304 Cam installation

[stocky]

last question for now. the timing cover gasket, this doesnt need any kid of sealant either? my current gasket was an absolute bitch to get off. must have been glued on or something

 

[greenfoam]

I'm going put mine in at zero on the timing chain then, check the lift to make sure it's what wade say it should be, if not then make it right. Then retard it 5 degrees since that's where I want it set

 

[Morton]

last question for now. the timing cover gasket, this doesnt need any kid of sealant either? my current gasket was an absolute bitch to get off. must have been glued on or something

I threw a thin layer of ultra copper sealant on both sides of everything. Timing cover, water pump, oil pump... It can't hurt, and hasn't so far

 

[Pub247]

Did you replace the crank seal aswell??
no sealant is needed though i use aviation sealant that stuff stops anything l;eaking but its not necessary

 

[stocky]

Did you replace the crank seal aswell??
no sealant is needed though i use aviation sealant that stuff stops anything l;eaking but its not necessary

yeah ive replaced that. anyways, i got the heads on tonight. all seemed to go well

i also set the chain up, so that the timing marks lined up something like this, if youre looking at it from the front

at TDC, they were 9 links apart that way, and while turning the engine by hand, it seemed to be cycling fine.

 

[ari666]

i went through the process of dialing in my cam and it turned out that it should have been set to zero after all. dunno why i bothered.

lol, and another thing which you prolly know but i learned quite quickly is that the two links will only line up once every 8 rotations, so if you crank your engine a few times then look at your timing DONT FREAK OUT! i freaked out... for a little bit anyway. took the chain back off and spent 30 mins scratching my head.

i sent a text to my mate "dude, i must have been pretty drunk when i put this chain on" he just laughed at me for a while.

 

[doigs8]

I just fitted a cam to my VR SS. I highly recommend you go to the trouble of dialing in your cam, as it will give you maximum benefit from the cam. When properly dialed in, my crankshaft sproket was on -4degrees for true cam zero. If you just install it at 0 degrees, you could be way out.

 

[ari666]

I just fitted a cam to my VR SS. I highly recommend you go to the trouble of dialing in your cam, as it will give you maximum benefit from the cam. When properly dialed in, my crankshaft sproket was on -4degrees for true cam zero. If you just install it at 0 degrees, you could be way out.

yeah ... but... you didnt install it at -4 did you?

i would be willing to bet my left testicle that your cam card reading for inlet valve lift at tdc was set for 0 degrees. otherwise you have just retarded the f' out of your install.

i.e. my crane 286 inlet lift@TDC off the cam card is 0.021 (cant remember exactly off the top of my head) so if i set cam timing to zero means inlet valve lift@TDC is 0.021...

depending on what cam, finding the center lobe seperation isnt always the best way to go about it. the almighty cam card tells all. read it, know it, love it.

 

[doigs8]

Cam card states "intake lobe lift for #1 cylinder intake lobe- .038"@ TDC." All other cam timing specs @ .050" match up exactly with what the cam card states. Hope you didn't need your lefty.

 

[383 hatch]

I just fitted a cam to my VR SS. I highly recommend you go to the trouble of dialing in your cam, as it will give you maximum benefit from the cam. When properly dialed in, my crankshaft sproket was on -4degrees for true cam zero. If you just install it at 0 degrees, you could be way out.

So, if you didn't dial it in, you'd be able to feel the difference? IMO, seat of the pants you wouldn't be able to feel it....