Advancing stock cam

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 25, 2005

#1

• Jun 25, 2005

• #1

Im putting a new timing chain on my 93LX along with a set of Thumper heads,would I see much of a performance difference if I advanced the stock cam?? Thanks in advance!

 

Vipersix

Founding Member

Feb 25, 2001

434

0

0

Clarksville, TN

Jun 25, 2005

#2

• Jun 25, 2005

• #2

Heh... thanks in advance... no pun intended right?

No matter what cam you have in there, once you start playing with timing you WILL see performance changes. They may be for better or for worse but you'll get some sort of change.

Advancing the cam timing generally improves mid-rpm power and response while retarding the cam improves high-rpm breathing and power. This is a generality however so don't assume you will make more power on your particular combo. Experimentation is sometimes the only determining factor.

 

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 25, 2005

#3

• Jun 25, 2005

• #3

LOL,nope! No punn intended!! I was just wondering if anyone else has done this.

 

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 25, 2005

#4

• Jun 25, 2005

• #4

Anyone????????

 

Vipersix

Founding Member

Feb 25, 2001

434

0

0

Clarksville, TN

Jun 25, 2005

#5

• Jun 25, 2005

• #5

I think about everyone has played with timing at a time or two in their career. I advanced my old engine to the point where it would be pinging on 93 octane if I advanced any more. I was happy with the results.

 

D

D347643

Banned

Jan 28, 2003

1,095

0

37

portland, OR

Jun 25, 2005

#6

• Jun 25, 2005

• #6

i know tmoss has his stock cam advanced 4 degrees. i hope he chimes in. i have a stage 1 that i advanced.

Drew

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jun 25, 2005

#7

• Jun 25, 2005

• #7

Vipersix, he is talking about cam-to-piston timing (or mechanical timing), not ignition (spark advance) timing.

Willys, I am not sure what to tell you. I would probably degree it and stick it in straight up, but it would be because I dont know specs, etc on it. Have you tried asking Mike? One would think he has some sweet suggestions for his 'own' parts.

Good luck.

 

Vipersix

Founding Member

Feb 25, 2001

434

0

0

Clarksville, TN

Jun 25, 2005

#8

• Jun 25, 2005

• #8

Yeah I know... my first thread refered to the mechanical advance/retard. Guess I could have left out that second one though since it was simply rotating the distributor and that's not what was being asked about.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jun 25, 2005

#9

• Jun 25, 2005

• #9

Vipersix said:

Yeah I know... my first thread refered to the mechanical advance/retard. Guess I could have left out that second one though since it was simply rotating the distributor and that's not what was being asked about.

Click to expand...

So you did. My bad. I saw a couple references to what seemed like ignition timing and thought you had misread the initial post.

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

Founding Member

Jun 28, 2001

7,153

32

128

Saint Louis, MO

Jun 25, 2005

#10

• Jun 25, 2005

• #10

The ONLY reason I advanced my cam is because I took off the valve events and got professional help from Buddy Rawls in determining the best way to install the cam - 109ICL.

I changed intakes too, but the cam made more power and peak was really pretty flat from 4,500-5,500 rpm where we stopped the pull. I just got my engine back together today afdter needing to replace a FRPP lifter tha went bad after replacing my 1.6 Scorpions with 1.7 rockers. They had less than 2,000 miles on them and one just had the valving fail and went "soft" making all kinds of noise.

 

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 25, 2005

#11

• Jun 25, 2005

• #11

I'll just put it straight up.Thanks guys!!

 

Ranchero5.0

The Voice of Reason

Jan 1, 1999

5,306

0

76

Hagerstown MD

Jun 25, 2005

#12

• Jun 25, 2005

• #12

I always put them at least the first setting advanced just to make up for chain slop. Willy before it's too late check the chain slop by fitting the balancer and a pointer up to the timing marks and rotate the crank back and forth to see how much slop there is, then divide that number in half and that's the minumum you should advance it if you have a $70 or up timing chain. Cheaper chains need a lot more advance. I've seen an Auto Zone $35 chain stretch 15 degrees total in ten thousand miles. Kept wondering why the timing kept retarding...

My used FRPP had 4 degree slop so I went 2 degrees advanced to keep it honest.

Jamie

 

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 25, 2005

#13

• Jun 25, 2005

• #13

Actually Im getting a good Billet set

 

jwzg

Member

Apr 6, 2004

237

0

16

Prattville, AL

Jun 25, 2005

#14

• Jun 25, 2005

• #14

Not to hijack the thread, but Tom, I just replaced my rockers with 1.7's and I'm getting a pretty hard tapping noise at around 2000 rpm as well as a vibration. Sounds like it's coming from the #3 or #4 cyl. What did your's sound like? Can you send me a PM?

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

Founding Member

Jun 28, 2001

7,153

32

128

Saint Louis, MO

Jun 26, 2005

#15

• Jun 26, 2005

• #15

jwzg said:

Not to hijack the thread, but Tom, I just replaced my rockers with 1.7's and I'm getting a pretty hard tapping noise at around 2000 rpm as well as a vibration. Sounds like it's coming from the #3 or #4 cyl. What did your's sound like? Can you send me a PM?

Click to expand...

Mine was a loud tappet sound - I used a automotive stethescope to ID which valves were the loudest and readjusted the lifters a couple of times. I still had one very loud lifter. It would clatter when first started until oil pressure rose, then it would shut up until the oil got hot and then it would clatter again. I just replaced it this weekend and now the valve train is much quieter - I still have one or two that need small adjustment on the other bank. The valving in this lifter just went bad. I could use the force of my hand on the rocker to compress that one lifter where I could not on the others which would remain "pumped up" with pressure.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

34

129

Jun 26, 2005

#16

• Jun 26, 2005

• #16

Just tell people you have rhoads lifters.

 

tmoss

Gettin Wired

Founding Member

Jun 28, 2001

7,153

32

128

Saint Louis, MO

Jun 26, 2005

#17

• Jun 26, 2005

• #17

I ran rhoads in my 67 Camaro 383 - and this was much louder than that!

 

willys1

Active Member

Dec 2, 2003

1,004

1

36

New Jersey

Jun 26, 2005

#18

• Jun 26, 2005

• #18

Hey Tom I sent you an e-mail.Do you know if Thumper mills his heads? Gotta find out if I need shims or not.

 

jwzg

Member

Apr 6, 2004

237

0

16

Prattville, AL

Jun 27, 2005

#19

• Jun 27, 2005

• #19

Tanks Thom. My intake is bad on the #4 cyl. and I can depress it by hand as well. It's not as loud as yours, but I'm pretty sure the valve is not completely opening. Have to replace it when I return home in two weeks.