I have a '97 F250 with a 460. I'm having a hell of a time getting the cam timing right.
I keep reading that like 72-87 carb motors were retarded from the factory. And that 87-97 EFI were 'straight up' timing with zero adv/ret.
This is what I have. My stock '97 D9TE block and crank, and I am trying to install the Summit Racing SUM-3500 cam and SUM-G6630 timing set.
From what it looks like using this timing set:
'straight up' looks to be retarded
'advanced' looks to be almost straight up
'retarded' looks like it's 1.5 teeth off way the hell out in left field somewhere.
Links to products:
Summit Racing SUM-G6630 - Summit Racing® True Roller Timing Sets - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Summit Racing SUM-3500 - Summit Racing® Camshafts - Overview - SummitRacing.com

I think I've wore Google a new butthole tonight with searching. I really hate to ask such a silly question, but I could really use some help here. I don't have a degree wheel either. I just got my daughter for the summer, and I'm having to get this truck back up and going quick; it just sucks that I messed up and possibly slowed this whole process down by trying to get a little more economy with this cam setup.

Thanks,
Eric

 

So amongst the vast amount of information on the interwebs, I came across some information.
It was that you set this gear at the 'Advanced' mark to get 1/2 degree of advance. 'Straight up' and 'Retarded' are way off in one way or another.
If this is true, then setting it to the 'advanced' part will either put my cam timing close to 'straight up' like I want it, or actually advance my cam some. Either way is fine with me since it will bring my torque powerband down into the lower RPM's where I want it.

I debated driving the 6 hours to the Summit Racing store to pick up a degree wheel. But I didn't have 90 bucks to pay for fuel to get a 20 dollar part...

So I have until later this week to try and figure this out before I can even think about getting my hands on a degree wheel. Any help is appreciated.

 

I have no clue my man... Free bump for readers.

 

If you think its that far off just go grab a stock replacment and see where that puts you, You could have got a faulty timing set. From what i searched 1972-1997 are all the same.

 

Man, yeah, sounds like you need to use a degree wheel, for safe insurace. In fact without degreeing it how do ou know? But I have a question, is that cam safe for EFI speed density use? Pretty tame cam, but I didnt know if the EFI cam grinds were the same as the carb'd ones. I know the timing chains are the same.

 

As far as the cam goes, supposedly a lot of people have used the Summit 3500 and 3501 with great results on EFI motors. I don't have much more supporting mods, so I went with the smaller one.
Here's a link to Comps computer cam, and the 3500 I got. They are pretty damn close.
COMP Cams 34-255-5 - COMP Cams Computer-Controlled Camshafts - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Summit Racing SUM-3500 - Summit Racing® Camshafts - Overview - SummitRacing.com

Also, a lot of the motors came from the factory with anywhere between 2 and 8 degrees of cam retard for emissions and smog and crap.
The EFI motors used a 'straight up', or '0' degree chain set. I guess the emissions and smog were taken care of using the EGR and AIR pump stuff.

After doing some degreeing today with some printed out wheels I found online, the G6630 chain and gear set is for the 70's motors with the factory retard. Using the 'Advance' part of the gear, it only puts the cam at about 1/2 degree retarded; which is OK in my book this far into the build. 'Normal' and 'Retarded' are just way the hell out in left field, and you can just eyeball it and tell it's WAY off.

I'm just glad I figured it out. Hopefully there is enough info in here so that the next guy that searches can find his answers.
But all in all, I would have saved the trouble had I just ordered a chain set for my stock motor HAHA! Both of my EFI 460's I tore down came with double rollers stock.

 

'72-87 timing sets were 8* retarded at the crank.
'88 & up went back to straight up and they did away with the plastic coated gears & hy-vo timing chain.

 

Yep, that's what I pretty much summed up in my last post. I finally figured it out on my own. I guess it's the best way to learn so you don't forget.

Motor is on it's way of being assembled. I will get a mod sheet together, and get it on the dyno to see what it does. Also to see how the computer gets along with the cam.
Unless nobody is really interested, then it's less of an issue for me. It doesn't look like there is much traffic on here.

 

No.... I think its great to get data on here for other users....!!!!! I've seen this question a few times regarding the timing sets and also I'm pretty sure even that exact cam...

There is alot of traffic here, the problem is people won't respond if they don't know the answer which isn't exactly a bad thing... I for one will definetly like to see how your build turns out and what you can pull on the dyno.... Infact all of us running SD 460s love that stuff...lol

The big block (385) section seems to be slow at times but has some good info archived on the EFI 460s... but there's no such thing as too much...

Glad you got it squared away...

Al

 

I'll have to poke around some more and see if I can find the 460 section.
My truck has a E40D I think, with 4.10 gears. I'm running 315/75's right now. I'm curious to see what she'll put down on the dyno. I just want to basically get the most out of a stock motor that I can, without sacrificing what little mileage these things get out of the box.
I'm pretty thorough when I do these projects. I'll document as much as I can and post it up. I try to include as much information as possible so that others may search and hopefully find it useful.

 

Big Block V8 - 385 Series (6.1/370, 7.0/429, 7.5/460) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums