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How to Degree a Camshaft.
- Set the engine to top dead center (TDC). For those who don't know, TDC is when you bring the number 1 piston to the top of the compression stroke. This in simple terms means the piston is at its highest point it will achieve before dropping back down into the block.
- Install a cam degree wheel on the crank snout. Install a pointer on the block, can be just a piece of wire bent so you can see where it is on the degree wheel.
- Set the cam degree wheel so your pointer reads zero.
- Install a lifter into the number 1 intake slot.
- Set a lifter bore dial indicator onto the lifter.
- Bring the lifter up to its highest position and zero the dial indicator.
- Now rotate the engine counter clockwise till your dial indicator reads .50", note the where your degree is on the cam degree wheel.
- Rotate the engine clockwise until you get .50", note the degree on the cam degree wheel.
Math part: Calculate the Degree of the cam.
- Take the two numbers you found on your degree wheel and add them together.
- Example: 64 + 153 = 217
- Take the number you get and divide it by two.
- Example: 217 / 2 = 108.5
Is your cam degreed?
So lets say your cam has an intake centerline of 110 degrees. This means if you degreed the cam and came up with 108.5 your cam is off by 1.5 degrees. So how are we going to fix this? By either retarding or advancing the cam. Advance or Retard the cam.
Now advance or retard the cam by a degree and repeat the process and if you went the right way you should come up with a centerline of 109.5, this is as close as you are going to get the cam to the 110 degree. This means your cam is now degreed.