1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

I asked about borrowing a degree wheel to install a cam, He said “Why don’t you just do it dot to dot?”,…as if I was dumb for wanting a degree wheel.. and I said:

Because "Dot to Dot" is the ghetto fabulous way to install a cam. Even 1
or 2 degrees off makes a difference. The wheel is only $20 I already
have the dial indicator. It's not really that hard to do the right way. I
just need to fab up a piston stop.


What do you guys think? Am I being overly cautious?

00ChevyScott

iTrader: (10)

If you want every tiny bit of horsepower out of your setup, and want to purchase an adjustable timing gear set then yes degree it. Or if you've got a lot of money tied up in it and want everything perfect, then yes do it.

Either way, it's going to work just fine. If it's worth it to you, degree the cam. I've put many cams in using the "dot to dot" method, and never had any problems. You could even degree a stock cam and see a very small increase in power/efficiency simply because every cam is not ground exactly the same.

Degreeing your cam is the right way to do it. Dot to Dot is a shortcut, which will have a different effect in every situation. Like I said before, dot to dot works, but if you've got the time, knowledge, and $$$ then you should degree the cam.

Atomic

iTrader: (42)

Dot to dot is fine

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Degreeing the cam is just basically to check that the cam was ground correctly...if you're using the stock timing gears, it's going to be dot to dot and that's it, degreeing the cam won't give you any more power, unless you have an adjustable timing set.

1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

Well since I'm not buying an adjustabe timing set, looks like dot to dot is it!

MikeGyver

iTrader: (5)

You might want an adjustable set after you degree it. I ran a dyno sim of my cam retarded 4° to see if top end power would improve. What it did was raise the power peak by 500 rpm, with a 7% loss across the whole rpm range.

Tootall

iTrader: (79)

if you're building a motor for high HP . . . get a better than stock timing chain . . .
one that has less slack

1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

It has a ls7 cam sprocket, ls2 chain. You think I need a better one?

06Sierra2

i think your fine with that. mine is dot to dot with ls2 chain also. 75000 miles on it currently. almost daily spinning it to 6300

Mangled03gmc

iTrader: (95)

Thats fine..