Topic: my cam hurts

[dave500]

hi ,,ive looked all over here and do recall seeing but cant find some cam timing /set up specs,,for a standard 500/550 ,,ive found 5/35 split so far,,what lift is this at ?? err 1mm?(jap specs??) i have a few cams i want to verify,,i think ones not standard,,this was a 550 with a 125!! main jet!!i ran the engine with some 500 type 1 carbies just to test it,and its a burbly idle ,,ive got time off work and time to kill doing this time consuming measuring,,.whats the factory lobe centre??are the 500 and 550 the same? ive read the 650 was different.

[dave500]

so ive had a look at what i think is not a standard cam,with zero lift and a quick cardboard cutout degree wheel im getting IO 19. IC 50. EO 81. EC 70.,i didnt look at the lift,the numbers arnt split so im thinking this is an aftermarket cam.?

[paulages]

what lift are you measuring those numbers at? .040"? .005"? the easiest way to tell is to measure the overall lobe height. if memory serves me correctly, it should be in the neighborhood of 1.037" for the intake.

[dave500]

zero lift,i cant find the full specs on these cams.,i just wanted to compare what i think is a hotter cam with a standard one,

[Terry in Australia]

Hey you 550 experts, how do you "Dial In" a cam on one of those little buggars? I didn't dial Al Harpers cam in when I put his engine together as I couldn't work out how to do it with the cam cover/tappet assemblies off? Cheers, Terry.

[bwaller]

Terry it's a bloody nuisance unless you use a trick MRieck offered. Cut the top of the cam tunnel out of an old cover to set the cam. It gives enough access to cam bolts and just re & re covers when your done.

Another tip of the hat to Mike.  

[Bodi]

Sweet!
But doesn't that throw more oil out the breather?

[MRieck]

You use the cut cover just to set your cam sprocket. Once you have the cam timed replace the cover with the original, uncut cover.

[paulages]

You use the cut cover just to set your cam sprocket. Once you have the cam timed replace the cover with the original, uncut cover.

it is a major pain in the ass without this trick, which i learned the hard way. now i have a scrap cover for this purpose. you have to assemble, measure, remove the cover and adjust, reassemble, etc...

[paulages]

just pull the cam and measure the lobe height.

[Terry in Australia]

Terry it's a bloody nuisance unless you use a trick MRieck offered. Cut the top of the cam tunnel out of an old cover to set the cam. It gives enough access to cam bolts and just re & re covers when your done.

Another tip of the hat to Mike.  

Thanks Guys, that was the only way I thought it could be done too, if Al wants me to dial it in, he'll have to find me another cover, preferably with rockers and shafts. Cheers, Terry.

[MRieck]

You use the cut cover just to set your cam sprocket. Once you have the cam timed replace the cover with the original, uncut cover.

it is a major pain in the ass without this trick, which i learned the hard way. now i have a scrap cover for this purpose. you have to assemble, measure, remove the cover and adjust, reassemble, etc...

Assembly, disassembly, more mock up etc, etc....that is what it takes to make a great engine

[754]

+100... do it right, or wish you had..

[dave500]

thanks paulages,,it might have standard lift but different lobe separation and timing,,im just looking for the standard timing and at what lift is used on these motors.so what lift are they checked at??,and is that straight of the cam??or the rocker?are they a 1:1 rocker ratio?

[paulages]

thanks paulages,,it might have standard lift but different lobe separation and timing,,im just looking for the standard timing and at what lift is used on these motors.so what lift are they checked at??,and is that straight of the cam??or the rocker?are they a 1:1 rocker ratio?

i've never seen stock specs like you'd see on an aftermarket timing card. honda seems to have only provided rudimentary numbers to check that the lobes are within wear limits, for example the overall lobe height i mentioned. this is measured with the cam out of course.

[dave500]

thanks again paulages,it is standard height,ill compare the specs i cam up with to a known stock cam.