9. Degree Wheel Check
It doesn’t make sense to stress over one-degree of intake centerline changes if your degree wheel isn’t accurate. Small-diameter degree wheels can be a bit off, so here’s a quick way to check accuracy. Trace a circle around your degree wheel with a Sharpie on a large cardboard box. Mark the four 90-degree positions on the circle: 0 – 90 – 180 – 270. Now turn the wheel away from the 90-degree mark. We used 15 degrees BTDC at the top.
Now, look at the remaining positions and see if the degree wheel accurately indicates an equal 15 degrees off. At the bottom, it appears here that this wheel may be off just a half-degree, which isn’t really anything to worry about. The potential error is much less with a larger diameter wheel, and that is why most pro engine builders use large-diameter degree wheels.
10. Pull Through
It’s often necessary to remove the pressed-on crank timing gear to advance or retard the cam. This can be troublesome if you don’t have the right tool. A long time ago, we cut a 1/4-inch-thick plate in the shape of a wide “U” to slip behind the crank gear. We drilled and tapped three, 3/8-inch, fine-thread holes in the plate to allow the use of a harmonic balancer puller.
Later, we discovered this nice
Posi Lock three-jaw puller (P/N: 104) works very quickly and easily. This unit uses a locking mechanism to positively position the three jaws. It has a 4-inch reach and a 5-inch spread with a 3-ton capacity. You can find these pullers on Amazon for just under $120. We’ve used this tool on small-block and big-block Chevy engines, and it will also remove GM factory LS harmonic balancers.
More Sources
COMP Performance Group
https://www.compcams.com/
(901) 795-2400
FST Performance Carburetors
https://fstcarb.com/
(24
779-8008
Summit Racing Equipment
https://www.summitracing.com/
(800) 230-3030
Total Seal Piston Rings
https://totalseal.com
(800) 874-2753