Timing chain set and cam timing
- Thread starter aahsac
- Start date
pedal2themetal45
Famous Member
Yes I'd set it up at 0*
Gene Fiore
Famous Member
Just my .02 cents, but I think it's a mistake not to degree the cam. Back in the day I ignored degreeing the cam in my 250. Much to my dismay when I ran it at the dragstrip it was no quicker than the stock cam. 
I had to take it to a shop and they degreed the cam with the motor in the car. It was something like 16 degees retarded and I had installed it straight up! A combination of moving the timing chain a tooth off and an offset keyway was what it took to get it 4 degrees advanced. What a huge difference in performance then! 
I had to take it to a shop and they degreed the cam with the motor in the car. It was something like 16 degees retarded and I had installed it straight up! A combination of moving the timing chain a tooth off and an offset keyway was what it took to get it 4 degrees advanced. What a huge difference in performance then! 
80Stang
Well-known member
If you bought the fine adjustable set then use it.
Make the CR calculations, static and dynamic, and degree the cam accordingly. You can lose alot of power if your dynamic CR falls short.
Experience: I've seen a SBF with a hot cam and with static CR on the cam manufacturers spec range (low side though), static CR 9.5. It dynoed only 300hp due to lack of dynamic 'WORK' CR and was considered shameful waste use of fine AFR 185 heads. The engine was torn down, static CR increased to 11.2 by adding pop-up pistons. Practically no other changes than the CR increase. Dynamic was carefully adjusted this time by degreeing the cam (to 8.6) and it dynoed 376hp and 476Nm. Yep, 76hp by just increasing the static CR by 1.7 and dynamic by 1.1.
This applies to L6 also and I'd always carefully take care of both CRs.
Make the CR calculations, static and dynamic, and degree the cam accordingly. You can lose alot of power if your dynamic CR falls short.
Experience: I've seen a SBF with a hot cam and with static CR on the cam manufacturers spec range (low side though), static CR 9.5. It dynoed only 300hp due to lack of dynamic 'WORK' CR and was considered shameful waste use of fine AFR 185 heads. The engine was torn down, static CR increased to 11.2 by adding pop-up pistons. Practically no other changes than the CR increase. Dynamic was carefully adjusted this time by degreeing the cam (to 8.6) and it dynoed 376hp and 476Nm. Yep, 76hp by just increasing the static CR by 1.7 and dynamic by 1.1.
This applies to L6 also and I'd always carefully take care of both CRs.
I don't know what year engine you have, but I too think that advancing a stock cam can perk it up.
If you don't have time or space or resources I'd go for it, since I already did.
Mine's in at 4* advanced and I've put over 40k on it as a daily driver no problems so far, knock on wood.
If you don't have time or space or resources I'd go for it, since I already did.
Mine's in at 4* advanced and I've put over 40k on it as a daily driver no problems so far, knock on wood.
Degree it. You can by kits that will get the job done for under $100. The last 2 motors I built were all in theory top quality parts from quality manufactures. I started with both at 0 by the marks. One was off by 4 the other was off by 14. IIRC I got the 4 right by flipping the crank gear around and the 14 we had to move the chain a link and use an offset key. I would have spent a lot of time and money trying to figure out whay that 14 one wouldnt run right.
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