With a taller gear such as a 2.56 (which is usually the 2 barrel standard equipment), the TA 212 may be a bit disappointing unless you go with a 3.08 or numerically higher, and make sure to install it advanced, around 4* is recommended by many. Using smaller camshafts such as the Crower level 2 or 3, will significantly increase your dynamic compression over the factory assembled engine, if you do nothing else to the engine's lower end. This is probably 70-80% of the actual performance increase people see over their stock camshafts, and not the cam specs themselves... If you do nothing else to the engine and put in a cam with an earlier intake valve closing point, such as the aforementioned aftermarket cams, you WILL see a performance gain, again, mostly because of the earlier IVC point as mentioned earlier. Regardless, special care must be observed when breaking these cams in to ensure they are not damaged in the break-in process, as well as the installation itself to make sure it's where you need it (advanced properly, etc.). Better oil will be required with higher ZDDP content to ensure the cam lasts longer than a few hundred miles too, as well as tighter springs, all ensuring the more intense lobe profiles stay stable at all operating RPMs (particularly above 4,000 RPM). I'll tell you what others typically will not: do not expect these cams to last as long as OEM parts, not even close. Enjoy your easy extra performance while it lasts, and be prepared to adjust/twiddle/tweak it as the cam wears out and needs re-tuning, since in the end it will be smaller than the OEM cam. Not to be a constant 'negative nancy'....so I'll end with this: if it's a car you only drive occasionally, the aftermarket cam should* give you many years of enjoyment. *mileage may vary Gary
It may vary depending on application/transmission/torque converter used and where the crack(s) end up being? Gary
How should the spark timing should be adjusted to compensate? 6 or so degrees farther advanced than a guy normally would, since there is 8 degrees slack?
Setting it around 12 initial is OK but read Larry's post on timing . setting it at full advance at 3000 depending on timing curve in distibuter and letting that determine initial. I'm sure someone can post link.
There is little you can do to compensate for retarded "valve" timing, spark timing won't cure valve timing. Advance ignition timing until you pick up ping then back it down 2*.
Thanks I have it power timed per Larrys thread. It runs good, I just wasnt sure if ti could run better you know? I have always had trouble determining "ping", if I was hearing it, etc. In any car.
