How to Degree a Camshaft in a Chrysler 440 with Elana Scherr and Tom

Tom gives us a first-person view as he sets the cam timing on the Mr. Six-Pack camshaft in the cheapie 440 rebuild we're doing for our friend Bryan. He explains why we degree the cam, what the benefits are in doing so, and how to do it quickly and easily, including a fairly straightforward method for finding Top Dead Center (TDC) that doesn't involve too much math. Elana does what math there is, and asks the hard questions at the end.
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[@GnarlySpeedShop]

This is already my favorite channel. Excited for the “Tom Meets 301” video.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I imagine Tom got pretty scared when he saw all of the plumbing he had to work with... 😆!

[@bratpane1]

At last, more Elana! Fun times ahead.

[@DestroyersGarage]

Subscribed. Roadkill extra went downhill when you stopped helping with them. Excited to see where this goes.

[@Challengeher]

Aww, they are still so great though. But we're glad to have you here too!

[@briansmith1042]

great video he does a good job explaining. probably the most I've ever learned off a KZbin video. think maybe tom missed his calling

[@Challengeher]

Lol, we'll see how the next one goes, eh?

[@briansmith1042]

@@Challengeher I'm sure he'll do just fine he has a excellent production director/assistant/cameraman/wife to back him.

[@ST-cy6we]

Heathkit instructions were written by the secretaries. Elena's input is very similar and helps make sure all of us pick up what you are throwing down. Great video

[@redtorino]

Came from Instagram. More Elena, Tom, Jim, and Bill is a good thing.

[@rong4189]

Glad you guys started a channel! A Mr. Six Pack cam, cool! And I might be subscriber #383, yay!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

The same motor my Dad's 68 RR had...

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Thanks again for showing these videos to learn what it takes to make an engine tick... Kind of fascinating for someone unmechanical like me...

[@mattsondergeld5576]

So glad to see this!

[@large_n_widetm2116]

You guys are the best! Please post more stuff like this, as I am rebuilding my first engine in my first classic, a Ford 289 out of a 1966 mustang. Wish me luck!

[@Challengeher]

Good luck, you'll do great!

[@samkemp5081]

Always about tdc and the hang time finally got my brain to understand it. Great video thanks!!

[@Challengeher]

It was like that Simpsons episode for me, "Uh, uh, say it in Snowboard."

[@steve19745]

i get it but its still a waste of time if he already has a pre determined setting he wants to use as a baseline

[@mattmcmullen1145]

Love the episode. Keep them coming. And of course we need more Frank.... but that goes without saying.

[@EvansBrosRacing]

Very smart girl , great questions from her . I know how to this but glad you are showing people how to do this . So many people are not getting full performance from their builds by not doing this . Even a stock daily driver benefits from degreeing the cam . I know in the old days there was always that one stock vehicle that ran better than the rest , and it was probably the cam timing was perfect , advanced a little etc . Maybe the factory guy put a keyway slightly off on the machine that was cutting them that day , on the cam or the timing gears ? ALWAYS degree your cam , great video

[@jeffsmith2003]

Great job guys. That's exactly the way I do it. Teh most important part of this whole thing is making sure TDC is accurate. If you mess up TDC - then everything else will be wrong! Good job!

[@Challengeher]

Eeek, a Jeff Smith approval! This is such a good feeling! Thank you for watching Jeff! (Also, everyone go look up articles by Jeff because he is the smartest.)

[@kevinthomas895]

Great quality video and perfect audio. Your off to a good start!

[@TyphoonVstrom]

I was waiting to be number 383 subscriber, but couldn't.

[@xozindustries7451]

You guys rock, good video!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

That baby piston is 😎!!

[@billsanchez2665]

Excellent!!!

[@RexCars1]

Do Bill & Jim get residuals from this channel ? .. Way to go you two.. More vids for sure..

[@fatweinerdog]

Absolutely yes, i'll send you their Patreon account!

[@Challengeher]

They get paid in pork rinds and spilled french fries.

[@dirtlump]

Thanks Tom ! I really enjoyed the Video ! Not often to see guys who know how to degree a Cam properly these days.... GOOD VIDEO ! I myself have been Machining/Building 440 Mopar Engines for everyone else going on 40 years now... and I'm finally going to start the first rebuild ever on my own "survivor" '69 Charger R/T SE soon ! It's still running great, but now is probably the "time" before I'm too old(LOL) and while it's still in good shape ? Be sure and post back what you think of the Bob K. Cam in the 440 ? Been a long time since I've seen a set of the original 68/69 F.T. Pistons that were only .060" down at TDC. THANKS again for sharing !

[@Challengeher]

Thanks for watching! The Mr Six Pack Cam is the best hyd flat tappet for this engine in the stock configuration IMO. It retains the smoothness of a stock 440 magnum with more performance. The idle is very smooth with high vacuum but does require decent compression, more initial timing and the performer rpm for best results. T

[@mikeycornwell0138]

Always call in the hounds to verify everything, they are the best shop inspectors ever.

[@AMERICANLEGENDModelBuilder]

I was #100 Subscriber 🥴

[@dannychiguina3962]

Beautiful Mopar

[@dannychiguina3962]

Great 👍 Tips guys much ablie

[@kurtstephan7039]

Hope we'll see some wrenching on the Opel GT!

[@Challengeher]

We have a whole gasket replacement in the queue.

[@skuzzyj]

This'll be goooood. I'll claim sub #3 fer lyf

[@Challengeher]

We'll make t-shirts.

[@johnandersonjjr]

My 440 has low power but I think it’s because the compression ratio is so low (78) or because the rear is 2 71!

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Looks like your Challenger is in real decent shape.. No Worries about the tinworm In California where you folks are from like up here in the Rust Belt of Upstate New York..

[@caliraider4962]

Hope you didn't use that partially crushed oil filter? Could restrict oil flow.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

BOOM! SUB'D!

[@racer67]

Sub#496 looks like a winner!

[@Greggg57]

Wait., Is this a 'high compression' 440?

[@nicksmith9358]

This is great! Way better than the first attempt I made last month 😂

[@garryhatchett775]

Informative but suggest a different camera angles.

[@proracing9025]

What did you set timing to and what rpm ?I am working on 1973 Duda 440

[@Challengeher]

If you're talking about ignition timing then 10 degrees BTDC initial is good (at slow idle RPM) and 35 degree total mechanical advance at 2700 or so (vacuum advance disconnected so that you're only measuring the total centrifugal advance). You need a "dial back to zero" timing light to check this or you can carefully install a degreed timing tape on the dampener for direct reading with a standard timing light. If you have a big cam you will need more initial but the same total. Hope this helps as there's a fair amount tribal knowledge to setting up old fashioned distributors and far more than I can cover here. Let us know how it turns out. - T

[@dannychiguina3962]

Is that motor going onto yah beautiful MOPAR

[@ned900]

Is that a 72 charger?

[@Challengeher]

'70 Challenger

[@piscisespiritual5573]

👍

[@unclesquirrel6951]

Personally I blame squirrels

[@jimjones4345]

I just need to know if the amount of people that call you "el" has increased? because of the show stranger things lol.

[@Challengeher]

Tim Barber Nobody does! I wish they would. She is so badass.

[@79tazman]

If it's a Super Commando means it's a Plymouth 440 if it was a 440 magnum it would be for a Dodge just a FYI to all the non Mopar guys out there. oh and if it was a TNT then it would be for a Chrysler

[@JakeToolson]

Can you explain why you do this?

[@fatweinerdog]

Yes. The process checks for any errors in the timing relationship between the camshaft and the crankshaft as installed in the engine with respect to piston position. Many times the camshaft timing can be off several degrees just due to tolerances stacking up in one direction or another. It's just a way of verifying that the fit is mechanically perfect. The lower sprocket is adjustable (which we didn't go into in this video) to correct for errors if needed.

[@bluetoes591]

Why not use the dial indicator to find TDC?

[@fatweinerdog]

Also a good method.

[@Challengeher]

That's how Steve Dulcich does it. But then you need to do math and pay attention. I like the "bump into something solid" method.

[@williamdanielson2068]

IMHO if we had a perfect system the piston would not dwell, it moves much more slowly near TDC, but there is clearance between piston and bore, clearance between rod bearing and crank, crank bearings and crank, and even wrist pin and rod and or piston (some pins float, some are interference fit in rod). The positive stop loads the system and takes all the slack out. Perhaps to use a dial indicator we could load the system with a spring as the piston came to TDC ??

[@williamdanielson2068]

Interesting experiment would be to use just the dial indicator with and without oil pressure :-). Full oil pressure might take away the bearing clearances and might leave only the piston-bore clearance and the tiny wrist pin to piston clearance as slack in the system :-).

[@williamdanielson2068]

www.camotruck.net/rollins/piston/piston-figure1.png

[@christown4783]

Please keep your wife translating! If you would have stopped before she started in this video would not be as informative! Tell her thank you! Good video!

[@JB-xg7io]

I really wanted to watch this video but that moving head-cam is just nausea inducing :(

[@steve19745]

so you are not really doing anything its a pointless waste of time to bother degreeing it if you set it up dot to dot ! you never changed the cam position or timing position. and even though everything has a different manufacturer it would be almost impossible to modify anything without a gear drive.

[@Greggg57]

simplest method, but not good or professional.

[@ultimatejay]

just set it up dot to dot and send it. Never seen one way off, unless you buy some cheap POS china crap timing chain/sprocket assy.

[@lordsauto]

how do u know where to set the piston stop on?

[@Challengeher]

I think you're asking about which cylinder? The cam timing on most engines is done referenced to cylinder number 1. Cylinder locations and numbering are identified in the factory service manuals so one can reference those. If your question is about how far down the piston is in the bore the answer is the distance is arbitrary because you are rotating the engine one direction to the stop, and then the other direction to the stop. Then you just split the difference between the 2 fixed reference "stops" adjusting the "TDC pointer" to the crankshaft degree wheel. If this doesn't help lets us know.