Cam degreeing double check
 

Tip of the day. When ever degreeing a cam in and you're second guessing yourself. The best way to double check is to put # 1 piston at TDC in over lap and put both lifters in for #1 cylinder, If the cam has 4 degrees advance built into it and you put a straight edge across the 2 lifters and the intake lifter is .020 to .035 higher then the exhaust lifter your fine. If the cam has no advance ground in both lifter should be appox. the same height. If the cam is retarded the exhaust lifter will be higher then the intake lifter. Before degree wheels and indicators were around this use to be the old fashion way of checking to see where the cam was installed. Learned this many years ago from an old timer. This does apply to BB's its a little more complex as the lifter do not run inline with each other. You have to use 2 indicators or record the two heights in over lap and compare.

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Re: Cam degreeing double check
 

Learned to do it exactly that way in the 1960’s. Used a machinists scale and I still have that in my toolbox at home. Very easy on a SB Chev.

Re: Cam degreeing double check
 

In 1966 this 19 year old went down to Chet Herbert to get my first roller cam and after telling him what I had and wanted to do with it he put a cam wrapped in paper and a box of rollers on the counter with 2 long 1/4" square rods. Explained how to soak the rollers and lube the cam lobes. I then asked him where to degree it to and after a bit I think he realized I was not really getting it. I had the positive stop TDC down ok but was a little vague to the rest. He rolled over to his desk and picked up a steel rule and said get it on TDC with the cam at overlap and use a .025 feeler gauge to set the intake above the exhaust. He also told me how to adjust the valves (in when ex start open/ex when in starts to close). Just leave that dial indicator alone for now. It still works for me today. I had no idea how much I did not know.

Re: Cam degreeing double check
 

I used this method in 60s/70s

Back then I had same profile and lift on Intake
and Exhaust lobe