Degreeing a camshaft is one of those jobs that sounds straightforward until you’re actually standing in front of the engine with a degree wheel in your hand. The steps are clear enough in theory, but getting the numbers to make sense is another story. For Project Mighty Mouse, our 327ci small-block Chevy build, cam degreeing turned into one of the more frustrating parts of the entire project.

We had our Mineral Spirits to clean the camshaft and our bottle of Lucas Oil assembly lube ready to go for this install.

We did our homework, watched the videos, and thought we were ready. The plan was simple: bolt up a degree wheel, set a pointer, mount a dial gauge, and start measuring. Instead, every attempt gave us results that looked wrong. The math didn’t add up, nothing lined up with the cam card, and the deeper we dug, the more confusing it got.

After hours of getting nowhere, we called in Greg Acosta from EngineLabs on a video chat. It didn’t take long before he saw what was happening. The timing set we were using was defective. The dots didn’t line up, the stamped part numbers didn’t match anything real, and the readings were all over the place. In other words, we weren’t the problem; the parts were.

Always source timing sets, chains, and lifters from well-known, good-quality companies. And yes, it is never a bad idea to grab the degree wheel and verify the cam is installed in the engine on the correct centerlines and the open and close timing reflects what the cam card says!  – Bobby Biancaniello, Cam Motion 

The solution was to replace the questionable kit with a Comp Cams Keyway Adjustable Billet Timing Set (P/N 7100). Once it arrived, we got back on a call with Greg. From the first crank rotation, it was obvious the difference a quality timing set made. Suddenly, the process made sense, and the numbers finally matched what we expected.

Chasing True Top Dead Center

With the new timing set installed, the first step was finding the true Top Dead Center. We bolted up a JEGS Degree Wheel Kit (P/N 81621) and built a more precise pointer setup using a Harbor Freight magnetic base and an Amazon pick tool, a trick Greg had shown in an EngineLabs tech tip. That small upgrade made a big difference in accuracy and confidence.

We mounted a dial gauge on the number one piston and rotated the crank. At .050 after TDC, the wheel read 12.5 degrees. Rotating back to .050 before TDC gave us 12.5 again. Add those together and divide by two, and you’re right back at 12.5, which means the dwell is perfectly even and the pointer is set correctly. Spinning the crank back to zero confirmed that we were locked on true TDC.

We used our ARP harmonic balancer bolt to rotate the engine over with the degree wheel installed.

This was the first win in the process. After fighting the defective parts earlier, having everything check out cleanly felt like real progress.

Checking Lobe Centerline

Make sure you’re on the right cam lobe, the intake lobe, or you’ll be getting the wrong set of numbers.

With TDC established, we moved on to checking the intake lobe centerline. Project Mighty Mouse’s camshaft is a custom grind from Cam Motion, designed to let the 327ci make power higher in the rev range. The specs are stout: 240/248 duration at .050, .640 lift with 1.6 rockers, a 109-degree lobe separation angle, and an intake centerline target of 105 degrees.

To measure it, we used the PROFORM Camshaft Checking Tool with Dial Indicator (P/N 66838). We rotated the engine until the intake lobe reached peak lift, then zeroed the gauge. From there, we rolled it forward to .050 after peak lift, noting 63 degrees on the wheel, then back to .050 before peak lift, where we saw 145. Added together, that’s 208. Divide by two and you get 104.

Two dial gauges might seem scary, but they make this process a lot easier to use.

The cam card called for 105, so we were one degree off. That’s not enough to worry about, and in fact, it gave us a little extra safety margin compared to being over-advanced. For a cam this aggressive, being slightly conservative helps keep piston-to-valve clearance in check.

It was here that Bobby Biancaniello from Cam Motion’s input really reinforced the importance of this process. He explained that while every Cam Motion cam is checked before it leaves their shop, there are plenty of offshore timing sets, chains, and lifters that throw things off. Even with CNC precision in modern grinding, it’s always worth degreeing a cam to make sure it’s installed on the correct centerline. Skipping that step risks leaving horsepower on the table, or worse, creating interference that could cause damage.

The Comp Cams Timing Set

There are a few different methods for installing the crankshaft sprocket. We chose the oversized socket and a few gentle love taps with a rubber mallet to get it on there.

One of the biggest lessons we learned through this process is that not all timing sets are created equal. A non-adjustable crank sprocket might be fine if you’re just lining up the dots and calling it good, but it doesn’t cut it when you’re actually degreeing a cam. With only one keyway slot, there’s no way to advance or retard the camshaft to match the numbers you’re seeing on the degree wheel. If your measurements are off, you’re stuck, and the only way out is with an adjustable set. That’s why the Comp Cams keyway design made all the difference for us; it gave us the flexibility to dial in the cam where it needed to be.

The set also builds in features that add durability and precision. The cam gear uses a Torrington roller thrust bearing, which helps control end play while reducing friction compared to a standard setup. That kind of stability pays off when you’re spinning higher RPM or running a more aggressive cam profile. The heat-treated double roller timing chain is another big benefit, offering strength and long-term reliability while keeping the cam and crank in sync under load.

Advancing The Cam

Since the cam card target was 105, we used the adjustability in the Comp Cams billet timing set to advance the camshaft by two degrees. On paper, that should have put us right on spec. But when we checked again, the result was the same 104 as before. Somehow, advancing two degrees gave us a four-degree move.

When degreeing a camshaft, you’ll be pulling the crankshaft sprocket off multiple times. Getting the proper puller and a piece of metal to protect the crank snout is important to keeping everything in good shape.

It left us scratching our heads, but in the end, the numbers were consistent and the cam was where it needed to be. We’re still working with Comp Cams to understand why the marks didn’t match exactly, but the important part is that the engine is safe, the cam is degreed correctly, and it’s ready to deliver the power curve we’re after.

Why A Custom Cam Made Sense

When we talk about the cam itself, it’s worth looking at why we went with a custom grind rather than something off the shelf. Bobby explained that in some cases, an off-the-shelf cam can absolutely work as well as a custom grind. If the lobe design, timing, and lift match the engine’s needs and the owner’s goals, there’s nothing inherently wrong with buying one off the shelf.

The challenge is that it’s rare for a generic cam to line up perfectly with a specific combination. With custom grinds available quickly, Bobby pointed out that it often makes more sense to call in, provide the details, and have a cam tailored exactly to your build. That’s what we did with Mighty Mouse, and it’s why we ended up with the specs we’re running now. The result is a cam that matches our 327ci’s displacement, compression, and intended use rather than a compromise that might work but never be ideal.

Keeping The Cam Secure

Once the cam was degreed and the timing set was locked in, we turned our attention to making sure everything stayed put. For the cam bolts, we went with the Moroso 60464 retainer kit, which uses a plate to physically lock the bolts in place once torqued. To add another layer of insurance, we coated the bolts with blue Loctite before final tightening. It’s the kind of small step that keeps things from backing out when the motor is seeing high RPM and vibration.

We also swapped on a Milodon 65555 timing cover. This cover is reinforced with a .090-inch thick wear plate welded into place, which acts as a positive cam stop while also stiffening the cover itself. That extra rigidity helps the cover handle the severe loads that come with a performance valvetrain. Between the retainer, the Loctite, and the heavy-duty cover, we made sure the cam wasn’t just in the right place; it was going to stay there.

Installing Roller Lifters

Backing up the cam are Comp Cams Evolution Retro-Fit Hydraulic Roller Lifters (P/N 15853-16). Since these are retro-fit lifters, there’s no need to modify the engine block in any way to run them, which makes installation straightforward for a small-block Chevy like ours. Bobby’s advice here was clear: roller cams have become the go-to for everything from mild rebuilds to full race builds because flat tappet lifters just aren’t reliable anymore. Modern flat tappet lifters can fail in less than 50 miles, even when everything else is done right.

Before dropping the Comp Cams hydraulic roller lifters into place, we followed AMSOIL’s recommendation and used their SAE 30 break-in oil for our 327ci. To make sure they were well-coated, we dunked each lifter into a red Solo cup filled with oil before installation. Most shops keep red Solo cups around for a different kind of liquid, but in this case, ours wasn’t for a late-night drink; it was strictly for lifters.

Hydraulic rollers are perfect for a street or street/strip application like ours. In a dedicated race small-block Chevy, Bobby said he would recommend a solid roller almost every time because the benefits outweigh the extra work of adjusting lash. With today’s rocker arms, low-lash solid rollers can often go multiple seasons without the need for adjustment. For Mighty Mouse, the hydraulic rollers give us durability, performance, and peace of mind without the hassle of constant maintenance.

He also pointed out that many people overlook distributor gears when switching to a roller cam. Because billet cam cores are much harder than cast flat tappets, they require specific distributor gears. For Project Mighty Mouse, the Cam Motion cam we received called for either a bronze gear or one of their special steel gears designed to last much longer. We chose the matched steel gear option, ensuring it was the correct shaft diameter for our setup, so the distributor and cam would work together without premature wear or future issues.

Displacement, Compression, And Airflow

Bobby also helped frame why cam specs need to be tailored not just to displacement but also to compression and airflow. A 327ci like Mighty Mouse will rev higher and make its peak horsepower later than the average 350ci or 383ci, which produces more torque and hits its peak earlier. That’s why the camshaft for a 327ci often needs to favor higher RPM power to take advantage of the engine’s natural characteristics.

Airflow plays just as big of a role. Bobby explained that cylinder head capability dictates the RPM ceiling and horsepower potential. The camshaft has to be designed to complement the heads. Modern CNC-ported heads can enable smaller cams to produce more power than older, larger cams ever could, which often compensates for poor head designs. That’s one of the reasons modern builds often look different from what worked 20 or 30 years ago. The heads have come so far that the cam profiles can be sharper and more efficient, and dyno testing feedback means camshaft design is more precise than ever.

Wrapping It Up

Degreeing the cam in Project Mighty Mouse turned out to be a bigger challenge than we expected, but in the end, it reinforced just how critical the details are. We started with a defective timing set that wasted hours and left us frustrated. Once we replaced it with the Comp Cams billet timing set, used the JEGS degree wheel, the PROFORM checking tool, and Greg’s pointer setup, the process fell into place.

The lesson we learned is simple. Don’t skip cam degreeing, don’t cheap out on parts, and don’t assume that close enough is good enough. Every detail matters. Thanks to the help from Greg Acosta, hardware from Comp Cams, JEGS, and PROFORM, and guidance from Bobby Biancaniello, Mighty Mouse’s foundation is solid. The cam is where it needs to be, the valvetrain is ready, and the 327ci small-block is one step closer to roaring to life.