Help degreeing cam w/ timing chain
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
From: Brandywine, Chester and Ridley Valleys Pennsylvania
Help degreeing cam w/ timing chain
Well, I have buttoned-up the timing a couple of times with gear drive, this time I'm going to try a double roller chain. With the gear drive I was able to "pop" the floater gears in with no problems after the cam and crank gears are installed.
To get the chain on what steps should I take? Open up a link to get it on after the crank/cam sprockets are installed?
Currently the engine is at #1 TDC (per dial indicator) and the cam, rockers, pushrods and lifters are in.
Got a solid lifter cam straight from Crower, no instructions with it. The previous 2 cams I've run were from Comp, and they came with degreeing instructions.
I guess I could pop the chain on while fastening the cam sprocket to the cam, all the while lining up the dots on the sprockets, but doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of degreeing the cam in?
Admittedly a little confused here!
To get the chain on what steps should I take? Open up a link to get it on after the crank/cam sprockets are installed?
Currently the engine is at #1 TDC (per dial indicator) and the cam, rockers, pushrods and lifters are in.
Got a solid lifter cam straight from Crower, no instructions with it. The previous 2 cams I've run were from Comp, and they came with degreeing instructions.
I guess I could pop the chain on while fastening the cam sprocket to the cam, all the while lining up the dots on the sprockets, but doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of degreeing the cam in?
Admittedly a little confused here!
Racer
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 286
Likes: 2
From: Suffolk VA
Degreeing in a cam is done the same regardless of who made it. If you have instructions from COMP Cams then just follow them in the same manner you have done in the past. As for the chain and sprocket, The chain should not be slack enough to just "Pop" it on after you degree in the cam.. you are going to need a bushing kit to change the way the cam gear sits on the front of the cam, you can get these kits from Summit/Jegs or any other speed shop in your area. They will have offset bushings that are used to change the location of the cam pin hole in the cam drive gear so that the chain and sprockets line up proper once the cam has been degreed in. Many times if you are just installing the cam "straight up" you won't need to change the cam pin sprocket loaction, just degree the cam in and then check to see if the dots still line up, if they do then you are golden if not you'll need those bushing kits.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
A new timing chain will be quite tight. Leave the crank sprocket about 3/8s of an inch from all the way on. With the chain over both sprockets, tap the crank sprocket on as you engage the dowel pin in the cam with the cam sprocket. All the while keeping the "dots" aligned. You MAY have difficulty starting the cam sprocket sprocket bolts if the chain is really tight. Once they are tight, THEN you can degree the cam. If you feel you want to adjust it then you use the eccentric bushings or offset keys as KyRP2NITe Corvette described.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 0
From: Brandywine, Chester and Ridley Valleys Pennsylvania
Thanks folks, I will try to do it using the steps outlined above. The last times I did this with the gear drive, I had a knowledgeable person (Eric VonHa from the forum) watching over my shoulder. I thought I could figure it out myself, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I was playing with it, and I think I can get the cam sprocket bolts on with no problem.
I was playing with it, and I think I can get the cam sprocket bolts on with no problem.
