Doug, thanks for posting that. Great article! I just about jumped out of my chair when it came to the part about cam timing. Back in 2007 (I think...) I ran my first SOHC on the dyno with magnetic sensors on the cams, to try to figure out what they did as engine speed increased. To my great surprise, the right cam retarded, but the left cam advanced. I couldn't hardly believe it, but the data was the data, so I went with it. I have never seen any validation of my test in any other form, but there it was in the article you posted!
Since going to EFI I have always had sensors on both cams, and with my more recent engines I have found that the left cam also retards, not advancing like it did in my original test. So I have concluded that the cam timing variation will change depending on the cam and valve spring setup. Just speculating, but maybe with lighter valve springs (like I had on my original test engine), the left cam will tend to advance, while with heavier valve springs it will tend to retard. And the right cam will always want to retard.
I also thought that the chain tensioning information in the article was interesting. They use 10 ft-lbs on the adjusting bolt. I've read about using 105 inch pounds, which is about 9 ft-lbs, and I personally like to use 65 inch pounds, which is about 5 foot pounds. Maybe I should be looking at using more chain tension...
Also, the bolt-on support plate that was used in the bottom of the block was interesting. The blocks of course were known to explode in fuel applications, and apparently the plates helped them live. I have never seen an article supporting this kind of plate, or girdle, on the block before from a well regarded engine builder. Makes me think that the FE girdles that are available might be a really good idea on a non-crossbolted block...
