bbksv
06-11-2013, 11:08 AM
I am wrapping up building by 302. It has GT40P heads, E303 camshaft, and new .030 over pistons. I am running a 3.73 rear end. There are a bunch of people on the corral forums that recommend advancing the camshaft by 4 degrees...but wanted the opinion of some that actually know about our cars. My thoughts are that I don't necessarily want any more torque down low because the car will be so light anyways..and has 3.73 gears.
Thoughts?
2FAST4U
06-11-2013, 03:34 PM
Really no need to advance it IMO
maczter
06-11-2013, 04:33 PM
No need as you stated for more torque, especially with those gears.
Robert Andrew
08-31-2013, 08:19 AM
No, the straight up cam timing will work very well with your gearing and a light car. 4 degrees of advance is too much under any circumstances. Have fun.
Bob Cowan
08-31-2013, 05:31 PM
In theory, advancing the cam will provide you with more low end torque. BUT, not always. A lot depends on the other parts used in the build, and how they all interact. The only way to really knowthe effect is to set the cam at 0, 2*, and 4*, and do dyno runs at each step to see what you get. Without that testing, you may actually lose power where you don't want to.
And the amount of power that we're talking about is very small. In a 302, usually less than 5hp and 5 ft/lb's. Unless you're racing, you'll never know it.
Spend some time with a program like, "Desk Top Dyno". Although it may not be 100% accurate, it's pretty darned close. And it's really useful for seeing what effect various changes will have. I used it to pick my parts, and it turned out pretty well.
Also, depending on the parts you're using, advancing or retarding the cam could cause valve to piston interference problems. So you would want to clay he pistons very carefully.
The bottom line is, I think, that unless you're racing, and really know what you're doing, you're better off installing the cam straight up, as the manufacturer intended.
Whenever I build an engine, I always degree the cam. Even if I'm putting the same cam back in. It's always within 1* of where it's supposed to be. Maybe that comes from using the best parts I can find. Maybe I'v just been lucky. It seems to be waste of time. But I do it, every time. It just helps me sleep at night.