How do you degree in a one bolt cam?

[cudaken]

Well, how do you degree in a one bolt cam? I am not talking about what tools or steps, but how to move the cam aliment to the top sprocket of the timing chain? Can the cam key be removed, and a spacer with a pin that goes into the cams old hole and another pin that goes into the chain sprocket that is off set? 

Cuda Ken

[jlatessa]

Some cams are keyed and some located with a pin, there are offset keys
and for the cams with pins you drill the cam gear hole  larger to install an offset dowel.

The keys and dowels come in various degrees of offset for your purpose.

Joe

[John_Kunkel]

The larger drilled hole accepts an offset bushing, not an offset dowel.

[cudaken]

The larger drilled hole accepts an offset bushing, not an offset dowel.

John, is it as a big of a pain in the Chevy has it looks? Does it have to be done at a machine shop?

Ken

[Kern Dog]

You'd do well to use a drill press if you attempt it.
In my opinion, degreeing in a cam for a non raced street car makes little difference. If you use new, good quality name brand parts, the chances of the combo being off by 2 degrees isn't that likely. You probably will not feel 2 degrees by the seat of the pants and not much even on a dyno.
I can understand why racers do it. I also see why guys with high compression and high lift cams should do it as well. I degreed mine because I had almost 11.0-1 compression and a cam with .554/.578 lift. My piston to valve clearance was over .200 !

[BSB67]

You'd do well to use a drill press if you attempt it.
In my opinion, degreeing in a cam for a non raced street car makes little difference. If you use new, good quality name brand parts, the chances of the combo being off by 2 degrees isn't that likely. You probably will not feel 2 degrees by the seat of the pants and not much even on a dyno.
I can understand why racers do it. I also see why guys with high compression and high lift cams should do it as well. I degreed mine because I had almost 11.0-1 compression and a cam with .554/.578 lift. My piston to valve clearance was over .200 !

It is not so much whether it is race stuff or not.  And I agree that a couple of degrees either way does not matter.  The problem is the poor quality control of the aftermarket parts today.  So much so that it could be 6° or 8° off.  That is probably the exception, not the rule, but I have seen 5° off.  Therefore,  the question is, do you really want to put it together without checking?

[Challenger340]

You'd do well to use a drill press if you attempt it.
In my opinion, degreeing in a cam for a non raced street car makes little difference. If you use new, good quality name brand parts, the chances of the combo being off by 2 degrees isn't that likely. You probably will not feel 2 degrees by the seat of the pants and not much even on a dyno.
I can understand why racers do it. I also see why guys with high compression and high lift cams should do it as well. I degreed mine because I had almost 11.0-1 compression and a cam with .554/.578 lift. My piston to valve clearance was over .200 !

It is not so much whether it is race stuff or not.  And I agree that a couple of degrees either way does not matter.  The problem is the poor quality control of the aftermarket parts today.  So much so that it could be 6° or 8° off.  That is probably the exception, not the rule, but I have seen 5° off.  Therefore,  the question is, do you really want to put it together without checking?

Quite often the stock parts can suck balls.... as mentioned earlier... a good start is to purchase a high quality Timing Chain & Gearset to begin with ?
Cloyes higher lines come to mind.

[A383Wing]

you can buy the crankshaft gear that has 3 keyways in it.....retard, center, & advanced

[firefighter3931]

Quite often the stock parts can suck balls.... as mentioned earlier... a good start is to purchase a high quality Timing Chain & Gearset to begin with ?
Cloyes higher lines come to mind.

Cloyes has a nice 9 keyway setup to fine tune the camshaft timing. I would use that before any bushing set-up in the upper gear. Never liked those 

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/clo-9-3504x9/overview/make/dodge


Honestly, I've had very good luck with the Comp "Magnum" timing sets that come with a 3way lower gear. I can usually get within 1-2 degrees of where i want to be using this timing set. 

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/cca-2104/overview/make/dodge


FWIW, i allways put a wheel and dial indicator on them and check the installed centerline. Years ago a buddy was complaining of a poor running big block using the MP 484 cam. The cam wasn't ideal for his build but it still should have run better than it did. Long story short we pulled the timing cover and checked. The cam was 16* retarded with the dots lined up on the timing set....no wonder it was such a pooch 

The point being....any part can be defective. Nothing is 100% and in this case the manufacturer had put the stamp in the wrong place on the lower gear. We simply moved it over one tooth and things fell into place. 


Ron

[cudaken]

Thank folks for all the feed back!

Ron and others, do you think 2 degrees is worth worrying about on a street car? Brock did the desk top dyno for me using the current MP 509 cam vs the 284 Hemi cam. Well, you saw the test figures. As you know, I still have a 284 Hemi cam and have been daydreaming again. My current chain is a MP double roller and I am 80% sure there is only one key-way.

And yes Ron, I am still thinking about the Voodoo cam you told me about! But money is short and I know the 509 cam needs to go.

Ken

[firefighter3931]

Thank folks for all the feed back!

Ron and others, do you think 2 degrees is worth worrying about on a street car? Brock did the desk top dyno for me using the current MP 509 cam vs the 284 Hemi cam. Well, you saw the test figures. As you know, I still have a 284 Hemi cam and have been daydreaming again. My current chain is a MP double roller and I am 80% sure there is only one key-way.

And yes Ron, I am still thinking about the Voodoo cam you told me about! But money is short and I know the 509 cam needs to go.

Ken

Ken, as you know those MP cams have a lot of duration and not much lift....basicly slow lazy grinds from the distant past that are better suited to a racecar. One thing that can help is to advance the cam significantly to move the powerband lower.  I've seen a few who've had good results installing them well beyond the suggested range....and it woke the car up. Think 102* ICL instead of 105-106 

Yes, when the cam is way too big, playing around with the installed centerline can make a significant difference. 



Ron

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The offset bushing is what I used with my chain set.....not very pretty I might add but it worked

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The bolt & washer holds it all in place....I installed my cam at 106º

[John_Kunkel]

When drilling the top gear for a bushing I always use a drill press and drill in from the backside stopping just short of going all the way through. This leaves a lip that keeps the bushing in place (as does the correct washer).