Sorry for the lack of updates this weekend. I kinda had a drunk fest all weekend. Long story short, I'm a part of another forum for a K5 GMC Jimmy I'm building and a member on there that I always talk with was moving from Michigan to Denver CO and since we've never met in person he swung by and we just sat around knocking a few back. I did manage to get some stuff done Friday and Saturday before he came over.
So I did manage to get cam dialed in. When I got the camshaft it didn't come with a cam card to give me the specs I needed to dial it in. Spent some time searching for specs and I did find them. This might be boring for some of you but here's how I set cam. It's a process to degree it in correctly but with the right tools and know how it's not hard.
First, set timing gears dot to dot. Crank gear dot straight up at 12 o'clock and turn cam so dowel pin is at 3 o'clock and when you install chain and cam gear both cam and crank dots should be facing each other. Sorry, no pic because no room on phone. I did end up getting the go pro out for the other pics.
Install degree wheel and pointer and make sure pointer is at 0* @TDC.
To make sure you are really at TDC, turn engine counter clockwise to about 40* and install a piston stop. Now slowly turn engine back until piston hits the stop and record the reading on wheel. Mine was at 12*. Rotate engine counter clockwise again all the way around until piston contacts stop again. Record reading. Now add the first reading to the second reading and divide by 2. Example 12* + 16* = 28 / 2 = 14. Slightly bend pointer to 14* on wheel and rotate engine back around and make sure piston stops at 14. Now when you remove piston stop and rotate engine to TDC on the wheel you are truly at TDC. I was perfect at 12* on both sides so I didn't have to adjust pointer but I have on other engines so you need to make sure your TDC is truly at TDC. You can do this with heads on or off so I won't go into great detail here. Any questions just ask or you can easily look it up.
So now I turn engine and watch dial indicator until it stops moving and starts going the opposite direction. Turn it back until you are at the top of the lobes lift and zero the indicator. Rotate it until you are at .050" and read the degree wheel. This is where the cam card comes into play because it gives you the readings where you should be at .050" lift.
My reading was 1* BTDC which is what my specs are on the cam. Then check .050" before valve closes and record that reading.
I was at just before 39* and that is right at spec also. So I didn't have to change anything. My cam was right at spec. Never had that happen before. Usually I'm drilling the cam gear and installing degree bushings where the dowel pin goes thru gear. My crank gear has 3 different slots for adjusting 3* in either direction but I don't have to utilize it. The bushings in cam gear allow smaller adjustments for fine tuning.
Then I checked piston to valve clearance and I was at .236" and can be as close as .100" on exhaust and .080 on intake so I do have room to go to 1.6 rockers for jump from .492" lift to .525" lift. I may go back and do that later.