When you advance your cam 2 degrees, what metric do you use?

[wikd69]

Ok, so when you advance your cam 2 degrees (for instance), where do you actually count the degrees ? On the crank or on the cam ? If you advance your cam 2 degrees based on the numbers shown on the degree wheel, you are physically advancing the cam only 1 degree, though it will show up as two degrees when you check the intake or exhaust timing at .050, as compared to the cam card.

Have you considered the ambiguity in this ? Some vendors appear to reference cam degrees while others refer to the degree wheel (or crank) degrees.

Give me your thoughts.

[chpcamaro]

well i use the stardard method i have never tried to convert it using the metric system lol


well i take it when someone says they want to advance there cam 2 degrees they mean they want me to give them 2 degrees at the cam which means 4 on the crank but most people that say they want 2 degrees advance arn't thinking cam and crank. ok here is a test if someone came and asked you to adavnce there cam 2 degrees what would you think they want?

[Craig W.]

I'd think in crank degrees since that's what you see on the degree wheel.

[ytnova]

I'd have to agree with craig and say crankshaft, any numbers listed on the cam card are always refering to the position of the piston.

[wikd69]

I'd have to agree with craig and say crankshaft, any numbers listed on the cam card are always refering to the position of the piston.

Yup, thats where I finally got to as well. My problem with this started when I read through the instructions for my Cloyes 9-keyway timing set. They kept stressing 2 degrees on the crank equated to 1 degree on on the cam. With this Cloyes setup, I had the option of setting my cam timing 2, 4, 6 or 8 degrees advanced or retarded. Not having spent too much time thinking about cam timing (beyond degreeing the cam at install time), I did some research and didn't really find anything definitive that spoke to it. The fact that cam cards refer to crank degrees is what won the day.