custom cam
12-08-2003, 09:52 PM
#1
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custom cam
im starting to gather up parts for the new engine, and its time to start thinking about a cam.
My buddy says he could custom grind one for me pretty cheap at the shop he works at. How do i figure out the specs i want for the cam? any suggestions?
or should i forget a custom grind, and just go for a production cam?
Im looking for a hyd. roller, or even a solid roller, and it must be steetable.
engine will be:
forged 383
AFR 195cc heads
vic JR intake
5 speed w/ 3.73 or 4.10 gears (have 4.10 now, but might go back to 3.73)
I am looking for high 11's on all motor.
My buddy says he could custom grind one for me pretty cheap at the shop he works at. How do i figure out the specs i want for the cam? any suggestions?
or should i forget a custom grind, and just go for a production cam?
Im looking for a hyd. roller, or even a solid roller, and it must be steetable.
engine will be:
forged 383
AFR 195cc heads
vic JR intake
5 speed w/ 3.73 or 4.10 gears (have 4.10 now, but might go back to 3.73)
I am looking for high 11's on all motor.
12-08-2003, 09:55 PM
#2
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Car: 95 E-150 & 07 Kawasaki ZX-6R
Engine: A slow one & a fast one
Transmission: A bad one & a good one
Axle/Gears: A weak one & a chained one
I couldn't tell you what kinda specs you'd want on that beast...but neeeeever pass up an opportunity to get a custom grind! ANY car could benefit from one of those. As long as it's set up just right. Hopefully one of the pros will chime in here.
Are you looking for a semi-streetable cam or something full out? Looking for decent low end torque or would you rather have massive top-end? All that will change how that cam is gonna be ground.
Are you looking for a semi-streetable cam or something full out? Looking for decent low end torque or would you rather have massive top-end? All that will change how that cam is gonna be ground.
12-09-2003, 05:50 AM
#4
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Car: 4
Engine: 6
Transmission: 5
A "custom" cam won't do a damn bit of good if it's not the right cam for your motor. Being "customized" doesn't somehow make any cam the perfect one for your car just because it's "custom".
Step one in designing a custom cam is to know what you want the engine to do: RPM range, power band, things like that. Step two is understanding how each of the parameters of a cam affects the engine's performance with respect to each of your goals for that particular engine and its use. Step three is looking at all the off-the-shelf ones that exist and determining why they won't work.
There's no magic in a "custom" cam. The magic comes in picking the right cam for your motor, custom or not.
Your combination as you have it described so far is very ordinary and commonplace. There are dozens and dozens of cams from Lunati, Comp, Crane, Ultradyne, and a long list of other mfrs that will work well with the other parts you mentioned, and produce a variety of results out of them depending on various other details.
As an example of a suitable choice, sort of the range you would want to be in, look at the Comp XR288R. It's a solid roller, 248°/254° .576"/582" 110° LS. Now, once you understand what each of those parameters does, and what the other things about that cam that aren't in the spec also do, you're ready to specify a custom cam.
Step one in designing a custom cam is to know what you want the engine to do: RPM range, power band, things like that. Step two is understanding how each of the parameters of a cam affects the engine's performance with respect to each of your goals for that particular engine and its use. Step three is looking at all the off-the-shelf ones that exist and determining why they won't work.
There's no magic in a "custom" cam. The magic comes in picking the right cam for your motor, custom or not.
Your combination as you have it described so far is very ordinary and commonplace. There are dozens and dozens of cams from Lunati, Comp, Crane, Ultradyne, and a long list of other mfrs that will work well with the other parts you mentioned, and produce a variety of results out of them depending on various other details.
As an example of a suitable choice, sort of the range you would want to be in, look at the Comp XR288R. It's a solid roller, 248°/254° .576"/582" 110° LS. Now, once you understand what each of those parameters does, and what the other things about that cam that aren't in the spec also do, you're ready to specify a custom cam.
12-09-2003, 10:26 AM
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Thanks for the ideas!
The only reason I am even considering a custom ground cam is that it would be a lot cheaper then a production cam.
Everyone talks about "ramp" rates, and how much more aggresive they are than a stock cam. Does the duration, lift, etc. determine the ramp rate, or is that something that can be ground according to what i want the engine todo?
My worst fear is that i have a cam ground, and it doesnt work well in my motor at all. I tried to pick an engine combo that is common, so i can predict what it will run like, i think so far i have accomplished that.
say i decide i want a perfect copy of comp XR288R, does comp give every little spec i need so the shop can grind it? Can the XR288R be ground an a small base circle? does a small base cirlce cam perform differently than a larger base circle?
sorry for all the questions, i just want to learn everything, and have it done right the first time
The only reason I am even considering a custom ground cam is that it would be a lot cheaper then a production cam.
Everyone talks about "ramp" rates, and how much more aggresive they are than a stock cam. Does the duration, lift, etc. determine the ramp rate, or is that something that can be ground according to what i want the engine todo?
My worst fear is that i have a cam ground, and it doesnt work well in my motor at all. I tried to pick an engine combo that is common, so i can predict what it will run like, i think so far i have accomplished that.
say i decide i want a perfect copy of comp XR288R, does comp give every little spec i need so the shop can grind it? Can the XR288R be ground an a small base circle? does a small base cirlce cam perform differently than a larger base circle?
sorry for all the questions, i just want to learn everything, and have it done right the first time
12-09-2003, 10:40 AM
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Car: 4
Engine: 6
Transmission: 5
No, of course they don't give every little spec. Actually not "no", it's "HELL NO!!!!" That's how they and everybody else that actually develops cam profiles make their product what it is: they create their own lobes, which are unique; and giving that information out would be handing out their expensive intellectual property for free.
I don't even think you can buy that info off of the cam companies. Basically if you want their profiles, you buy their cams.
A small base circle cam performs exactly the same as a std base circle one, except that there's less material (the cam is smaller diameter) so it's weaker. The only difference is that it creates a tiny bit of extra clearance for rods.
If you expect to get a "custom" cam ground that's any better than what you can buy off the shelf, you need somebody that has more knowledge (or luck) than the people who sell them off the shelf. If your contact doesn't have that knowledge, then you probably don't want to trust to his luck either.
You get what you pay for.
I don't even think you can buy that info off of the cam companies. Basically if you want their profiles, you buy their cams.
A small base circle cam performs exactly the same as a std base circle one, except that there's less material (the cam is smaller diameter) so it's weaker. The only difference is that it creates a tiny bit of extra clearance for rods.
If you expect to get a "custom" cam ground that's any better than what you can buy off the shelf, you need somebody that has more knowledge (or luck) than the people who sell them off the shelf. If your contact doesn't have that knowledge, then you probably don't want to trust to his luck either.
You get what you pay for.
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