Lets say if i'm going to lower my compression (10:1) using headgasket, what exactly happens if i don't ajust timing with cam gears? And if its possible to safely lower compression without using cam gears, how low can it go?

 

?? who told u this? compression and cam gears are going to have very little to do with each other.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LSTEG96 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">?? who told u this? compression and cam gears are going to have very little to do with each other. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The thicker headgasket moves the head and therefore the cams further away from the block and crank, which throws the timing off.

 

It shouldn't break anything, but your cam timing will be off. Just get a set of cam gears and zero the cams up with the alignment dowels.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rmcdaniels &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It shouldn't break anything, but your cam timing will be off. Just get a set of cam gears and zero the cams up with the alignment dowels.</TD></TR></TABLE>

how?? how could raising the head a few thou change this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rmcdaniels &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It shouldn't break anything, but your cam timing will be off. Just get a set of cam gears and zero the cams up with the alignment dowels.</TD></TR></TABLE>

so if it doesn't break anything, what effect would cam timing being off would do, and how much can it be off from lowering 10:1 to 9:1

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtec.dc2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

so if it doesn't break anything, what effect would cam timing being off would do, and how much can it be off from lowering 10:1 to 9:1</TD></TR></TABLE>

it shouldnt change cam timing...???

 

It'll just make a bit less power, or maybe a bit more, there's no way to tell without dyno tuning it. Without knowing how thick the head gasket is it's impossible to say how far off it would be, and even then I don't feel like doing the math.

You also lose quench/squish if you open up the gap between the piston and the head by lowering the compression with a thick head gasket, but the benefits should outweigh the disadvantages up to a point, mostly if you use the lower compression to run more boost than you could safely run with the higher compression.

Of course if you're really concerned about it, then I'd suggest spending about $100 on a cam degreeing kit and figuring out exactly where your cam lobe centers are. That's what I did, but I have a tall-deck block and had to set my cam gears to three degrees of retard just to get the cams back to zero (or 102/110 in my case).



Modified by rmcdaniels at 12:22 AM 3/8/2006

 

it will affect timing and when I ran the inlinePRO 3mm HG they told me to use adjustable cam gears to zero the cams. IMO just get cam gears and be on the safe side

 

yup milling the head and putting thicker head gaskets move the head up and down. the difference in height can change the position of the cam, belt tension, cam gear positioning. Cam gears are used to put it back to normal position and then you can go from there to tune your car.

Thats why its not a good idea to use someone elses cam gear settings to apply to another car. Each car is setup differently and requires its own adjustments.

 

what he said....thicker headgasket will advance the timing....milled head or thinner gasket will retard it....and if it effects the cam timing it will effect the ignition advance also....you just have to adjust everything...