Is Cam Indexing Mandatory?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 885
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands Texas
Is Cam Indexing Mandatory?
I purchased a heads / cam package from MTI and am getting ready to install them - first time on a V8 engine - in my 2001 Corvette. I have reviewed several heads and cam installation guides and a couple of them recommend indexing the cam. I thought that by settign the number 1 cylinder to top dead center and then lining up the cam dot with the crankshaft timing tooth I would be there.
Is indexing the cam necessary?
Is indexing the cam necessary?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
If you are not using an adjustable timing set, other than finding out they ground the cam wrong (very unlikely) then probably not. Most people install dot to dot, which is what I did.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,315
Likes: 27
From: Central Florida
degreeing the cam
I thought about not degreeing the cam in my new motor to save
time. I decided to check it and I am glad I did, it was off 1.5 degrees.
If you want to do it right, YES...degree the cam! Some of them are
off. ( FYI, my cam was a Comp Cam)
Good Luck!
Russ
time. I decided to check it and I am glad I did, it was off 1.5 degrees.
If you want to do it right, YES...degree the cam! Some of them are
off. ( FYI, my cam was a Comp Cam)
Good Luck!
Russ
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,285
Likes: 83
From: S.E. WI.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Like anything, do you want to trust that it is done right or verify that it is done right. Odds are that the cam will be fine dot to dot but it is easy to do with engine opened up.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,495
Likes: 0
From: Paducah Ky
I had a 228/232 on a 110+1 installed not long ago dot to dot. This was supposed to be a cam with good torque. After getting it tuned and dynoed I only picked up 6 rwtq. I knew something was wrong and was told that more than likely the cam was retarded and needed to be degreed. I then bought a adjustable timing chain and had to pay labor again to get it degreed. The cam was off and after my next dyno and tune I ended up picking up 32 lbs of tq. This was all the way across the board from 2500 rpm up. I know all the cam guru's over at Ls1tech.com recommended always getting your cam degreed. If I ever change cams it will be degreed. My orig numbers before the cam were 339 rwhp and 350 rwtq. Final are in my sig.
