Good Morning. Hoping for a little help determining if the timing chain I replaced on my 1976 360 with CA smog is a -4 degree sprocket or straight up. It's a low mileage rebuild that I am dropping in a '58 F100 project. I was told it was rebuilt to stock specs other than .10 over bore so I assumed the timing was -4. I bought an edelbrock with -4, 0 and +4 settings.

Before I removed the timing chain I aligned the sprockets at the dots. Zero on the new chain slid right on. This made me assume (I know, don't assume) that zero would be -4 degrees so I turned the crank the half tooth so I could mount it at +4 assuming that would mean straight up.

well the motor is completely together and ready to lower intoteh frame so I can build the crossmember. decided to clean up the tools first and when I came to the old timing chain, I google Ford FE and the number on the cam sprocket. First hit was an eBay hit for a 63-71 Ford V8 timing chain. That would be the chain without the -4 degree retard.

Here are 2 pictures of the sprockets. Can anyone confirm by the casting numbers or the location of the dots compared to gears points that this is or isn't -4 degrees. Also, if it is a straight up set (meaning I am now +4 degrees), what will that mean in overall engine operation and performance for a daily driver.

Engine is a .10 over bore, 4 bbl intake from a '63 Thunderbird (no carb yet), and long tube headers. Gonna use the stock T98a trans from the '76 with 300 gears in the rear end.

Thanks in advance.


Sprocket that came off rebuilt '76 360 with CA smog



Sprocket that came off rebuilt '76 360 with CA smog

 

You would have to know the cam specs and degree the cam to know for sure.

 

That's a clevite set and it is straight up.