Forgot to mention. I used a degree wheel to verify as well.
I would recommend one of the Cloyes billet sets with the nine way crank gear.
Ok. I must be stunod or something. First off, I didn't purchase my current crane cam but I thought dot to dot ( what I called straight up) was how mfg recommends installing the cam and it should perform as advertised barring any other engine mods. In the H-260-2 that would be 204/216 260/272 427/454, 112 lsa. Now don't some cams have " built in" advance? Are you saying dot to dot is 4 degrees retarded??Stop thinking. That RPM range is merely a generic "guess" for advertisement purposes. That camshaft will pull well beyond 4500 RPM. Also, you need a better timing chain set if you expect to be able to zero in on the camshaft timing the way you need to. I would recommend one of the Cloyes billet sets with the nine way crank gear. Then you'll have something. Just DO what we're recommending. Turn the brain OFF and just DO IT. You'll be thankful, I promise. I wouldn't recommend something if I didn't think it would work. The cam card for that cam does not say to install it "STRAIGHT UP". If that's what you did, you are at least 4* retarded. Because of your low cylinder pressure, I recommend installing it down around a 106 ICL. That's 6* total advanced, instead of the recommended 4*. Once you get that done, then you can proceed to the ignition curve.
Ok. I must be stunod or something. First off, I didn't purchase my current crane cam but I thought dot to dot ( what I called straight up) was how mfg recommends installing the cam and it should perform as advertised barring any other engine mods. In the H-260-2 that would be 204/216 260/272 427/454, 112 lsa. Now don't some cams have " built in" advance? Are you saying dot to dot is 4 degrees retarded??
Second....I just bought a 3 key adjustable timing set for my magnum.
Can use on this LA. It's a double roller comp 3103. It looks like I can only get 4 degrees max advance so NG?? That would mean each key notch is 2 deg.
Thanks.
Ok. I must be stunod or something. First off, I didn't purchase my current crane cam but I thought dot to dot ( what I called straight up) was how mfg recommends installing the cam and it should perform as advertised barring any other engine mods. In the H-260-2 that would be 204/216 260/272 427/454, 112 lsa. Now don't some cams have " built in" advance? Are you saying dot to dot is 4 degrees retarded??
Second....I just bought a 3 key adjustable timing set for my magnum.
Can use on this LA. It's a double roller comp 3103. That would mean each key notch is 2 deg. It looks like I can only get 4 degrees max advance per comp. I'm at 112 and you recommended 108 so NG?? Remember, the LA is coming out summer of next year so doesn't need to be "optimal". Plus the car is most likely parked until spring.
Thanks.
Thanks R3. I did use a degree wheel so I feel confident it was installed as advertised.....so 112.
Thanks R3. I did use a degree wheel so I feel confident it was installed as advertised.....so 112.
Ok, lemmie see if I can help you out. "Dot to dot" is the manufacturer's way of assembly. Technically, yes, when it is assembled "dot to dot" it is "supposed" to be correct. Sometimes.......and very, very seldom they come out like that.
The reason it is "RARE" it's in the correct place just stabbed dot to dot is because of machining tolerances between parts. When you are speaking in DEGREES, it's very easy to see where a simple machining tolerance can throw off camshaft timing. Was the camshaft keyway machined EXACTLY? Was the camshaft gear keyway machined EXACTLY? Was the crank keyway and crank gear keyway machined EXACTLY? The chances of "ALL THAT" being DEAD ON 100% are VERY slim. This is why it is IMPERATIVE to use a degree wheel to get the camshaft timing right where it needs to be. ...and yes, from the desctiption of the way your engine runs and the low cylinder pressure, I suspect the camshaft timing is retarded. How much? Who knows? I've seen "dot to dot" installs retarded 10 degrees. The point is, without a degree wheel, you do not KNOW. That's why it's so important to good engine performance.
Hey Rusty - I'm curious why you think he's got low cylinder pressure. It's a stock '78 360 bottom end with a mild cam and he's got 150psi cranking pressure. That's seems like more than I would expect from a stock low compression 360, even with the milled heads.
What would you expect from his engine in terms of cranking pressure?
I thought the SB mopar XE268 was cut on a 110 LSA and installed at 106
I just built my 318 for my chrysler and because this is not meant to be a hi performance engine like my 410 I purchased the cheaper Mel Gear timming set from rocket australia for $80 as it has three way crank gear that says 4 degrees plus and 4 degrees minus and zero. As I always degree my camshaft I proceeded to degree it but came up at 1.5 degrees retarded on dot to dot. This was unaceptable because I knew that with chain stretch it would be more retarded in a short time. I put the set together at the 4 degrees advanced keyway and degreed it again but then came up with 6.5 degrees advanced. WTF. The crank sprocket is 4 degrees which is 8 degrees at the camshaft even thou the box says 4 degrees retard or advance. Well I bit the bullet and purchased a rollmaster set( made in Australia) for $180 that has nine way adjustable and set it up dot to dot and it was excact to the cam grinders specs. So I advanced it 2 degrees to allow for chain stretch down the track. What I thought was incorrect camshaft specs turned out that the cheap melgear(made in the USA Jackson MI) was a total piece of ****. Still have it new in the box. So even if it is only a cruiser don't skimp on the timming chain set!
The crank sprocket is 4 degrees which is 8 degrees at the camshaft even thou the box says 4 degrees retard or advance.
Results would be more dependent on how close the camshaft is to the combo.Didn't engine masters test advancing, retarding, and running a cam straight up on their dyno test mule? I can't recall what the results were.
the H-260-2 that would be 204/216 260/272 427/454, 112 lsa.
Rusty! No I do not have it running yet. I put the motor and box in a couple of days ago but still need to wire, plumb and build the exhaust yet. I am in no hurry as I am retired but as christmas is around the corner and my son gets me to come in to his smash repair business to run him around I may not have it running for a few weeks. Sometimes for an old fella like me I don't get a lot done in a day because it is so hot here at the moment 40c plus (about 108f)
The .050 timing specs for the Crane H-260-2 show it as a 112, installed at 107........ so “in theory”, it should have 5* advance ground into it.
5* advance is pretty standard fare for a lot of Crane grinds.
THANKS PRH!!!! I was just thinking about how much advance was ground into this cam. Did not know how to get that info.