The solution to your problem is to change the cam. If you don't want to do that, then install Rhoads lifters - they will make a BIG difference. Good luck with any other band-aid approach.
And yes, you should degree the cam and get the ICL as close as possible to where the manufacturer recommends it. Advancing it may just lose you power, not necessarily shift the power band the way you want. Mikes answer to this statement: I decided that after speaking to some people at least two said the gain in power for a street driven car like this is not worth the noise created by the Rhoads lifters. We all want more but I would rather listen to the rumble the motor makes now . I was told I will loose some of the throaty sound as well using Rhoads lifters. I am painting the motor and rebuilding the wire harness and giving the motor compartment a make over. I must get the Torque converter into this vehicle as that I demolished it going over a bump in a drive way that could not have been avoided. I have spent the last 4 months learning about Transmission in stead of running out to buy one and luckily I learned that it was the Torque converter. Most might have listened to others but not me . I won't throw out 2-3 grand out the window. I used to be a parts changer , not any more. As usually you and others are correct and degreeing the cam is the way to go. I went from 8 degrees and backed it off to 6 degrees at the crank. I should be at the 109 some one told me who tested these numbers on the track . The forum member has the" 041 " cam in a 428 ci motor as well. Once I see this Transmission and new Torque converter operating then I can make the decision to go back to the former cam . First thing first is to make sure I have no other problems. I usually make one move at a time so I no what fixes something. Now the trans. is apart the timing chain and gear just went back in. I put a new B+M shift kit in the valve body. Cleaned the valve body and this is all new to me . Adjusted the bands with shims in the TH 400. Cleaned out the small screen to the Governor plus pulled it and inspected it and it was fine. Replaced the Vacuum Modulator. Replaced the trans filter, added 3 bottles of trans fix it and ran 4 gallons of fluid through the Trans. and old TC. Ran 300 miles testing and tuning until the vehicle stopped completely. Then I pulled the TC , had no choice. Learned A TON OF KNOWLEDGE ALONG THE WAY . THE MOTOR AND THIS ENTIRE PROJECT HAS BEEN 3 STEPS FORWARD AND 2 STEPS BACK. ALL THE WORK IS DONE BY MY ROOMMATE AND SINCE I AM DISABLED I DO ALL THE RESEARCH. Most likely I will revert to a cam similar to the original but for now I want to see this vehicle roll on its own. Just prier to the damage to the TC the trans . started to hunt from first to second then to third. over the next month it happened a little more frequently. The cleaning should have solved that issue. When I bought this car it had never been run . The trans. needed a filter change 3 times and took two years before it cleaned itself out and ran great for 5 years now. Had I not ran over the root under a paved drive way this Trans. would work good. I have a curve kit to install yet and I am using a MSD with a 5k limiter we installed as not to over rev. the engine. I have never degreed this cam but when I change to another cam I will purchase the equipment. The only thing I can ask is this . Am I safe to start this motor with the small advance I made or am I just not possibly going to obtain lightning warp speed?
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