[evintho]

I've asked many different people and got many different answers. Is my Racer Walsh adjustable cam gear currently 4* retarded or 4* advanced? (The black line on the aluminum part is TDC).

Also, does advancing the cam gear shift power to the bottom end or top end?

[Image: zkNqFycl.jpg]

[TurboRay]

The colors of yer sprocket are confusing me (even more), John.....you must've painted the center of that aluminum "hub" black, where it surrounds the bolt. Anyway, if the silver portion (hub) is keyed to the cam and the toothed "sprocket-ring" rotates independently of the hub when the bolts are loosened (as it would in the pic below).....your cam is retarded.

That's because the crank, belt and outer-sprocket "ring" are rotated farther, in the direction of engine rotation, than the cam.....which is tantamount to rotating the cam backwards. Advancing the cam moves the torque curve lower in the rpm range, improving low-end "grunt" ~ while retarding it moves the torque curve higher. :cheers:

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[evintho]

Thanks Ray, hoping you would chime in! Looks like I did it backwards. I retarded it instead of advancing it. That would explain a lot!!
The black you see in the center of the gear is just the cam bolt and the big thick washer painted black.

I was confused about advance/retard when I Googled 'E-bar timing method' and pulled up this from Speedway Motors.
Note the first 2 bullet points under 'tips'.....

https://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/2....ctions.pdf

[TurboRay]

Originally posted by evintho:


Note the first 2 bullet points ( <font color=blue>HERE</font> ) under 'tips'.....

LOL.....whoever wrote that had his/her head inserted rectally, John! It's backwards. :thumbdown: <font color=green>

[stott]

The cam gear rotates clockwise. The center section of the cam gear is what is keyed to the camshaft. The outside of the gear stays fixed, while moving the inside affects what position the cam is in. Since the inside is moved counter clockwise from the belt, the engine will see the cam timing event later than normal.

It's retarded 4 degrees.

[XR'd]

Im seeing 2d retarded.

[NigelM]

Note that all cam gears are marked in CAM Degrees while all measurements and settings are referenced in CRANK Degrees.

So if you set it to +2 CAM degrees, it's advanced four (4) crank degrees.

[TurboRay]

BTW, John ~ You probably already know or have at least figured it out, BUT.....the easiest way to advance or retard the cam timing with an adjustable sprocket is by NOT moving the cam itself. Instead, loosen the 5 clamping bolts on the sprocket and rotate the crank CW or CCW, using a 1/2-in breaker bar and socket on the crank-pulley bolt. :dunno: <font color=brown>

[4-barrel Mike]

Breaker bar and socket seems like a lot of work. I use a small (~3/16") brass punch and a small hammer: tink, tink, tink; the cam has moved to where I want it.

Mike

[TurboRay]

Whatever blows yer skirt up, Mike!

For ME.....it's just as easy to grab a breaker bar and socket than it is to grab a hammer and brass punch. Doesn't "tink, tink, tink" leave marks on yer aluminum sprocket hub? Perhaps a 1/2" hardwood dowel would be less invasive? :dunno: <font color=purple>