measuring cam specs?

[mikeith]

as some of you know i kinda got screwed by a shop and i'm just tryin to go back and make sure that everything was done that i pain for... well part of this was a new cam but the truck doesnt feel like there is much of one at all and by the specs he gave me i SHOULD be able to notice check this out...
comp xtreme xfi
224/230 .502-.510, 110 lsa @ .50 over

this thing should lope pretty hard especially w/ a 110 lsa, which it lopes decently cold but once the truck is warmed up it sounds extremely mild.

so the question i have is.... is there any way to measure the specs of a cam w/o taking it out.... something like measureing the lifters movement w/ the valve cover off or something

[VileZambonie]

Easy. Set a dial indicator on the pushrod and rotate the engine. Measure the lift @ .050" multiply that number by 1.5 and you'll have your valve lift/

[mikeith]

what about the duration and lobe seperation?

[VileZambonie]

That's ez too but worry about your lift and that will ball park u enough. not too many cam grinds out there that differ al thta  much w push rod motors. Look at it like this.. lift= long schlong duration = fat chick lobe seperation = clevage. Everyone is different and every cam grind is going to differ. If you wanna ballpark it just check the lift. PS I'm cocked

[mikeith]

hahahaha niiiiice ... i spent all night framing my console and as good as a beer SOUNDED i was using a table saw and other sharp tools so it wouldnt have been a good idea lol... i got the frame done though and i'll post some pics after work, i'm gonna do the fiberglass tonight!

[1973c20]

haha Mike i think you thinking of beer so much caused you to post in the wrong thread

[mikeith]

haha whoops! i wasn't quite awake when i posted that one this morning

[BILTUP]

You need a degree wheel and then you will be able to check all the events of the lobes.  Lift means squat!  The lobe events mean everything.

[VileZambonie]

The guy know's what cam he told them to put in. He's not degreeing in the cam just checking to see if it is in fact the cam he asked them to install. So a quick check of the lift means plenty for his purposes

[BILTUP]

Many cams use the same lobe lift.  The duration and LSA will need a degree wheel to figure out.  If he is happy knowing he has a cam with the same lift but not sure of anything else then ya go ahead, but if you want to be sure the ''rest'' of the cam is the proper one than a degree wheel is needed to check all aspects.

[BILTUP]

Lift has nothing to do with the lope of the cam.  If you suspect the lope is not what it should be then you need to check the duration and other events with a degree wheel.  You would also be wise to use a degree wheel to be sure the cam is degreed properly.  A cam which is degreed wrong will run very differently than one that is degreed properly.

[VileZambonie]

So you think someone took his .510" lift cam and swapped it for another one with a different duration?

I have degreed more cams than you can count. I think you missed the point of this thread. And if you think you will not hear a change in idle quality or (lope as you worded it) by changing the valve lift, try a different rocker ratio and see what happens. Valve lift AND duration affect idle quality.