How to Identify a General Kinetics Cam

A cam shaft is a mechanism that opens the valves of an engine. It is a shaft with lobes -- or cams -- that roll over the head of a valve and push it down. When the valves open, a gasoline and air mixture from the carburetor fills the void left by the valves, and the spark plugs ignite the mixture to fire the pistons. The General Kinetics cams were manufactured for aftermarket upgrades. They were custom built for General Motors engines, Fords and Pontiacs. An identifying stamp marks each GK cam, providing all the information essential for a mechanic to put it in a engine correctly.

Instructions

1

Locate the serial on the General Kinetics cam. Look at the shaft of the cam, on either end before the first lobes, for letters and numbers stamped into the steel. Clean any debris off the stamp with gasoline and a rag.

2

Identify the make of engine the GK cam was manufactured to fire. Look at the first letter on the serial. If the letter is a "C" or an "F," the cam was manufactured for a Chevrolet or a Ford. A "P" signifies a Pontiac.

3

Look at the first number in the serial series. This letter signifies the engine block type. Search for a "1" or a "2" after the make letter. A "1" signifies a small-block engine, and a "2" signifies a large-block engine.

4

Isolate the second, third and fourth numbers in the serial series. These three numbers signify the intake duration, for example "306." Look for a letter following the intake digits. The letter signifies modifications made to the original General Kinetics design. The letters may be from A-Z. "E," for example means the exhaust pattern was changed.