30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

and what was the out come? how important is it to degree it? and what are the chances of it being off a tooth and making bad dyno numbers?

quickWS6

I have not put a degree wheel on one yet with no problems.

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

Done about 10 cam swaps on the LS1, never used a degree wheel. In practice, it is ideal that you do to assure your cam specs are true.

30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

ok cool. I do have a experience LS1 person that installed my cam and i just dont want to drive 4.5 hours to rapid motorsports to find out its off a tooth and making crappy numbers.

thanks guys

2001CamaroGuy

iTrader: (6)

I didn't do my first cam (on in the car now) or my two friends' cams but I will be degreeing my new cam (motor is out of the car).

Chuck@

iTrader: (1)

If it gets installed a tooth off, you've got more than crappy numbers to worry about. A tooth off is a very serious boo boo. Most people I would hope don't make that mistake very easily. But hey, it does happen.

As for degreeing, personally, I have never NOT degree'd a cam (just did one a few minutes ago in fact). Lots of people install it and call it good. But it's always good to check! That's why we degree everything at HPE. We would never ever consider trusting a parts manufacture to do their job the way they were supposed to.

Chuck

66ImpalaLT1

I did not, but I will degree my next one, just one less thing to worry about.

30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

to the top

Reckless

iTrader: (9)

There is no need to degree a cam unless you have an adjustable timing chain setup. There is only one way the cam can go in the engine otherwise. And gettting the gears lined up is just a matter of lining up two dots. This is not a small block chevy motor. It is nearly fool proof.

dazman

best reply yet.... ive NEVER used a degree wheel, and ive put in some pretty big cams.

mike

critter

iTrader: (9)

To degree, or not to degree. That is the question.
I'd say it depends on your goals. If all you care about is a nasty lope at the drive in, don't bother to degree it. If you actually race and care about the results, you would be a fool not to degree it. I've never seen a cam that was exactly right on, although the do seem to be better these days. But even if it is right on, you may want to move the ICL to work better with your port job on you LS6 intake or whatever.

Reckless

iTrader: (9)

Well, OK. But if you do this, and don't like the way things line up, then you are getting another cam. There is nothing you can do about it except buy an adjustable timing setup. Otherwise, you are completely wasting your time.

SStroked 410

I thought the only time you really need to degree a cam is if your putting together a shortblock.
And if you just doing a cam swap you wouldnt need to degree it

mike c.

iTrader: (1)

done two cams and never used a degree wheel. both cams c1 and g5x2 have worked with no performance problems at all.

66ImpalaLT1

You can drill it out and put an offset bushing on the pin. Thats how I've seen SBC's degreed without a adjustable timing gear.

http://www.cranecams.com/pdf/16g.pdf

I bought an adjustable timing set and didnt degree it, but next time I will.

M6HuggerSS

isnt it easy to tell if your off 1 tooth...doesnt run like ****.....?
or is it not easy to tell?

SloppyRob

Well if the dots are lined up on your cam install, degreeing the cam will only assure that the manufacturer ground the cam to spec. The cam card should also verify this. When I spoke to FMS about purchasing my cam they said once it's back from Cam Motion they degree it to make sure it's ground correctly to spec so no need to degree it for myself.

Taspeed

iTrader: (1)

Degreeing in a cam will tell you if your cam is ground correctly, and give you exact specs with your setup. It is easy to not line the dots up right when doing a cam swap, but degreeing in the cam isn't really the answer to not doing that. As long as your at TDC and you line the dots up your fine.

critter

iTrader: (9)

Umm, you don't have an adjustable timing setup? Of course it is not needed if you aren't a racer, but I's assume by your reponse that you are. You don't _have_ to buy anything. I was drilling the sprocket and making offset bushings from a bit of coldrolled steel 40 years ago. They started selling them for SBCs, but not for the Kaw, so I went back to making them when we raced it.

critter

iTrader: (9)

Exactly. As I mentioned above to Reckless, I was doing that 40 years ago - drilling the sprocket and making offset bushing from cold rolled bar stock. I was going to do it for my LS1, but got the Cloyes adjustable by accident so now I don't have to

But, as I said in the first message, you don't _have_ to degree a cam. It depends on your goals. If you are serious about going fast, you almost have to, but otherwise it is a waste of time.