[HWYSTR455]

Personally, I follow the docs that come with the gearset, and if you didn't get one, use the Service Manual.

So it would be cam gear = DOT DOWN
Crank gear = DOT UP

That way you can actually see the tooth pointing to the recess of the other gear.

I know other ways may work, but have been doing that for over 40 years without a problem.

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[66sprint6]

OK, I'm going to try to fix this up today. I'll update later. I'm thinking that I had the timing off one way or another. Nothing else makes sense.

[grandville455]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Personally, I follow the docs that come with the gearset, and if you didn't get one, use the Service Manual.

So it would be cam gear = DOT DOWN
Crank gear = DOT UP

That way you can actually see the tooth pointing to the recess of the other gear.

I know other ways may work, but have been doing that for over 40 years without a problem.

.

That's #6 firing tho in that pic, dot needs to be at midnight on cam and 6 on crank and then drop in pointing at #1, if just aligning them, then that's how i do it also

[track73]

FYI I had that cam in a low compression 400 and loved it.

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by grandville455

That's #6 firing tho in that pic, dot needs to be at midnight on cam and 6 on crank and then drop in pointing at #1, if just aligning them, then that's how i do it also

Like I mentioned, I know other ways may work, but I follow the directions with the gear sets, and the service manual, and have never had a problem doing that.

It's kind of hard to argue with the directions and the service manual, and not going to 'tell' anyone to do it other than what they choose to do. If others have done it a different way, and had success, then it is your choice to do it another way than I do.

When you go dot to dot, it's much easier to align, because you can actually see the teeth aligned. If they are not together, you stand a much great chance of being off a tooth.



.

[66sprint6]

When I was having trouble, I was considering doing the cam-12:00, crank-12:00 thing, just to start off at #1. Then I thought: if I can't start the thing off at #6, then I shouldn't be doing the work. I looked at it again and realized that I stabbed the distributor one "tooth" over, giving it no adjustability. But it's all good now, this motor is running as good as it's going to.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Like I mentioned, I know other ways may work, but I follow the directions with the gear sets, and the service manual, and have never had a problem doing that.

It's kind of hard to argue with the directions and the service manual, and not going to 'tell' anyone to do it other than what they choose to do. If others have done it a different way, and had success, then it is your choice to do it another way than I do.

When you go dot to dot, it's much easier to align, because you can actually see the teeth aligned. If they are not together, you stand a much great chance of being off a tooth.



.

The service manuals are wrong and should be changed. They leave room for error when they do not have to. People who do not know better put their engine together dot to dot then they install the distributor up on # 1 thinking they are doing it right.
So they try and break in their sft cam and the engine does not fire right up and we all know a quick fire up is essential to braking in a sft cam.
So the engine pops and sputters and by the time they figure it out and flip the distributor 180 all the lube is smeared off the cam and the cam goes flat.
Seen it happen.
Dot to dot put the distributor up on # 6. Or tun the engine one full crank turn lake Darby says and put the distributor in the correct spot on #1.
The manuals have screwed up a lot of engines if the person doing the initial fire up was a novice.

[Kenth]

Pontiac changed the manuals 1969 and on regarding the dots on cam drive gears, due to laymen didn´t understand that #6 is in firing order with dots shown as in 1968 and earlier manuals.
When you´ve learnt that crank turns two revs while cam turns one you can install the gears dot to dot if you like and then turn the crank one rev before install distributor correctly.

FWIW