What is relieve cutting the heads and what does it do for me?

Square decking the block? Machning the block surface so it sits flush with the heads?

Also, whats degreeing the cam?

Thanks a lot,
Chris

I think a deck surface raises the compression ratio, I might be wrong! But yeah they take a little bit off the top, make it nice smooth and clean. As for degreeing a cam, ive wondered that myself.... :eek:

squaring the block is done so both head surfaces are equal distance from the crank centerline.
degreeing the cam is when you check to make sure the cam was manufacured exactly as stated on the cam card, and that the cam is in perfect relationship to the crank, degree wise of where you want it.

Relieving the heads is plunge cutting around the valves and to the headgasket scribe line so that the valves aren't shrouded which inhibits air flow..

But doing so will increase the combustion chamber size and lower the CR. unless you plane the heads to remove metal so that your chambers are made smaller again..

pdq67

Thanks guys, that was just what I was looking for.
Chris