of variables. See the last two posts here.

http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9277
 
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