Check the mounting flange of the cam sprocket, i also was not aware what camshaft my car had and i found the part number engraved in the sprocket flange face.
Takes away the guessing and you know what the valve events should be and you can compare that to where it is currently installed.

Mine was advanced 1 tooth on the chain sprocket, on top of the 4 deg already ground in so i was at some crazy advance number.
Cranking pressures of 200 PSI and had insane aggressive power.
No valve to piston clearance issues strange enough with a 238/244 @ .050" and .572/.576" lift.

 

Back end of the cam usually has all you need. Just pop that plug out.

 

FWIW I've seen a 440 run (poorly) with the timing off three full teeth.... The mark on the crank gear didn't get stamped & the guy assembled the engine with the crank key pointing straight up (like a Chevy)... It ran, got driven hundreds of miles & eventually got fixed....

 

Let us know what you find.

 

Yeesh. I’d still check it with an indicator before you button back up. This is obviously horrendous but even 4 degrees will change the behavior.

 

Timed with the keyway at 12 o'clock like a Chevy...

 

Looks like someone used the 0 at the keyway. Ron

 

Not as obvious, but i had same shit on my 440...

 

Looks pretty obvious to me?

 

It can be seen, though not as clear as the OP his chain being out 4 teeth.

 

Timing chain issues are always lurking around waiting to be discovered. I have a habit of just putting on a new chain set and then I know what was done and when and how it was done.

The “timing chain “ should be checked out especially when performance issues involving the timing come up. This is an important part of the whole process working properly as the name implies. Just my opinion that’s all.

 

That is some severe wear on those sprockets.

 

Yeah, comparing mine with those new ones the teeth do look skinny.
I had checked the chain slack at the time which was not really much at all.
Seems like a job to consider doing in the short term, maybe together with a new camshaft....

 

This is why I love this site. I bought my roadrunner running and looking like the engine had recently been gone through, it obviously has a large cam with a lumpy idle , it runs decent but nowhere near the power I think it should have so I ran a compression test and around 100 , I played with the timing to get it to run the best it can but still pitiful ,so I figured I'd rebuild later after I get all the bugs worked out of the rest of the car , this explains a lot the low power , low compression, looks like the timing cover is coming off shortly THANKS EVERYONE

 

Gentlemen,
Being on the subject, what is a good replacement kit for 1-bolt timing gears and chain?
Mopar performance, Edelbrock or Comp cams?
Hoping to buy a good kit on Summit as i will be ordering some stuff there anyway.

 

Oh man, that is slack!
Mine looks worn, yet there was not much chain slack to be found.
But those skinny teeth do make me want to replace it.

Just doubting to go with something from Summit, or go with a kit from Hughes engines.....

 

If your replacing the cam too , why would you go with anything but a 3 bolt cam if you can get one, the center bolt cams have either a woodruff key or a hardened dowel pin, I've sheared both and have the gear turn , maybe I'm a little harder on mine then most but why take that chance