Ive put a cam into my 327. I lined up the dot on crank with the dot on the cam. The dot on the cam is on top. Is it suppose to be on the bottom? The car runs fine, but the timing is very picky. Will only run at 8 degrees before top dead center without pinging. Thanks for any and all help.

PLAIN JANE 69(MUSTY AND RUSTY)

The dots on the sprockets are supposed to be inside the centers of the two shafts.

Camshaft=dot on the bottom
Crankshaft=dot on the top

Place straightedge across the center of both shalves, the dots to be underneath edge.

Hopefully, dowel pin is still there and the dowel pin of camshaft engages into cam sprocket.

Everett 68/350/PG/11.90/115mph

I did that one time http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/clt/m/g/mgervin/smilies/hmph.gif Thing sounded real good hit a bad lick. Would not fall out of a tree http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/clt/m/g/mgervin/smilies/lol.gif S o don’t fill bad every one gets in a rush it lest once http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/clt/m/g/mgervin/smilies/outtahere.gif

TIM


[This message has been edited by Tim Meredith (edited 04-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Tim Meredith (edited 04-11-2001).]

Thanks for the replies. The car does sound good, but is was disapointed with the performance.

I don't see a problem here. Put the dots together turn the crank one round and where are the dots then?

Clint hit it right on the head....it does not matter which way you put them in. Once you turn the crank one revolution, the dots will line up. All that matters is that you have the distributor in right, which you do or the car would not run. When the cam is intalled "dot to dot" the motor is actually in the firing position for #6 cylinder, not #1 like everyone thinks.

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Bill Koustenis
Owner
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
1971 Chevelle "Heavy Chevy" original owner
1973 Z-28 ..one family car...Brother bought it new in 73

Right on Bill...thats why a lot of the older repair manuals tell you to put the cam gear dot at the 12 o'clock position instead of at the bottom...I've done a bunch myself this way with no problems.

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375hp 78 Chevy truck
77 Chevy Nova
95 Chevy Lumina 3.4L
and building a 78 Nova

Billk, Could you explain your comment a little more? http://www.camaros.net/forum/confused.gif The crank only knows up and down not what stroke it is on. The cam determines if it is a exhaust or compression stroke. Not trying to dog you, I am just trying to get educated.

thanks

Oh yeah. The comment I was talking about was the motor being in the firing position for the #6 cylinder. (sorry about that)

Dean

there is a 2 to 1 rateo on the timing chain gear's. the dot on dot is TDC for # 6 the dot on top on both is TDC for # 1. simple realy but confusing as most people for get this and new book's do not tell you this.

this is a standared set up by GM when they stated making the SB. just rember the crank will turn 2 time's and the cam will turn 1 time.

bilidean,
The crankshaft turns two complete revolutions for each turn of the cam. If you install the cam "dot" to dot, and then turn the crankshaft one complete turn, the dots will both be straight up. When you install the cam "dot to dot" at that position the motor is on the compression stroke tdc for the #6 cylinder. If you turn the crank one turn, it will be on #1 tdc compression. So it really does not matter how you align the dots when you install the cam, even though it is easiest to do them "dot to dot". What confuses most people about this procedure is installing the distributor properly. they think that because they have installed the cam "dot to dot" they should install the distributor in the #1 firing position. Obviously this will not work. You have to instal it in the #6 firing position. If you want to get even more confused...there really is no "correct" position for the distributor, as long as the rotor is pointing to the number 1 wire when it is time to fire the number one plug, thats all that matters. This seems to be very hard for most people to understand, and it is probably even harder to desribe it in writing, rather than showing it hands on.
Hope this helps,

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Bill Koustenis
Owner
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
1971 Chevelle "Heavy Chevy" original owner
1973 Z-28 ..one family car...Brother bought it new in 73

BillK, That was my point. It doesn't matter if you line up the crank and cam dot to dot or across from each other, so long as the dist is firing at the correct time. If you took the cam out of the engine and just spun the crank, it wouldn't know if it was on an exhaust stroke or a compression stroke. The cam is what controls this. What I was curious on was your comment about the motor being in the #6 firing position. I suppose if people wanted the distributor in the correct position per the books, then it would make a on how you lined up the dots. Is this specifically what you were talking about?

thanks
Dean

Bilydean,

I think what Bill is trying to say is that when the cam dot is in the 6 o'-clock position, the intake and exhaust lobes are in the overlap position on #1 cylinder. At this time, #6 cylinder is on the firing stroke, not #1. Only when the cam dot is in the 12 o'-clock position is the #1 cylinder on the firing stroke. Hope this helps. Take care.

Shane