I just finished the cam installation on the 225...here are my thoughts:

1) It's a 'good idea' to degree the cam but in probably 40-50 engines that I've degree'd the cam on, I've never found one that had faulty timing marks. So if you're OK with a 'straight up' installation, chances are good you won't have any issues if you just align the marks. Of the various cam degreeing instructions published by the cam companies, I find Isky's to be the easiest to read.

2) When it comes to degree wheels, diameter is king. I have an old Direct Connection wheel that is around 7" dia. and it's not that useful. I have an 11" Summit Racing wheel that is far better...and I've seen some guys with much bigger wheels. If I were doing this every day, in 'race' engines, I'd get a 20"+ wheel. The 11" wheel works well as the pointer can be a 3/8" stud threaded into a water pump hole. See photo.

3) Doug Dutra's new Slant Six book has a lot of good information on degreeing, but I gotta say Doug...your tools are the worst lol. See #2. And using the cylinder head as a stop? All kinds of bad.

4) So here's my offer Doug since I ragged on you - send me an address and I will mail you free of charge my degreeing tool. I don't plan to go through a Slant Six again for the next 30 years or so and I figure you can get some use out of it. It acts as a piston stop and provides an easy and reliable way of reading the lobe lift. It takes about 30 seconds to set up, and 15 seconds to break down. In this instance I used an old 426 Hemi pushrod that is spring loaded to ensure the lifter follows the cam lobe always.

I have personally seen 3 on about 10 builds. Not very good odds for me and my luck. I would always degree if you can.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Nice set up GregCon! If Doug doesn't want it. I'll sure take it!!

I've only rebuilt three engines myself. Two Slant 6 and one 318. Both Slant 6s really benefitted from degreeing. We had to mix and match gears and chains on both of them to get them degreed properly.

_________________
Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

That is a very nice piece there. I built something similar years ago, but it did not have the spring loaded pushrod.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Thanks. I dreamed it up a while back but in all honesty it's very possible I saw it someplace else and it leaked out of some corner of my brain. It's definitely better than what I used to do, which is to try to rotate the engine while I pushed down with my thumb on the lifter.

It's also a good tool because it prevents you from accidentally taking your reading off the first lifter!

Nice tool, how much time did you spend making it?

Yes... I showed a "cheap" way to make a positive stop and to perform the cam degreeing process.
My goal was to show "low-buck" way that any SL6 owner could use to find true TDC and then degree the cam, with-out having to buy, make or purchase any "fancy" tools. ( a "do-it-once" engine builder)

And yes, I have a dial indicator, with a long extension, mounted on a magnetic base, that I use on most of my engine builds)
DD

Thanks. I'd guess it takes an hour and half to make one, using my manual lathe and mill. That's not counting the 7 hours I waste looking for all the pieces and tools I need!