Cam oops!

[RacerX]

Well, I went back over the entire engine install in my head and realized where I lost a few ponies. She's dynoed @ 360 crank, 288rwhp. I goofed with the cams. Between working front to back making sure the engine was perfect, even had to swap the intake cams at one point, engine builder went by labels and not part numbers (my bad, I told him to and trusted the seller!). I didn't go over crank rotation the correct way in my head and the Cobra cams are retarded instead of advanced with the keyway slack. Doh! Looks like a good weekend to pull the wiper cowl and reset those... :lol:

[ImpalaSlayer]

still seems pretty good for 8.5:1

[ctrlraven]

288rwhp with 8.5 compression NA? I'd say that is pretty good.

[LANDY]

I think it is 10.5.1 guys.
So you are installing the original 03 cams right!

[ImpalaSlayer]

I think it is 10.5.1 guys.
So you are installing the original 03 cams right!
i thought it was a cobra reman unit??

[RacerX]

Hehe! New 04 Cobra iron, fully forged/balanced rotating assembly with flat top pistons for 10.5:1cr. The cams are 98 Cobra cams. Only difference being 20 deg more duration on the intake. Exhaust are the same. Just put 1000 miles on the new engine this morning. May throw a 50 shot of juice at her after I readjust the cams. Back to a 100 shot after I break her in a little more and make sure my odd noise doesn't get worse. :D Stabilized so far! No metal in the oil. Took the oil filter apart at last change and checked it.

[babbage]

Sounds good. Glad there is no metal in anything! You say the cams are retarded a little bit? I think TFS has an adjustable crank gear which might help you out. Trouble is you'd have to take the front cover off again. :)

yep see these: http://www.modularheadshop.com/Articles/TFS%20crank%20gears.htm

[Zack]

None of the original post makes sense to me.

[FordNut]

None of the original post makes sense to me.

I believe (not positive) it means that the cams are slightly retarded instead of slightly advanced. Apparently the only advance/retard that was done is based on the play in the cam gear keys. Not sure what difference it makes, since there is enough manufacturing variation in the stock cams & gears that the only way to tell what the cam timing really is would be to do the indexing the correct way using a dial indicator.

[Paul T. Casey]

None of the original post makes sense to me.

I think he's taking a shot at those guys from Maryland, Virginia, and the DC area.

[RacerX]

:D My 4 cams have a lot more play than stock (filed keyway) and I set the intake cam timing retarded instead of advanced. Wanted about 106 - 108 LC and am probably more like 118+... oops...

Zack, I reversed crank rotation in my head when putting it together and went the opposite way with the cams in the keyway. My bad...

[Zack]

Do you have adjustable cam gears on this engine?

[RacerX]

No adjustable cams. There is a good amount of movement either way though thanks to me. I know I won't get 106 without adjustable gears. Just wanted it advanced more than 114.

Soooooo... For the moment, my cams are slightly tarded, just like me! :)

[Zack]

So let me get this straight...
You are gonna pop the cam covers off, loosen the cam gear, move it around a little and hope you have made a difference?

What am I missing here?

[RacerX]

? No, I will take a pic and it will be easier to see. The intake cam will be moving 8 deg advanced from where it is now and maybe more if I can carve the keyway without getting any metal dust in the engine. Doing it right, I'm trying to get a degree wheel and may just hold off until I do. Maybe adjustable cams would be better. What would you do

[Zack]

Filing a keyway then hoping a single (centered) bolt will keep the gear in place is quite the pipe dream IMHO.

[RacerX]

I see your point. There's a lot of torsional force and you can't count on the cam bolts holding it in the right position even if it is timed where you want it. Hmmmm....

[RacerX]

Zack! Whatcha think of these:
http://www.lethalperformance.com/96-98-mustang-gt-engine-cam-gears-comp-cams-c-464_628_6538_6539/comp-cams-4-6l-5-4l-sohc-dohc-adjustable-cam-gear-set-p-28948

Let me know what you think and if you have ideas, I'd love to have the help. Thanks.

Those look like drive gears. So you only need two? Keep the exhaust @ 114 and use the gear to move the chain/seconday gear to desired LC?

[FordNut]

Filing a keyway then hoping a single (centered) bolt will keep the gear in place is quite the pipe dream IMHO.

I believe that's the basic method most builders use. However they add loctite and use ARP bolts so they can torque the heck out of them. IIRC they file the keyways on the gears instead of opening the slots in the cams.

But they use a degree wheel on the crank and a dial indicator on the cam lobes so they know exactly where the cams are indexed instead of going off a cam card and assuming everything is perfect...