I will be installing my new comp cams 282S this weekend and will check it with my degree wheel. I have built plenty of engines, but have never done a cam swap with an engine still in the car. How have you guys been able to actually see what your doing while degreeing the cam? There is not a whole lot of room to work with and I would rather not remove the hood just to degree the cam. Any suggestions or tips?

 

Do youself a big favor and take the hood off. You'll be glad you did.

Cameron

 

I was afraid you would say that I was thinking about getting the front up on stands and attempting to sit up between the engine and crossmember, but I have a feeling that it may be more of a pain in the **** than just removing the hood in the first place. Especially since i'm 6'2" and 220lbs. If I could just find someone smaller. Hmm, this may be a good time to teach my 7year old how to degree a cam :D :D

 

I'm from the old school and never remove the hood. That's even with this last big motor and i had it in and out three times for fitting the too big 8 quart road racing pan and poly mounts that the gold anodizing that didn't fit over the frame.

When i have changed the cam with the motor in I didn't have a problem doing the degree wheel. Are your heads off for a dial indicator or do you have a spark plug reach? I think what your going to find is the cams these days are right as they list. Find out if your cam has 4 degrees ground in. In the old days cam manufacturers did this to tame down for the guy over camming. I have always ran then straight up and bought good chains and gears that don't have the strech problem. On Crane 278 power max I went with a offset 2 degree key to get an additional retard instead of 4 degrees cam gear keyway.

I chipped a custom paint hood many years ago putting it back on so I swore I would never do that again.

282 solid is one heck of a cam

 

George,
I thought I was the only one too stuborn to remove the hood. :D Years ago, I pulled the motor only to change the oil pan gaskets(I hate doing that from under the car!) Not only was I too stuborn to do that the easy way, but I refused to pull the hood as well . It's really quite easy to pull the motor from the side with the hood still on. I had that thing out and back in and running within a span of several hours.

I had considered that powermax 278 when picking the cam, but I really love the sound of those tight LSA cams and the 282 has a 110 as opposed to the 114 of the 278. This one will probably not rev as high as the 278, but that may just be the only thing to keep my stock rods from going through the side of the block :eek: :eek: :D
As far as I know, these cams are all ground with 4 degrees of advance. I am shooting for peak power at 6000 so I'll probably follow your advice and retard this thing by 2 degrees. Two degrees seems like a good compromise between what they want me to have and what I want to have.

Thanks, Tom :cheers:

 

I changed my cam out in the 70 with hood on and no problem, stuck my 210 body in front of engine with minor effort. Why risk scratches or worst by removing hood. Good luck in cam change. Keep us informed of performance improvement. :D :D :seeya