Is my cam timing off?

[OldRedFord]

I set up the cam and crank timing and installed a timing set on my 460. I have the crank keyway pointing at the cam dowel.

"Engine Builders Handbook" shows the cam dowel and crank key pointing at each other. I know its a ford V8 in the pic, has a front distributor.

Aren't the dots supposed to point at each other?


Please dont bash me if I have this wrong.

My 2 repair books show 2 different things.

As I have it now, the lifters for #1 are fully seated.


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v237/ ... 0_0117.jpg

[ToughOldFord]

Yes, the dots need to line up. Make sure they do so exactly, you don't want to be a tooth off. In the pic it looks like the bottom sprocket is a bit to the camera left, but maybe it's just the angle of the pic.

[OldRedFord]

Yes, the dots need to line up. Make sure they do so exactly, you don't want to be a tooth off. In the pic it looks like the bottom sprocket is a bit to the camera left, but maybe it's just the angle of the pic.

It is, that slot is for "factory 0 timing." Have learned that I need to use the keyway that has the peak of a gear tooh directly over it. Which in this case is the +4 slot. But with the peak of that tooth pointed at the dot on the cam gear, will yield "straight up"

[BobbyFord]

I hope you ordered an early timing set...pre-72. Later timing sets retard the timing, resulting in a loss of horsepower.

[Jake11]

Easy way to verify, if the intakes off. Can't tell for shure from the pic. Turn the crank till both lifters are up a little.
Lay a straightedge across the tops of the 2 lifters for that hole. #1. Piston should be at TDC.
In other words, with both cam lobes pointing up, the piston should be at TDC for 0* split overlap.

Jake

[OldRedFord]

I hope you ordered an early timing set...pre-72. Later timing sets retard the timing, resulting in a loss of horsepower.

Its for 1972 and later, but thought that when it said 0 degree timing, it ment true 0.

[BobbyFord]

I hope you ordered an early timing set...pre-72. Later timing sets retard the timing, resulting in a loss of horsepower.

Its for 1972 and later, but thought that when it said 0 degree timing, it ment true 0.

'72 and later timing sets retard the camshaft 4-6 degrees. Take it back and get the early set.

[Thunderfoot]

Tim,
Looking at your picture your are off a tooth (unless I'm seeing it wrong from the angle of the picture).
But you always want to go off of the marks on the gears (Blue circles) as the manufacture sets them up this way, regardless of the keyways on the gears…
Any how, from the picture it looks like you don't have them straight up/down, in other words, you need to have them in a straight line with the "center" of the cam and crank (red line; adjusted for angle of pic). Even though the marks look like they are in line with each other they don't look like they are inline with the center of the cam and crank… If you were to rotate the cam CCW (Green arrow) the crank would rotate the CCW but the mark is going the opposite way (Yellow arrow) and this would make the marks move farther apart out of alignment.

Anyway, if the angle of the picture is deceiving me then this info will be good for others…

[Ranchero50]

Yeah that

BTW, since you spent the money on an adjustable set just set it to 4` advanced to make up for the timing chain slop after 20k miles, 500 if you spent less than $60 for the chain. Advanced = torque, retarded = hp.

Jamie

[OldRedFord]

Tim,
Looking at your picture your are off a tooth (unless I'm seeing it wrong from the angle of the picture).
But you always want to go off of the marks on the gears (Blue circles) as the manufacture sets them up this way, regardless of the keyways on the gears…
Any how, from the picture it looks like you don't have them straight up/down, in other words, you need to have them in a straight line with the "center" of the cam and crank (red line; adjusted for angle of pic). Even though the marks look like they are in line with each other they don't look like they are inline with the center of the cam and crank… If you were to rotate the cam CCW (Green arrow) the crank would rotate the CCW but the mark is going the opposite way (Yellow arrow) and this would make the marks move farther apart out of alignment.

Anyway, if the angle of the picture is deceiving me then this info will be good for others…

They were off. Set has 3 keyways, factory, advanced 4 degrees, retard 4 degrees. In the picture I had it set to factory, but was trying to get it to be "straight up" Found out that I needed a keyway with the peak of the tooth directly above it, and that would provide "straight up" timing. So when I did that, I was able to align the dot on the cam gear directly above the keyway, and got my timing right.

[Jake11]

Some of them marks are off a bit.
First thing is to get accurat TDC mark. You need a piston stop. Theres like anything else, more than one way.
If the heads are on. Make one. A spark plug with the glass knocked out and a bolt brazed in the hole with the
end rounded for example. With this stop screwed in, turn crank till it stops, gently. Mark balancer at where the
pointer is. Now turn it around the other way till it stops. Mark. In between the two marks you made is true TDC.
Mark it for future referance. Take the stop/plug out. put it in your toolbox. Now you can set the cam timing at
split overlap at true TDC with a simple straight edge across the two lifters for #1 cyl. No fancy degree wheels or
dial indicators needed. This works on any 4 cycle engine. Since you know it's degreed "straight up" you can
advance or retard it. You got a baseline you know is dead nuts right on. Jake