I am using a new Double Roller Timing Set for my stock rebuild. there is advance and retard settings on Cam Gear. I read somewhere that advancing the Cam a couple of degrees gives a little more low end Power. Is it worth doing this or leave it alone at stock setting?

  

There’s not a short answer for this.  You say a stock rebuild but do not mention if this is the original camshaft or a replacement.  Many factory camshafts have an amount of advance built into them.  On the flip side of this, manufacturing variances in both the camshaft and the timing chain sets can have the camshaft off significantly even when installing it with the timing set with the dots on the Ford Y positioned 12 pins apart.  Unless you actually degree the camshaft in with a dial indicator and some form of degree wheel, you will not know if the camshaft is installed where it belongs.  The worst case I’ve seen was just recently with a 351W where the camshaft was 21° degrees off.  That particular camshaft required that the timing set be installed a full tooth off and then the lower multi-slotted sprocket used to fine tune the camshaft timing.

Advancing the camshaft 4-6° as measured in crankshaft degrees is the normal amount to install a camshaft with a new timing chain set for most street drivers.  This ensures that the camshaft has room to retard as the timing chain stretches over time.  Advancing the camshaft beyond just installing it ‘straight up’ increases the manifold vacuum at idle, helps with low-end throttle response, an improved signal at the carburetor, and overall drivability.  For clarification, ‘straight up’ is not just installing it with 12 pins between the marks but where both the intake and exhaust lobe centerlines measure the same.  You only know that by degreeing in the camshaft.  Advancing the camshaft will shorten up the intake lobe centerline number and increase the exhaust lobe centerline number.  The number of degrees that the camshaft is actually ground on is not changing but moving the camshaft directionally one way or another away from the as ground lobe centerline number does affect the aforementioned reasons for advancing or retarding the camshaft.

It’s important that the camshaft be degreed in and not just assuming that the cam is going to advance as desired based on the various slots at the crankshaft gear.  I typically order the camshafts with 2° of cam advance built in which is 4° as measured at the crankshaft.  Even with this, the camshaft may or may not be where it needs to be due to variances in camshaft and/or timing gear manufacturing.  You can very easily find too much advance in a camshaft installed at the zero marks on the gears which in turn have you using a retard slot on the lower gear to place the camshaft in the optimal position.  Or the opposite where the camshaft is already too far retarded just requiring even more advance at the lower gear to compensate.

I trust some if not all of that made sense.
Other comments always welcome.

Degreeing in the camshaft – Part I – Finding TDC – Eaton Balancing
Degreeing in the camshaft – Part II – Phasing the camshaft – Eaton Balancing
Degreeing In the camshaft – Part III – It’s twelve pins between the marks for the Ford Y – Eaton Balancing

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I'm a believer of advancing a cam in a stock or near stock engine seeing limited use and mostly intown driving. I've had them as far as 8* and prefer 6*. On all my rebuilds it seems at the crack of the throttle the vehicle will almost jump at the start. I also feels as if I used less throttle while driving helping economy. I used 8* in a 400" pickup truck and even with a cabover camper and loaded car trailer it performed better than I could have ever imagined. Before multiple keyway gears I made offset woodruff keys which now you can buy. Good Luck

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Thanks for your input. Is there any downside to advancing Camshaft?  I mostly use it around Town for Shows. 

  

For a stock camshaft, it’s recommended to limit the amount of camshaft advance to 8°.  If the camshaft is ground on 113° lobe centers, then you would like to install it so that the intake lobe centerline is 105° which would be 8° of cam advance.  If it’s a new timing set, then figure on the chain stretching on the order of a couple of degrees in the first 15K miles or so.  You can check this by just performing ignition timing checks at intervals which will give you an idea of how fast the timing chain is stretching which in turn is also retarding not only the camshaft, but the ignition timing as well.

Having too much camshaft advance can make the cranking compression higher which in turn makes the engine less tolerant to low grade or low octane fuels.  It also makes the engine more sensitive to ignition timing and/or curve adjustments.  Peak power is also going to be at a lower rpm but for a daily driver, not a big deal.  You can double check that cam timing change by performing a cranking compression test on your engine.  Keeping the cranking compression in the 150-155 lb range will keep the engine happy on most 89 or higher octane fuels.  180 lb readings would likely be the upper limit for tje better premium grade gasoline.  The compression ratio of the engine is also a player in all of this so if the heads and decks are milled, then take that into consideration.  I run 225 lb cranking compression on my racing Y which requires a minimum of 110 octane racing fuel with the total amount of ignition timing set at 35° BTDC.

Just my opinion here so let’s hear other thoughts on this.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

When you say "my stock rebuild", does your camshaft have a duration of 197 degrees at .050 lift? If so, I see no need or gain by advancing it 8 degrees. 

Mark, I made 3 cam timing adjustments after assembling my 312 clone.  My cam is a copy of what Ford used in all y-locks for the year 1957 only except for the E and F code versions. It has a higher lift and longer duration than the stock Y-block cam. Nothing wild at all but the performance was noticeably much better. If I can remember correctly, it was ground with 2* advance built in and I advanced it another 2*.  Driving this engine just didn't seem to measure up to what I remember a 57 312 was like. Removed the timing chain cover and advanced the cam another 2* for a total  of 6.  That additional 2* made a big difference with improved snappy very responsive acceleration, better and smoother idle. So I thought: If that additional 2* made that much of a difference, another 2* should be better yet. Removed the timing cover again to add 2 more to the total. This proved to be a mistake because the performance decreased. Removed the timing cover one more time, retarded the cam 2* and settled for the sweet spot of 6* total advance. I'm not sure how this would have worked at top end because I don't race it. Hope this helps with your decision.... 

64F100 57FAIRLANE500

The stock E-Code used the same camshaft as the C & D-Code engines; only the F-Code used a different cam. 

Thanks for the Info. The Cam I am using is just a stock aftermarket replacement. I am thinking of being very conservative and adding just 4 degrees to cam setting. 

  

Are you taking into consideration that the cam has 2-4 degrees advance ground in? As Ted recommended, best to use cam card specs and degree the cam.