Problems with SHOshop cams. Mismatched cams How do I time these?.

[zach44102]

I had to take the chain gears on each cam and swap them over to the new cams but then after looking I noticed the gear can go on two ways and not sure which way it is supposed to go on. I see that the tiny dot on the gear right now I have it set in the same direction as the raised square on the cam. Is this correct?

I searched for a bit and found this, still not sure if I have the chain sproket on the cam in the right position. How can I tell if the sproket is positioned right?

http://www.speedfreaksgarage.com/jeff/cams sho timing.pdf

 

[jayro]

Not sure I follow your question. If I remember correctly the cam sprocets only go on one way due to the locating dowel. The dots on the sprockets line up with the lighter link on the chain. The dots on each cam go 180 degrees from each other and level with the top of the head. Do you have a pick to help illistrate your question?

 

[zach44102]

Im sorry if the question is a little unclear.

The chain sproket that attaches to each cam, Has two bolt holes and the bolt holes are not offset so the sproket can go on two ways. How do I know which way it goes on? Cause you can put it on and turn it 360 degrees and have 2 places to bolt it. So if you put it on the wrong way the cam is 180 degrees the wrong way. get what im saying?

 

[jayro]

Im sorry if the question is a little unclear.

The chain sproket that attaches to each cam, Has two bolt holes and the bolt holes are not offset so the sproket can go on two ways. How do I know which way it goes on? Cause you can put it on and turn it 360 degrees and have 2 places to bolt it. So if you put it on the wrong way the cam is 180 degrees the wrong way. get what im saying?

Yes, I think I got it. Look on the sprocket and the end of each cam. If I remember correctly from when I did mine, there is hole in the sprocket and on the end of the cam for a locating dowel. They just slip in, but may be stuck in the end of your old cams still.

It was a while ago I did mine. I am 100% sure there is a dowel on the timing belt end and 95% sure there is one at the other end. All I remember is thinking that I didnt need to mark anything really cause they only went in one way.

 

[pitaSHO]

If you're talking about the end of the cam where the timing gear connects, there is a dowel. If you are talking about the cam tensioner end, there is no dowel. On that end there is a dot on the face of the cam gear and what looks like a hole drilled in the end of the cam, or a deep dimple. The dot on the tensioner end lines up with that big offset hole.

Chris K.

 

[zach44102]

Do you have a picture to show me what your talking about? I see no offset hole. This is on the rear head on the tensioner side. The two bolts that hold on the chain gear to the cam.

 

[hawkeye18]

These are what the stock ATX cams looked like on the rear head of my engine.



Both cams.





Intake cam, rear head.

Hope this helps.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

You line up the "dot" with the hole in the cam.

Also do it 1 at a time so you can use the others for reference.

Don't forget to take apart the entire side for resetting the timing belt.

 

[jayro]

If you're talking about the end of the cam where the timing gear connects, there is a dowel. If you are talking about the cam tensioner end, there is no dowel. On that end there is a dot on the face of the cam gear and what looks like a hole drilled in the end of the cam, or a deep dimple. The dot on the tensioner end lines up with that big offset hole.

Chris K.

Okay, I knew there was something on that end that got lined up. Couldn't remember exactly what it was. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[NovaSS]

The MTX and ATX cams line up differently so it depends on which core the sho shop cam were ground from ( im sure they used MTX cams )

Hawkeye post shows the ATX cams, " Note the offset of cam holes in relation to bolts on intake cams"

(also the intake cams lines up different in each head)







This is the MTX cams, note how simple they are with the bolts and " cam holes" staright across from each other on both heads

 

[SHOtimer]

Zach,

I think your question is how to make sure you have the gear orientation correct when you put it on the camshaft?

Each cam has a dowel type thing that sticks out...near the end of the cam where the chain goes. (it is between the last two cam covers) It is like a square piece that just sticks out.

When the cams are timed those two square dowels are pointing away from each other - perfectly. They are another reference point.

Sorry, don't have a pic.

Doug

 

[Off Road SHO]

Zach,

I think your question is how to make sure you have the gear orientation correct when you put it on the camshaft?

Each cam has a dowel type thing that sticks out...near the end of the cam where the chain goes. (it is between the last two cam covers) It is like a square piece that just sticks out.

When the cams are timed those two square dowels are pointing away from each other - perfectly. They are another reference point.

Sorry, don't have a pic.

Doug

That is the easiest way. Ford had a special tool that was just a piece of flat steel that had square notches in it that fit snugly over those square bumps in the cam.

Tom

 

[zach44102]

Zach,

I think your question is how to make sure you have the gear orientation correct when you put it on the camshaft?

Each cam has a dowel type thing that sticks out...near the end of the cam where the chain goes. (it is between the last two cam covers) It is like a square piece that just sticks out.

When the cams are timed those two square dowels are pointing away from each other - perfectly. They are another reference point.

Sorry, don't have a pic.

Doug

This is the raised square im talking about. So does the demple on the gear supposed to line up with that sqaure when installing the chain gear on the cam?

Im going outside today to work on it more if I have any questions ill post with pics.

 

[SHOtimer]

This is the raised square im talking about. So does the demple on the gear supposed to line up with that sqaure when installing the chain gear on the cam?

No, they don't line up.

As you can see in the pics in this thread the dimple's on the gear don't always line up perfectly.

Just get them as close as possible. But, the raised squares need to be perfectly opposite each other.

Doug

 

[NovaSS]

Okay here is a 3.0 MTX cam set up.... ALIGNED. ( both heads look the same ) Note that one head has the tensioner pointed up while the other head has it pointed down.

When the engine is not running there will be slack in the chains because engine oil feeds the tensioners pulling the chains tight ( this may cause you to think the cam alignment is a little off ) If you want to double check you can take a screw driver and pre load the chain as if the there is oil pressure in the tensioner



This is the factory tool, while not needed it shows you what to look for, it slides over the cam and lines up with flat spots ground onto the cams..







Now since I went out into the cold, found a old 3.0 head / cam set up, went to the garage got the tool, took the pics, loaded them onto the net then posted them you owe me a beer !


P.S. some one needs to make this thread a sticky

 

[rbruso]

Just a quick note if you're using a screwdriver to mimic preload: Be careful to not put any sideways load on the tensioner pad. It's held to the metal by two blobs of the material that are mushroomed over after passing through a hole. Too much side load can snap this mushroomed piece. I have one sitting at home that snapped one of the 'shrooms and has two different tracks of chain wear.

 

[zach44102]

These are how the cams sit right now. Im not to sure SHOshop made the stage 2's out of 3.0 cams cause the intake cam will not line up with the hole in the cam. The exhaust cam does line up with the hole in the cam. I pulled the other valve cover and noticed the car did have 3.0 cams and all the dots and holes lined up perfectly. Also on the stage 2's intake cam it is not a KOA cam. I think it said m12 or something.



Something help please. lol

 

[zach44102]

Another litttle update I took the front head apart and the chain gears went on and aligned with the hole (dimple) in the cam perfectly. But whats with the rear intake cam? Is it a 3.2 cam?

 

[jayro]

Another litttle update I took the front head apart and the chain gears went on and aligned with the hole (dimple) in the cam perfectly. But whats with the rear intake cam? Is it a 3.2 cam?

Your pic looks like the one in Hawkeye's post of the ATX (3.2) cams. I remember people talking about the specs on ShoShop stage 2's and how the actual advertised specs were questionable because they sometimes used ATX cams as cores. They still performed pretty well from what I heard.

I think it would be weird that one head had MTX cams and one had ATX cams, but stranger things have happened.

 

[zach44102]

Your pic looks like the one in Hawkeye's post of the ATX (3.2) cams. I remember people talking about the specs on ShoShop stage 2's and how the actual advertised specs were questionable because they sometimes used ATX cams as cores. They still performed pretty well from what I heard.

I think it would be weird that one head had MTX cams and one had ATX cams, but stranger things have happened.

So how do I know the gear is on correctly on a atx cam since the dimple on the gear does not go inline with the hole in the cam?