Quote Originally Posted by 34_40 View Post
This is the cheapest I've seen. Bolt it to the front on the crank and turn the motor while reading the wheel.
this is the best shortcut I know of. and it can work for each cylinder..
To get accurate info wouldn't you really want the head(s) off to get true TDC and zero your degree wheel, and then to work off of lifters on the cam? I guess pulling the valve cover and working at a rocker arm is good for the cam measurements, and there are other reliable ways to find exact TDC, like the water tube method, so a guy could zero his wheel and verify/set cam timing without tearing things apart if his cam gear has provisions for adjustment. Just thinking this is most often done when installing a cam, to double check it against the cam data sheet.