Do cams have to be degreed?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge VA
Do cams have to be degreed?
I'm considering a hot cam and doing the install myself if its just putting it straight in like you pull it out. Does it require degreeing and if not, when is degreeing required. Trying to build upon my knowledge.
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,793
Likes: 0
From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
Originally Posted by ZZZASY
I'm considering a hot cam and doing the install myself if its just putting it straight in like you pull it out. Does it require degreeing and if not, when is degreeing required. Trying to build upon my knowledge.
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
production is to be achieved.
Also you can advance or retard the cam to postion the powerband at different protions of the RPM range. If you advance the cam... the power output will be positioned more at the top end of the RPM range... retarding the cam will put more grunt in the low end.
Actually... the above statement may be incorrect... or backwards... someone else chime in an correct me if I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure that the stock LT4 cam is set at 4* of retardation... similar to the way I operate
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
HAVE to and want to are two different things. Is it a good idea? Yes absolutely. Can you install it without doing so? Yes. The LT4 Hot Cam in particular is designed to be installed straight up. Provided that GM ground the cam correctly, you don't have to degree it.
When you degree the cam all you are doing is verifying that the cam grinder made it right. If you want to take that on faith you can install the cam without degreeing it.
When you degree the cam all you are doing is verifying that the cam grinder made it right. If you want to take that on faith you can install the cam without degreeing it.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,793
Likes: 0
From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
I actually got concerned enough about my previous comment that I did a yahoo search and found this link
http://www.ridgenet.net/~biesiade/camdegree.htm
This gives step by step instructions and tips on how the install should work.
http://www.ridgenet.net/~biesiade/camdegree.htm
This gives step by step instructions and tips on how the install should work.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 1
From: Springfield MO
I've degreed every cam I've installed lately (4 to be exact), they have all been comp grinds. My big rumpety nitrous grind cam (.744 and 273 at .050) was a full degree off, 111 instead of 112 but the others were within a half of a degree. On a street car, I wouldn't go to the trouble of buying a degree setup.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 60
From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Originally Posted by kwik_ta
Yes it does. Degreeing simply means that you are going to verify that the installed position of the camshaft is correct relative to the position of the crankshaft. This is very important because the timing of the valve events in relation to piston position is crucial if maximum power
production is to be achieved.
Also you can advance or retard the cam to postion the powerband at different protions of the RPM range. If you advance the cam... the power output will be positioned more at the top end of the RPM range... retarding the cam will put more grunt in the low end.
Actually... the above statement may be incorrect... or backwards... someone else chime in an correct me if I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure that the stock LT4 cam is set at 4* of retardation... similar to the way I operate
production is to be achieved.
Also you can advance or retard the cam to postion the powerband at different protions of the RPM range. If you advance the cam... the power output will be positioned more at the top end of the RPM range... retarding the cam will put more grunt in the low end.
Actually... the above statement may be incorrect... or backwards... someone else chime in an correct me if I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure that the stock LT4 cam is set at 4* of retardation... similar to the way I operate
ZZZASY, If you are going drag racing then by all means degree the cam. If your just building a street engine then I wouldn't go to the expense and bother of degreeing. I just installed a Comp cam in my 85 straight up and it's just fine. Just my .02
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by ZZZASY
I'm considering a hot cam and doing the install myself if its just putting it straight in like you pull it out. Does it require degreeing and if not, when is degreeing required. Trying to build upon my knowledge.
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
It is the same as with with bearing clearances in a new engine. If you implicitly trust that the bearing bores in the block are within specs, the bearings are properly made, and that the crankshaft is perfect, there is no need to check clearances.
If you trust what the cam manufacturer has supplied you with, and the other components that go into proper cam timing, there is no need to to check it. But if you CARE about what goes into your engine, and that it is right...YOU WILL!
RACE ON!!!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Originally Posted by ZZZASY
I'm considering a hot cam and doing the install myself if its just putting it straight in like you pull it out. Does it require degreeing and if not, when is degreeing required. Trying to build upon my knowledge.
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
ZZZASY
'96 LT4
