60s Refugee
Well-known member
My intention is to build a daily driver that kicks ass. I drive the '65 every day and, as with most folks these days, gas is an issue too. I need to blend "kick ass" with 'Top Fuel Eliminator'. This project will be "rad" mixed with "Dad".
I knew I'd need a cam to optimize the carbs. I wanted to avoid 'solids' cuz I didn't want to be adjusting the valves every other month. I also wanted to economize at least somewhere! Using the stock rockers would do that. After reading all the threads my brain was full! I couldn't come to a conclusion about which cam to use (the days when we called 'em "full race" or "quarter race" has given way to all these numbers and stuff). So...I sent an eMail to Mike at C.I. He was quick to reply and had an answer for me = "Dual, 264/274 110* hydraulic". So, along with some other cool stuff, I ordered the cam and the dual roller billet timing gear set.
Some of you will remember the tone of several of my posts after that. I was unprepared for the 'degree camshaft' process. I was suprised that there were that many "careless" cam grinders out there. 'Guess that was my old age showing. It was a new Idea for me and I resist change (after all, I'm still driving a '65)! The evidence was overwhelming so I employed a friend who owned a degree kit (and just happens to be a professional Ford mechanic) and convinced him that helping me out was better than sitting at home. Besides, I needed someone with two hands who was also dumb enough to pull the old cam bearings out with the engine still in the car
. Shawn showed up with a degree kit, a cam bearing puller/driver set. Cool!
There are many threads and a sticky that show the process. 'Looked just like what Shawn was doing! The cam came with a tube of that grey grease. I switched the key peg from the old cam to the new one (don't forget to put that little shim thing on before you tap in the peg!) then commenced to lube the lobes. I didn't have enough to do the dizzy gear and bearings, so I substituted 'Lubraplate' for everything else. It is a messy process but absolutely necessary. When I tried to slide the new billet cam gear on the cam it was too tight! I took the old gear and slid it on to give me a 'handle' to control the new cam as I slid it in. Shawn had replaced the bearings by then so I put the cam in. You MUST be carefull not to damage the new bearings and lobes as it goes in. I made Shawn nervous as I did it, but hell, I was buying the beer so who cares . I put the retainer plate on, bolted it up and started on the timing chain. Though the gear set is 'adjustable' I wasn't interested in building in an advance so I lined up the '0' with the 'dot' and started tapping the gears on. The dual roller chain is beautiful and absolutely no slack. NICE! The big gear didn't want to slide so I had to use the bolt to pull it on. Also, the billet gear is THICKER than the OEM gear so the end of the cam was about 1/8" short of being flush with the end of the cam. I've been told that this is normal. With the gears on, I turned it over to Shawn for the degree part.
The head was still off and that made it much easier for him. He set up the stops, mounted the big disc to the crank, attached the pointer, and found TDC. Then he did the cam part. His kit had some 'dummy' lifters and dial indicators for this purpose. Results...Cam is perfect! (thank you Mike and Clay Smith!)
I put the oil pan back on (Shawn helped) and then the timing cover. We left the crank at TDC and as I ran on the crank pulley/dampner we were careful not to move the crank. By doing this we determined that the dampner had not slipped and it was indicating TDC perfectly.
It was getting late, Shawn left, and I started cleaning up. That's when I spotted the oil slinger still laying on the bench. CRAP! :x I removed the pulley and timing cover and slid the slinger on. The slinger was rubbing the timing chain!
Now what?! I solved the problem by "reconfiguring" the slinger. I have posted a thread telling how I did it. I put the cover and crank pulley back on, sore and tired, but greatly relieved. Degreeing ain't so hard after all (especially if some one else does it)!
Tomorrow I do the head, and dig into the massive pile of new parts just waiting to go on!
Harry
I knew I'd need a cam to optimize the carbs. I wanted to avoid 'solids' cuz I didn't want to be adjusting the valves every other month. I also wanted to economize at least somewhere! Using the stock rockers would do that. After reading all the threads my brain was full! I couldn't come to a conclusion about which cam to use (the days when we called 'em "full race" or "quarter race" has given way to all these numbers and stuff). So...I sent an eMail to Mike at C.I. He was quick to reply and had an answer for me = "Dual, 264/274 110* hydraulic". So, along with some other cool stuff, I ordered the cam and the dual roller billet timing gear set.
Some of you will remember the tone of several of my posts after that. I was unprepared for the 'degree camshaft' process. I was suprised that there were that many "careless" cam grinders out there. 'Guess that was my old age showing. It was a new Idea for me and I resist change (after all, I'm still driving a '65)! The evidence was overwhelming so I employed a friend who owned a degree kit (and just happens to be a professional Ford mechanic) and convinced him that helping me out was better than sitting at home. Besides, I needed someone with two hands who was also dumb enough to pull the old cam bearings out with the engine still in the car
. Shawn showed up with a degree kit, a cam bearing puller/driver set. Cool!There are many threads and a sticky that show the process. 'Looked just like what Shawn was doing! The cam came with a tube of that grey grease. I switched the key peg from the old cam to the new one (don't forget to put that little shim thing on before you tap in the peg!) then commenced to lube the lobes. I didn't have enough to do the dizzy gear and bearings, so I substituted 'Lubraplate' for everything else. It is a messy process but absolutely necessary. When I tried to slide the new billet cam gear on the cam it was too tight! I took the old gear and slid it on to give me a 'handle' to control the new cam as I slid it in. Shawn had replaced the bearings by then so I put the cam in. You MUST be carefull not to damage the new bearings and lobes as it goes in. I made Shawn nervous as I did it, but hell, I was buying the beer so who cares
. I put the retainer plate on, bolted it up and started on the timing chain. Though the gear set is 'adjustable' I wasn't interested in building in an advance so I lined up the '0' with the 'dot' and started tapping the gears on. The dual roller chain is beautiful and absolutely no slack. NICE! The big gear didn't want to slide so I had to use the bolt to pull it on. Also, the billet gear is THICKER than the OEM gear so the end of the cam was about 1/8" short of being flush with the end of the cam. I've been told that this is normal. With the gears on, I turned it over to Shawn for the degree part.The head was still off and that made it much easier for him. He set up the stops, mounted the big disc to the crank, attached the pointer, and found TDC. Then he did the cam part. His kit had some 'dummy' lifters and dial indicators for this purpose. Results...Cam is perfect! (thank you Mike and Clay Smith!)
I put the oil pan back on (Shawn helped) and then the timing cover. We left the crank at TDC and as I ran on the crank pulley/dampner we were careful not to move the crank. By doing this we determined that the dampner had not slipped and it was indicating TDC perfectly.
It was getting late, Shawn left, and I started cleaning up. That's when I spotted the oil slinger still laying on the bench. CRAP! :x I removed the pulley and timing cover and slid the slinger on. The slinger was rubbing the timing chain!
Now what?! I solved the problem by "reconfiguring" the slinger. I have posted a thread telling how I did it. I put the cover and crank pulley back on, sore and tired, but greatly relieved. Degreeing ain't so hard after all (especially if some one else does it)!Tomorrow I do the head, and dig into the massive pile of new parts just waiting to go on!
Harry
