Lunati Voodoo cam installation questions

[TexasRoadRunner68]

Here’s my cam card. I have seen several videos of people just finding TDC and installing their cam using the markings on the timing set. Any huge downsides to this vs degreeing the cam? I know degreeing it is a good double check, but how necessary is it in this case?

I also notice it says it’s 4 advanced when installed at the given centerline on the cam card, what exactly does that mean?

And when installed, should it be installed with the lobes dry, oil coated or coated in assembly lube? It seems there are split opinions on whether assembly lube might gum up the lifter rollers.

 

[RemCharger]

Degreeing is necessary because of machining tolerances.
You could slap it in dot to dot, but how do you know if it's 8 degrees retarded? Or 8 degrees advanced?

 

[Outsider]

Looks like you've spent a fair amount of money on this project, so yes degree it. The more parts you change the more likely cam will be off location, i.e. cam, timing gear, new crank or regrind. And after degree I would also put some clay on a piston with a head on, some valve train for the one cyl and and rotate by hand, pull the head and check the valve to piston clearance.

They recommend 106deg Int CL installation, 4deg is typical and not a concern.

I usually just use a light coating of white grease on the lobes of new roller cams, not the Molly paste like on the flat tappets and then after 30 min run time dump the oil and filter hot.

 

[Doorkicker]

When I build an engine I always check the CAM. But for several reasons...

1 - It's not all that time consuming when done correctly with the right tools. BTW, it can be done without a wheel, but just get a wheel, Summit has one for $25 and TF sells one for $35.
2 - You get perfect knowledge about the position of the cam
2.1 - Yes, you confirm grind is correct, which for me is a byproduct
2.2 - You confirm gears and chain are correct and what kind of lash is in the system
2.3 - You now have the option of advancing or retarding the cam, depending on what gear set you're running
2.4 - You now have most of the numbers to check valve to piston clearance, which helps in later checking activities (I'm not a huge fan of the putty approach to valve to piston clearance checking. I do it, but that's not what I rely on.)

One more thing... I also measure the lobes... I measure the total lift and duration @.050. It's one tihng to make sure the centerline is, well, the centerline, but you want to check the duration and lift too while you're all setup to do so.

At the end of the day you have all the measurements, which when added together with all the measurements you've collected in the build it makes upgrading and troubleshooting a breeze. Not to mention, the cam is pretty much the most important thing to get right so that the rest of the engine is optimized.

P.S. There's a lot out there on youtube, but this vid is short, to the point, and accurate about checking centerline.

 

[451Mopar]

You don't have to degree the cam, but you should. It lets you know where the installed centerline is in relation to piston position.
If you have performance issues after the engine build, it is nice to know exactly where the cam installed position was.
Without degree the cam, it is unknown. If you don't have the degree equipment, then checking the split overlap (intake and exhaust open the same amount at TDC overlap) is a good backup check.
I have had a few engine combinations where straight up (dot-to-dot) degreed in within +/- 2 degrees, but may more where the cam timing needed to be corrected.
Worst one I had setup was an Olds 455 boat engine that was off by 15 degrees retarded. Timing set was 18-tooth crank gear, so being a tooth off is 20-degrees. We ended up actually setting the cam one tooth advanced, and then use the 4-degree retard position of the timing set to get the cam degreed in correctly.

 

[Doorkicker]

You don't have to degree the cam, but you should. It lets you know where the installed centerline is in relation to piston position.
If you have performance issues after the engine build, it is nice to know exactly where the cam installed position was.
Without degree the cam, it is unknown. If you don't have the degree equipment, then checking the split overlap (intake and exhaust open the same amount at TDC overlap) is a good backup check.
I have had a few engine combinations where straight up (dot-to-dot) degreed in within +/- 2 degrees, but may more where the cam timing needed to be corrected.
Worst one I had setup was an Olds 455 boat engine that was off by 15 degrees retarded. Timing set was 18-tooth crank gear, so being a tooth off is 20-degrees. We ended up actually setting the cam one tooth advanced, and then use the 4-degree retard position of the timing set to get the cam degreed in correctly.

wow... 15 degrees... that's a ton

 

[451Mopar]

wow... 15 degrees... that's a ton

I know. Not my engine, and we didn't check what was the part that was so far off.
I don't recall if it had a stroker crank or not, and the timing chain set (most likely the suspect) was not a common brand name if it even had one. The cam was a Howards cam?

On the big block Mopars, I have had good results with the 440 Source 9-way timing sets, their stroker cranks, and a few different roller cams, the timing came out good dot-to-dot on those, but those are also some expensive parts.

My neighbor built a 500" stroker Pontiac engine, and it was 2 or 3 degrees retarded when the cam timing was installed dot-to-dot. I'm sure the engine would have run fine like that, but he would have not known. Advancing the cam to the correct install position should have given him a bit more low end torque.
The engine was in a 1970 LeMans Convertible. Nice car, but he sold it about 2-years ago to buy a new Corvette.

 

[Geoff 2]

I wouldn't be using that cam. A lot of Voo....& not much Doo.......

 

[451Mopar]

I wouldn't be using that cam. A lot of Voo....& not much Doo.......

Why? Looks fine for a street driven car? Much like the Comp Hydraulic roller cams.
The valve springs are different than what Comp uses, the Lunati springs have alot more seat pressure, but slightly lower rate so open pressures are about the same.

Just interesting info on the springs:
Lunati 73121-16: [email protected]", 377 lb/in rate. Calculated 368 lbs @ 0.600" lift. (maybe $170.95 listed on Amazon maybe from Butler performance?, Jegs and Summit out of stock?)
Comp 925-16: [email protected]", 395 lb/in rate. [email protected]" ($151.60 amazon, seems to be in stock, but all the other springs are better.)
Comp 26120-16: [email protected]", 370 lb/in rate. [email protected]" (Beehive spring.) ($264.95 pretty much same price everywhere, in stock.)
Isky 8005A: [email protected]", 400 lb/in rate. [email protected]" ($236.99 Jegs in Stock? Summit says special order $209.99? Price of these went up from when I did my engine.)

Install, just use motor oil. I let the lifters soak in oil before installing them so the needle bearings have plenty of oil on startup.