Re: Replacing Timing Chain
[Re: wtucker]
#187060
01/07/09 08:43 PM
01/07/09 08:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest
MoparforLife
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 25,200
Upper Midwest
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Don't worry about piston location if you are lining up the dots. That will take care of itself. If you degree the cam you need to TDC it and and need a degree wheel, dial indicator, and pointer.
Clean it, if it's Dirty. Oil it, if it Squeaks.
But: Don't fix it, if it Works!
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Re: Replacing Timing Chain
[Re: MoparforLife]
#187063
01/07/09 11:59 PM
01/07/09 11:59 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,234 Someplace you aren't
SomeCarGuy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,234
Someplace you aren't
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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 want my fair share
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Re: Replacing Timing Chain
[Re: SomeCarGuy]
#187064
01/08/09 12:26 AM
01/08/09 12:26 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
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.
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Re: Replacing Timing Chain
[Re: minivan]
#187066
01/08/09 01:34 AM
01/08/09 01:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
Circle Track
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Circle Track
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041
Lincoln Nebraska
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I would degree it, it will increase your skill level & you will KNOW its right & you'll know the procedure when you get into wilder cams. As 440sixpack said a positive stop is very important & if your heads are installed Mancini sells the spark plug positive stop for cheap & I would add a 5 cent green or yellow(I forget which) plastic vacuum cap to the stop to keep from possible nicking the aluminum piston top & turn the timing marks to 5BTDC then screw in the stop until it firmly contacts the piston then turn the crank by hand in the other direction & see if the piston stops at 5ATDC. With that being said I've never(yet) encoounterd an error greater than 1 degree but others have found major machining errors & I dont leave ANYTHING to chance.
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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