Changing Cam, reinstalling dissy!

[PaRaDoX]

ive searched round and this hasnt come up, whats the easiest way to match up the dissy gear with cam, the cam/ crank have dots but i assume the dissy isnt as easy has anyone good any good tips to do this?

[Pub247]

get no 1 cylinder at tdc make sure it on the power stroke install diizzy with the rotor button poing towards no. 1 the cap can also help line it up should be a little before the contact for no.1 on the cap

[immortality]

as above^^^ make sure no 1 cylinder is @ TDC for power stroke, if you haven't removed all the leads from the dizzy cap drop the dizzy in so that the rotor is pointing to the post on the cap that has the lead for no 1 cylinder. if you have removed all the leads then just drop the dizzy (from memory the no 1 cylinder points to about the 2 o'clock position) in and make sure it lines up to a post on the dizzy cap, this then becomes no 1 cylinder and then just follow around the cap in the correct firing order.

[PaRaDoX]

so far ive got half the lifters,pushrods and rockers out, but plugs are still on the dissy cap,

can i turn the crank and watch the dissy rotor untill its at tdc (where is TDC on the dissy)

i havnt taken the cam or dissy out yet

[Pub247]

it's hard to find tdc on the dissy you be on it or 180* out if you still had the rocker gear it'll make it easier. You could turn the crank to tdc mark on the dissy with a texta where the rotor button is and then pull it out. When you put it all back together you then be able to see whether your on the power stroke or exhaust.
Cheers Pub

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Get number one cylinder to TDC, watch the rotor button, when it is pointing at number one lead, that is TDC on number one. Make a note which way the rotor button is pointing, and when you put it back in, make sure it is in the same position.

Or just look here. Firing order Holden V8 and 6 - Holdenpaedia

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Make sure you install the timing chain correctly. Holden v8's dont run a dot to dot set up on the cam/crank gears, little trap for beginners....

[immortality]

if you haven't removed the dizzy/cam/leads/timing chain (and cover) etc. as stated above find TDC (power stroke) on no 1 cylinder, mark the dizzy as stated above, also check that the timing mark on the balancer is inline with the marks on the timing chain cover. this is a good double check as all should line up when re-installing dizzy. depending on how many k's your engine has i'd give a new cam a new timing chain also. i'd probably go one step further and get a adjustable timing chain so that you cna degree the cam in properly

[PaRaDoX]

ahhh no dots? damn cheers for that info


still got the timing gear in for cyc1 rotated it till its near the TDC pointing to lead 1, going to buy a piston stop and a degree wheel on friday, ill find the TDC and mark it on my dissy+ balancer

and ill make dots on the timing gears, at TDC ill etch a small dot into each gear before i take it apart that way it should just be joint the dots when i re-assemble

[Pub247]

remember you have to dial in your new cam properly the timing marks will probably not line up

[Blown V6 Hatch]

There is dots on the cam & crank gears but they dont go dot to dot. When the crank is on number 1 tdc the crank gear timing mark dot will be at the passangers side of the engine, then you count 9 links of the chain up the passangesr side of the engine and then you line the timing mark on the cam gear up with the 9th link. If you are installing a new chain generally they have coloured links 9 links apart so you just line the timing marks up with the coloured links.

Pub, he can only dial in the cam properly if he is using an aftermarket adjustable chain set, if he is using the stock chain he wont be able to dial it in.

[Pub247]

ah ok never done a v8 i was just going off what i did with my 202 i suppose it make sense you'd be too far out with a chain to get it right.

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Thats correct, if you turn it a link on a stock chain set up it is way too much. If you buy a rollmaster set or the likes, you move it in 2 degree increments retard or advance. You can move a rollmaster about 8 degrees either way from memory.

[PaRaDoX]

ohh ok
well with dialing in the cam you dont change the spacing between the cam/dissy gears its the chain with the crank and cam.... how much increment is the stock timing chain? is it impossible to dial in the cam on a stock chain???


i just noticed this, the balancers marked.. what does it mean? its close to TDC atm aswell (rotor is @ cyc 1)

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

That is so you can set the base timing. When it is running, the ECU takes over, but it needs a starting point.

[Blown V6 Hatch]

You cant dial the cam in with a stock non adjustable chain. The mark on the balancer is very close to TDC, all you need to do is turn it over a little bit more so its on the big mark between the A and the R, Thats TDC. Aslong as the rotor button is pointing at #1 then its on the right stroke too. Now mark the dizzy base in relation to the engine block and mark the dizzy at the top where the rotor is pointing so it all goes back in the same spot. Time to tear it all apart.....

[PaRaDoX]

aight done, thats what i thought... cracker explained A = Advance and R = Retard makes sense now... why didnt someone mention this... much easier to find TDC


hrmmm how much gains exactly are to be had from dialing in the cam and how much do ajustable chains cost?

[Blown V6 Hatch]

On a street engine, its not imperitive to dial a cam in. Just whack it in as the factory intended it and away you go.

If you must dial it in, rollmaster chain sets are worth about $120. If it was my engine i would be putting a new timing chain set in anyway........but thats up to you!

[PaRaDoX]

well it all comes down to do i want to move into my new apartment and get out of the sticks in 4 weeks or 5 weeks i geuss.... i can always dial it in later down the track anyway & replace the timing set

This may sound silly but.. how does the dissy its self come out? i cant see any bolts or anything golding it in, or does the CAS & dissy rotor have to come off?

[Boonz]

remove the retainer clip bolt, disconnect the sensor connector and pull the dizzy straight up out of its hole

[PaRaDoX]

cheers just gotta find that bolt now

[defa]

as far as i can tell ya can dial in a cam without an adjustable crank gear. i have a chrysler v8 timing chain kit here and from what i read holden v8 is the same.. 1 tooth is 1 degree and one notch on the crank is 2 degree. so if you want to go 3 degree it is 1 notch and one tooth or 3 teeth...
i bought a charger off an engine builder and he told me if ya dont' dial in a big cam, you are not going to get full power.

[PaRaDoX]

ill have to call the cam joint and find out for sure as is at the moment its all marked for when i put it back together sooo out comes the dissy, timing cover and cam

[PaRaDoX]

i measured the timing notches on the cam gear, they'res 42 of them

360deg / 42 = 7.5 deg per noth
on the crank gear they'res 24 notches

360/24 = 15 deg per notch
WAY too much ajustment etiher way... not going to dial the cam in yet, ill do it later and add a ajustable timing chain/gear set

now with the valve springs, i had to get a measurement, holden used lots of diffrent valve spring heights (6 diffrent ones i think) in the 304s, i have 43mm compressed springs (when the valves closed %100)

i need a special collets to give me another 50thou of a inch so that when the springs are installed they dont bash the cam lobes , but i think the pushrods would bend before the cam got damaged but either way its noo good

oh well, starting to cost me more than i hoped but id rather do it do i dont have to rip the cam out later because its damaged

[immortality]

maybe time to buy a gregories and read from cover to cover, maybe miss the suspension parts as it basically the same as your old calais