I understand what this is referring to, but what is the result? What is the benefit over one way to another?

 

in most cases, straightup is best. The real time to change it is after you have driven it some and determin you need to move the powerband up or down.

 

if I have this right when you advance the cam you are going to give more higher rpm power
where if you retard it you are going to have a loss of high rpm power though when you retard it you get a flatter powerband I think

I could easily be wrong though

 

That's backward RX. It's advance for low-end and retard for high end.

 

Hehehe, how would YOU know, you don't even have a cam! Just messin with ya

If you advance it you make the power happen SOONER=low end. If you retard it you make the power happen later=top end.

I just finished my cam swap where I retarded the cam 2* in order to push the power up some. With a DTD'd 400 ft-lbs @ 2000 rpm I think I can spare a little low end

 

just don't tell the guy at NAPA that

I figured it was one way or the other just couldn't remember for sure


and if you retard it doesn't it also make a flatter torque curve rather then a peaky one like it would with the cam advanced

 

Actually, according to "Desktop Dyno" Advancing a somwhat radical cam brings more torqure in, Sooner, and lowers your peak horsepower. the torque curve seems to flatten out when advanced, and starts higher and sooner.

Retarding the cam in desktop dyno brings your peak horsepower UP, and makes it occur LATER in the RPM range, and retarding also makes your torque lower, and it waits longer before getting flattened out...

I prefer advanced 4-6* for the street, retarded 2-3* for Racing.
If you have a high stall converter, technically its better to have it retarded because you see those higher RPMS constantly...

Straight up isnt always stright up though, nearly ALL cam manufacturers include a ground in advance. simply adding a little shiny piece of metal to the timing chain takes care of that however...

 

When I installed my Xtreme cam it already came 4 degrees advanced.