[J boy]

hay guys just got my heads and putting 283 back together, but i have a ? on the ckrank sprocket its one of those cloyes 3 key way deals an im not sure which way to go. i have the 1103 summit cam should i advance or retard
n e advice would help thks

[ericnova72]

If you are not going to degree the cam with a degree wheel to check the cam to crank timing, use the 0° key. You can't just pick an advance or retard key without a degree wheel to see which way tolerance stack-up has affected all the pieces.

The cam pin, cam gear pin hole, crank gear keyway, and keyway cut into the crank all have a plus or minus tolerance attached to the machining operation, without a degree wheel to see which way all these tolerances have affected the cam position the only safe position is the 0° position.

[kleen56]

I agree with Eric, I did the same thing with my geardrive not knowing what I was doing, I aligned the marks for advance timing. When I started the engine at initial startup, I heard a clicking noise which was pretty loud. I noticed my rocker arms kept getting loose and out of adjustment, I readjusted the valves and discovered the rockerstuds in my head where pulling out (didn't have screw in studs). I set the gear back to 0 and of course after I pulled the heads to have the heads worked on, (this time screw in studs). Started right up and ran great after that. I was lucky a valve didn't hit the piston head. I'm running a mild Millings cam with a .480 lift.

[Frisco]

Most aftermarket cams already have a built in 4 degree advance.

Using the 4 degree advance keyway on the crank sprocket will lower the RPM of the powerband about 200 RPM. Conversely, using the 4 degree retard keyway will raise the RPM of the powerband about 200 RPM.

Be sure to use the correct timing marks when either advancing or retarding the crank sprocket. Failure to do so will result in bent pushrods at a minimum.

Even if you use the '0' crank timing marks, you should still check the valvetrain for proper clearances to avoid any interference and damage.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by J boy

hay guys just got my heads and putting 283 back together, but i have a ? on the ckrank sprocket its one of those cloyes 3 key way deals an im not sure which way to go. i have the 1103 summit cam should i advance or retard
n e advice would help thks

What are the intake and exhaust lobe centerlines, and what is the LSA?