Camshaft Article

[383_GrandPrix]

I learned some interesting things reading this article, figured some of the guys would appreciate the knowledge.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0607phr-camshaft-basics/

 

[GuysMonteSS]

I made the mistake of going with a "Bottom of the page" cam once that was a mismatch for the rest of my engine.
The last two were custom grinds,generally speaking they are no more than an off the shelf cam.
When I was getting my first custom solid roller I had the pleasure of talking to a camshaft legend,UDHarold Brookshire..Now there was a man who knew lots on camshaft design.
Anyone buying a cam should read this article and do lots of research,a matched combo is how the pro's make power.
Some camshaft designers today like to know what heads you are using and how much they flow before they pick you a cam.
Guy

 

[383_GrandPrix]

Absolutely, far too many people have mismatched combos that don't perform. Knowledge is power, a little bit of research can go a long way to getting the most out of your motor.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Great article! I can't tell you how many times I've been begged to troubleshoot a motor with a "big cam" that runs poorly. The idiot usually has no idea what cam is in his motor, no specs, no cam card, not even a brand or number. Talk about flying blind. Worse, it is often stuffed into an otherwise stock motor. I almost wish you weren't allowed to purchase a cam without attending a class and getting a license!

 

[565bbchevy]

I go for the bottom of the page cam every time.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Great article! I can't tell you how many times I've been begged to troubleshoot a motor with a "big cam" that runs poorly. The idiot usually has no idea what cam is in his motor, no specs, no cam card, not even a brand or number. Talk about flying blind. Worse, it is often stuffed into an otherwise stock motor. I almost wish you weren't allowed to purchase a cam without attending a class and getting a license!

I see the same thing on the forums I visit.
Someone wants more power but has no idea what it has for heads,compression ratio or cam.
They want to take the easy way out and switch heads or cam,but usually not both.
IMO,they might as well pull the engine,take it apart and see what's inside.
Then you know what you have to work with and can make decisions wisely.
Guy

 

[Kwik_Cutty88]

I actually just answered a question for somebody on facebook who bought a used cam for a 350 and didn't have much idea what it was. Turns out it was huge duration with a high LSA that increased the operating range. It had split duration, but not much overlap which means it would have been a good nitrous or camshaft for boost. I think a lot of people just want something that sounds good, but don't realize what the specs actually mean. When I built my engine I made sure to match my intake, carb, and cylinder head choice to the camshaft's specs.

 

[MrSony]

I asked a few Buick gurus and did some independent research, and found out the comp 268H .469.469 110lsa cam would be perfect for my daily driven, lowish compression motor. And it's as "aggressive" as I can go with stock valvetrain components like rockers and pushrods.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

This explains why higher cr engines have better manners than low cr engines. Also shows how head design really affects everything else in a engine.

 

[Bar50]

Good read, I tend to disagree with the part on oil, it is better, not better concerning flat tappet cams.