In Car Cam Swap: 1969 Buick GS 400

Guys, I'm replacing the timing cover on my 455 to replace the harmonic balancer rope seal I didn't replace when the motor was rebuilt. I want to also swap out the stock Sealed Power cam for my old Poston 113A which is in good shape or possibly my new GM Stage 1 cam. The motor has less than 2000 miles on it since rebuild and is running fine. Just looking for a little more HP. No additional headwork other than hardened seats and a three angle valve job and surfaced 0.010". I don't want to have to change valve springs and I don't recall needing to with the old engine. The motor has the oiling mods, TA 1607 Pistons (0.020" over) and TA 1559 cam bearings. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly welcomed!

I also need some tips on the process wrt making sure I get the cam in correctly. Should I get started at 0* TDC on the crank? No degreeing the cam this time. Can I screw up the cam install I I'm dot to dot? When starting my motor last time I was 180* out of the distributor and it lead to some stress.

Thanks,
Mike

 

Poston 113A
INTAKE EXHAUST
Lift 510 491
Dur 286 302
Open 34 88
Close 72 34

Mike

 

Anyone?

 

Status update.

 

Larry, Wouldn't lining up the dots be just like it was installed last time and just as good as it is now?

 

Let me read Jim's post. In a Nut shell degreeing is setting TDC of the crank to WHAT?

 

Degreeing requires intake and rockers OFF?

 

You need to locate and mark top dead center of the piston travel as close to exact as possible. It's not hard to be off a few degrees. That is why you use your dial indicator on the piston travel and set your pointer on the degree wheel to zero. Next you will set up the indicator to read the valve /lifter rise (usually .050) to check the cam intake lobe opening and compare this reading to the numbers suggested on your cam card. If you are damn lucky it will be spot on, but, if not you will need to make adjustments. Don't rush this step or make assumptions.

 

Can I do this through the spark plug hole? I didn't want to take the heads off?

I have to take the intake off to replace the cam anyhow don't I? So I need an indicator, degree wheel and 9 way sprocket for the crank? Will the crank sprocket come off with the oil pan on? Thanks Guys

 

Swapping the cam requires the intake and rockers off........

 

My concern now after reading Jims post is that the crank gear won't come off with the oil pan on.

 

It will come off with the pan on. That's no problem at all

 

Thanks Joe, How does degree wheel mount to the crank and do you turn the crank with the harmonic bolt with the harmonic on?

 

Read this thread. It's not very hard to do.

http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/camshaft-degreeing-101.220945/

 

I read the thread. Awesome. But it didn't show a couple things as per above. New timing chain set for TA I guess?

 

Leave the balancer off and the wheel mounts with the balancer bolt. You'll need to rig up a pointer.

 

A rod on an indicator down the sparkplug hole for TDC is guess.