In search of ideas for a 225 /6 refresh....
My buddy Cliff is looking to upgrade a few things in the 66 Valiant this year. The timing is wildly off track at times - idle and wide-open throttle....quite unpredictable at times....mainly due to a very loose timing chain and worn out timing gears.
Well, that would be an obvious place to start. Probably a good idea to check the rest of the engine for wear, too. A leakdown test is best, but a compression test is better than nothing.
Also the heads need a freshen up.
You say "heads" (plural) but I don't see V8 badges on the side of the car. What's this car got, a 273 V8 or a 225 Slant-6? Or something else?
Not sure if he needs a cam at all...but he is happy to take experienced advice.
Stock camshafts are very durable; it's unusual to find one worn out until the engine has a whole lot of hours, miles, or KMs on it unless something bad happens (run out of oil, etc). Whether an upgraded camshaft is a cost-effective upgrade depends on what kind of driving is going to be done with this car.
You're likely going to be doing most of your shopping out of the Land of the Long Weekend.
Pentastar Parts is a reliable source. Hemi Performance has a big catalogue but a poor reputation.
Why?
The timing gears are apparently the pre 1970 type which were designed to be loose new
Whoever told you this is full of poo. Pre-1970 timing gears and chains are not designed to be loose when new. Neither are post-1970 items.
Other upgrades worth doing:
Fuel line mod (with Slant-6 engine),
HEI upgrade (with Slant-6 or V8 engine).
If the car has the Slant-6, swapping in a 2-barrel setup from a VE or VF Valiant will make a significant improvement in response and driveability. Everything you need is available on the used-parts market down there with some patience.
See tune-up parts and technique suggestions in
this post.
