Started the Cam, heads, and more swap!

[SUX2BU99]

You could always try the method of jacking up the one rear tire, put the trans in neutral, mark the driveshaft and the tire, then count the tire revolutions for 1 rotation of the driveshaft.

So do you shift at 6000 or so? I haven't taken mine past 5500. I'm afraid to  lol   I'd say that carb is too big. The popular 1406 would be fine for your application. If you did have to replace the cam, I'd go a couple steps down on it so you have a more street friendly powerband but that's just my opinion. Mine is only a 268 duration but still has a nice chop at idle so you know something is different under the hood.

[82Shortbed]

Oh I plan on stepping down on cams, the summit 1103 is probably gonna be my pick

.442/.465 214/224 on a 112 LSA.  I heard it on youtube, and it had a good healthy chop to it, so I like it, and the powerband starts around 2000rpm

[KoolerSL2]

about how much was the machine work to your vortecs?
im thinkin of buying a set but i heard they need the valve guide machined to be able to handle any lift over ~470.
also which springs did you use?
and did you use the stock vortec rockers or older rockers?

[82Shortbed]

Welp, my truck LIVES!  Popped the timing cover off, and voila, it was 6 TEETH OUT.  lined everything all up, and dropped the dizzy in, set the timing, and the truck runs like a dream, idles perfect, and runs like a pure champ!  I actually have bottom end, and after 3500rpm instead of 5500 rpm it slings ya back in the seat!  And I have good vacuum for my brakes and everything else  No dieseling on 87 octane, just flick the keyswitch to start, when it shuts off, it's done!   

about how much was the machine work to your vortecs?
im thinkin of buying a set but i heard they need the valve guide machined to be able to handle any lift over ~470.
also which springs did you use?
and did you use the stock vortec rockers or older rockers?

They have a regular valve job, the valve guide bosses were grinded down for clearance, teflon seals, "z/28" style springs, and resurfacing.  I used the stock self aligning rockers with them, I didn't pin the studs or go to screw in either.  I know my lift is only .465 but I wanted to be safe.

[eventhorizon66]

So the cam timing was retarded by 6 cam sprocket teeth.   How did that happen?

Glad you discovered and corrected that.

[82Shortbed]

Believe it or not, it was "dot to dot" but something didn't look right, so we grabbed an old factory set, and lined it up off it and noticed how bad it was off, so we lined it up to the factory specs, and it runs now!  So stay away from Zoom double roller timing sets.

[SUX2BU99]

Wow, that's crazy! Glad you figured it out though. So no cam swap no eh? Now take 'er to the track and let it rip!

[VileZambonie]

Glad you got it running right. How did you degree in the cam and be that far off though?

[82Shortbed]

Well stickin the cam in and timing set was one of the things I didn't do, I was busy with painting my firewall and all that while that was being done, I barely even saw the cam go in the motor, so I didnt notice.  No cam swap now.  It sounds sa-weeet.  I've already got compliments on it just driving it today people roll their windows down just to tell me, I like that!   I need a gear bad bad bad

[SUX2BU99]

Right on. So what is your redline that you shift at? I'm surprised the truck ran at all with that many teeth out.

[82Shortbed]

well, when i just throw it in drive, it shifts round 3500 in 1-2, and 3000 2-3 and sits round 2100-2200 round 55-60.  When I do the shifting, I shift round 4500-5000 since it can go that high so easlily now.  It's so high geared if I go that high in rpm, I can usually cut 2nd gear out which kinda sucks.

[SUX2BU99]

Nice. That's how my TH350 likes to shift too if I let it shift itself. Modulator I guess needs adjusting. Sux when the fun is just starting and it upshifts  lol  And not having downshifts anywhere above 2000 RPM too is kinda lame.

[eventhorizon66]

I think you can adjust the governor to rev to the sky in full auto by changing out springs/weights.  Have either of you guys checked your gov gear?  I think it's pretty common for them to applecore over the years.  My 700R4 behaves almost exactly the same way.  I have been meaning to check my gov gear and if that looks OK, play with the springs.

[SUX2BU99]

Nope, haven't checked it. Trannies scare me    I suppose I'll bust out the Haynes manual and check out what's involved with doing this. I'd really like to since it bothers me a lot how it behaves when I'm trying to have some fun. It would probably 'feel' faster too if it downshifted when I want it to. My 81 Jimmy 2wd 305 2bbl did the same thing. Wouldn't downshift unless WOT. But a 80 350 1/2 ton LWB I drove for a while downshifted beautifully. It was pretty low mileage though.

[eventhorizon66]

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=11407.0

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=9771.0

If Vile received a nickel for everytime he told someone to check their governor gear, he'd be a millionaire.