what cam??

Hey Mike, nice meeting you here! How've you been?

 

Not bad. Started a project. I need something to keep myself occupied since the boat is gone. I started a thread in the build section. Hows things with you?

 

Starting my latest project this winter, an old Willys. I still have the boat, but I can't afford to run it much anymore...damn race gas prices! I didn't know that you got rid of your boat. That's a bummer.

 

Ordered the cam, lifters, pushrods, timing chain today. this is the cam they suggested, comp cams extreme 4x4 series 12-235-2. it has 0.462 lift and is a lot bigger than I was expecting to get. I guy says my stock valve springs will handle it just fine, and it will give me way more torque and power at lower rpms than the other cam I was looking at. Should be here tomorrow so hopefully ill let everyone know how it is by the weekend...

 

I'll be interested in your review once it's running.

 

Ever installed a cam or broken one in before?
Just wondering how indepth we need to talk about installation, setup and break in.

 

no, never. a guy helping me has before though.

 

Ah, I thought you were doing this on your own, didn't know you had someone helping.
Good, I'll leave you to it then.
Just to reiterate though, the most important thing is that your lifters are spinning. Once I install the cam and timing chain I like to drop the lifters in and turn the motor over slowly by hand so I can watch each and every lifter one at a time to enure as it rises and falls its also spinning. If one isn't spinning it needs to come out and find out why.
Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

Yep, that is a big one to validate.

Unless, your new setup has roller lifters, then spinning is instant destruction.

 

The guy helping me is a friend of a friends who has installed a couple, but years ago. I dont know him very well, but he seems to certainly know more than I do about it. Your tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated, and I want to learn all I can about this before we put it in. One question though, can you suggest a type of motor oil to use for the day to day driving.

 

Conventional oil of your favorite brand and weight for the first couple thousand miles.
I'm a fan of Rotella particularly for the early stages of cam break-in.

 

Ok, The new cam, lifters, pushrods, timing chain are all in. Everything is all back together, and oil is in it. All I have to do is put the wires on the alternator, and get the radiator back on with coolant, and it should be ready to fire up. FINALLY!!

 

Thought this might help.

Finding TDC.

http://www.classiccarauto.com/impala/how_to/find_tdc.shtml

Installing distributor.

http://www.classiccarauto.com/impala/how_to/install_distributor.shtml

 

Ok, I looked at what corveeper posted and a few other sites. It seems that the instruction on installing the timing chain say to align the sprcket gears at crank 12 oclock and cam at 6 but failed to say that sets up the #6 for tdc, and after the chain install to rotate the crank 360* which sets #1 at tdc, placing your timing dots at crank 12 oclock and cam at 12 oclock. I put my #1 plug wire on the #6 terminal and installed the remaining wires accordingly around the cap, the jeep is running but poorly, I think this may be why. I am going to pull the dist and rotate the crank 360* and drop it back in with rotor on #1 tower and see what happens. I think corveeper was trying to tell me this earlier, but I wasnt getting it.

 

I probably wasn’t saying it very well either. It was Monday Night and Vick was my last chance to score fantasy football points so I was a bit distracted. I’m sure you know how it goes.
Anyway yea, rotate the motor round, by hand or by bumping the starter, until it’s coming up on compression stroke for the #1 cylinder. Line the timing mark on the balancer to the mark on the timing cover and install the distributor so that the rotor is pointed at #1 cylinder.
I ended up losing my FF game by 4 points, if that garners any sympathy.

 

you were probably saying it just fine, i just dont know that much about it. After reading the other sites, i said to myself thats what corveeper was telling me.. i got it to start this morning where my #1 was at originally after turning the crank 360* and getting the rotor to line up. seems to be running much smoother, Im going to take it for a ride in about a half an hour so, Ill let ya know how it is.. thanks so much for all of you guys help.. especially veeper, we have had several PM about this..

 

Take it easy for now.
Even though you’ve made it through cam break-in your lifters and cam lobes are still becoming familiar with each other and the last thing you want is to nick a lobe surface with a heavy throttle foot.
A nice leisurely cruise with a gentle heat cycle is what you want.

 

Yes, I did take it easy for a while. It is running pretty good, deff has some carb problems but I knew that. Over all its running pretty well, it has a header leak which I will replace the gasket asap, and may need a lifter adjusted on the passenger side I cant tell if its ticking or if its the header leak, so Ill know soon. Thanks for all the help. It seems to have good power, but I havent got on it really good yet.

 

Don’t you have a Holley DP? Like a 600 or 650?
SBC’s with headers are notorious for shaking header bolts lose and blowing out exhaust gaskets. I had constant problems with it even though I would go back around and retighten them after each heat cycle.
A little over a year ago I switched to some Stage 8 header bolts and haven’t had to mess with them since.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/STG-8911/

 

Yes it is a holley 650 DP, I havent really had a problem with the bolts coming loose. i used some cheap gaskets when i put it all back together and one blew out during the break in, so I put the old gasket on it and it still leaks. Im going to get some better quality gaskets and that get it. Im dont sure what kind of bolts they are, I got them some time back and cant remember, their a 7/16 head. I had it out awhile today and it is running real good. It was kinda of rough last night and had to get gas, I got 93 octane instead of 91, and it runs a lot smoother now. It had a sputter if you slightly let off the gas or slowly applied it but after getting the 93 octane, that went away. carb does have a vac leak at the throttle shaft but it doesn't seem to affect it very much right now. Ill get a new one down the road.