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Call Summit and get their degree kit. It isn't much and has all the stuff you need.

If you need help there are plenty of us that can help.

Not degreeing the cam in is asking for trouble. Sure a hundred on here will say it has never bit them. But it is like playing with fire.

Besides it doesn't take long and it does seperate the men from the boys. If you have trouble getting the eninge to run right later, one of the first things you will be asked is what the cam is degreed at. You will lose a bunch of time by not doing now.



I say horse manure. I'd bet you money you can't find one engine in a thousand on which the factory keys (on the crank and cam) are far enough off to warrant degreeing a cam. When someone DOES degree a cam, it's to try and improve performance from that tiny bit of factory error, and even THEN it won't do you much good unless you "know what you started with." In other words, even if the cam is a little off from perfect (manufacturer's specs), the fact that it's advanced or retarded a degree or two JUST MIGHT make it run "better" for your application.

Also, (generally, don't know specifics) some engines built in the "smog years" had special timing sets OR cams that had retard built in compared to earlier cams for smog control.

Line up the marks on the drive, and make sure the drive isn't a "multi mark" performance drive that IS designed to play with cam timeing. Also know that timing drives for these motors ARE NOT "no1 ready to fire", they are "no6 ready to fire." What this means is, that if you line up the marks, and DO NOT move the engine before you plant the distributor, you need to put the dist in to fire no6

One thing that CAN benefit you (so far as errors) is to use a "positive stop" to check the factory timing marks. This will ensure that if you set the timing to X degrees, it the timing will actually be where you set it. This is easy. Cut the crimp off an old plug, and tack weld a 3/8 nut in the back, and stick a 3/8 bolt through the thing so you can adjust the bolt. Insert the plug in no1 plug hole, and rotate the engine with a wrench, gently, until it stops. Make a temporary mark on the wheel under the TDC tab. Do the same in the opposite (CCW) engine rotation. When you get done, you'll have TWO marks some distance apart. EXACTLY in the middle is the "true" TDC.