[frnkeore]

As I was mauling this over last night, I remembered my first roller cam, that I installed in a Low Riser, 427, in 1969. It was a Chet Herbert cam (Father of the roller cam). At that time, I lived about 3 miles from his Anaheim shop so, I picked it up, in person and he told me how to set the cam timing. It didn't require anything but a indicator and a straight edge. At that time, he only made his cams to be installed "straight up" or "spit overlap", meaning that the cam lobe CL is at TDC.

He told me to find TDC, turn the cam, until the straight edge was level, across the lifters, on #1 and install the timing sprockets and chain.

Expanding on this way of setting cam timing, if you first find TDC as described, you can put a dial indicators on both in & ex valves (if the lift is the same) and turn the crank, until the valves are at the same reading and check the degree wheel to see if the cam is installed as it should be. Most FH cams are 0 advanced but, if not, the degree wheel will show you the amount of advance, to check against the cam card or factory spec.

If the lift is different between in & ex, you'll have to use lobe centers as described before.