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First off, I want to thank everyone here for all the help on my motor.
I want to verify that I have my timing gears correct.
The reason I'm questioning is I recently watched a video on installing the oil pump and I noticed the guy had the timing marks at 6 o'clock on the cam gear, and 12 o'clock on the crank.
I'm pretty sure both the cam and crank gear should be at 12 o'clock, am I right?
Cam gear pic; "notch" at top above part number should be a 12 o'clock, correct?
Dot to dot is referred to the dot on the camshaft gear at 6:00 position and the dot on the crankshaft gear at the 12:00 position
With No.1 and No.6 both at TDC the camshaft dowel pin should be at or around the 1:00-2:00 position. Well I say that but it may be closer to the 3:00 position but it will be to the right.
Last edited by 01CamaroSSTx; Aug 10, 2025 at 06:55 PM.
Dot to dot is referred to the dot on the camshaft gear at 6:00 position and the dot on the crankshaft gear at the 12:00 position
With No.1 and No.6 both at TDC the camshaft dowel pin should be at or around the 1:00-2:00 position. Well I say that but it may be closer to the 3:00 position but it will be to the right.
I second this Racer9. Cam gear is at 6…crank gear is at 12….cam dowel is almost 3. Take your time and be patient here. Double check everything.
Yessir. Notice the LS2 style chain damper. I know you’re going that direction…it installs with the GM part number on the left. There’s an offset to the damper block, and the “wider” side of the offset goes on the left side…pass side. It’s a small offset, but it matters.
I thank you all very much. I'm working with an older friend who used to build SBC's years ago. He doesn't understand the LS motors at all so what I'm learning here is very interesting to him, plus it keeps me from making BIG mistakes.
I install them as in the pic, which us geezers used to call "dot to dot." However, I have installed the cam gear at 12:00, then rotated the engine a full turn (cam 1/2 turn) to make sure I was dot to dot. Since the cam turns at exactly 1/2 speed the crank does, having the cam gear dot at 12:00 also works. I've done it this way and used a square to ensure both dots were in line. Easier to just do them dot to dot, though. I always used to degree the cam, and still have the tools. But with modern machining, I seldom do it now....
"Dot to dot", with the crank dot at 12:00 and the cam dot at 6:00, is the easiest way to build a motor and see what you're doing. And it's COMPLETELY correct, as far as that goes. The "notch" on your sprocket appears to be the "dot" for that particular sprocket.
OTOH, "dot to dot" is NOT#1 firing. "Dot to dot" is #6 firing. It's at the OTHER instance of #1 TDC during a complete engine cycle, which #1 firing is at "both dots 12:00"; #1 & #6 come to TDC at the same time, butt at any given instance of their TDC, one of them is firing, and the other is at the end of the exh stroke (exh valve closing) and the beginning of the int stroke (int valve just beginning to open). Meaning, install the cam & sprockets & chain "dot to dot" (#6 firing), butt then, if #1 firing makes any difference to you (shouldn't on a LS motor, butt hay, if it does, or ya just wanna or just hafta then w/e), rotate the crank exactly one full turn: at that point you will then be at #1 firing.
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Verify cam timing marks. 
