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So I know a little about cars and their engines. But have lost some knowledge over the years. I used to work with a mechanic/engineer and learned alot, but that was some years ago. Anyways, simple question. Does a mild cam hurt you engine due to wear? Not worried about mpg or anything, just the wear and tear that it could possibly do to an engine.
It won't hurt the engine but there is a chance it will hurt MPG. But it will increase Horsepower baby and Torque!
What do you have?
Well I'm looking at some trans am right now and of course mod every car I get. Thought I've never done a cam.
depending on how mild the cam is, if it is too much it can bind the valve springs. But just a small mild cam no it will not just be careful.
Can you post the mfg'er and specs of the cam you're thinking of?
Are you going to install it yourself?
Some cams will increase HP/torque and some cams are designed to increase MPG though most car mfg'ers today design cams for the best MPG with maybe the exception of the hi-end, hi-performance cars.
Unless you're going for some radical racing cam, all should be just fine.
On the otherhand if the cam is on the radical side, look for decreased MPG and like languy99 said earlier, the valve springs might have to be changed also.
But most cam kits (at least back in my day) come with matching springs, retainers, etc. for a specific engine.
There's also another remote concern with a radical racing cam in that if the lift is great enough, the valves could hit the piston depending on the specific engine in question... A definite day ruiner!
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The biggest thing you gain with a mild cam (along with setting the degrees) is not necessarily a horse power or torque increase, but rather a change in the torque curve. In other words, where the peak power is and depending on the grind, how flat the overall curve is. Generally you want it lower in the PRM range for the street. With an EFI system I recommend you get it tuned after the cam swap.
So on top of that upgrade the Valve springs and you might want to upgrade the Headers for more performance! :D
Headers, And cam, and you will be set..
what i usually do to my vehicles is just catback/maybe headers,programmer, cai. But with this i would do headers, cam, exhaust, programmer, slp cai. The specs on the cam i would like are anywhere from 525/540. Around that range. Just a mild, but a good lope. Im okay if I lose 5mpg.
What engine/car do you have?
Lotta stuff to consider. Auto or manual trans, diff. gearing, compression ratio? If you put a lumpy bumpstick in a ride with the wrong gearing, stock torque converter and low compression you could have a dog... Go too big and you could end up with no power until 3-4000 rpm which can get tiring. Probably best to go with a "package" that includes heads, cam, springs, etc. Plus headers, exhaust, intake, yadda, yadda...
It's more about having parts that work together to build power...
I've never done much hot-rodding on EFI stuff but my experience with old carburated stuff is pretty extensive...
Those are lift numbers. Duration numbers are more important and tell more about flow characteristics.. Although you've listed some pretty fair lift #'s..Quote:
Originally Posted by texasspeed
If this car is a daily driver, don't make the mistake of overdoing it.. You can make a car no fun on the street if you make the wrong decision with a cam..
What does the T/A have for a motor?
my coworker has a LS1 with a heavy cam and headers reprogrammed ecm he dropped it in a older chevy pickup.. Saturday he upgraded gears in rear diff and hooked up lines for nitrogen... he wants to do 150 shot :eek:.. hes taking it to track on the 20th to run.. the trying to get in the low 10's possibly high 9's?? i cant make it cuz of work but ill try and see if he gets video and post it up!!
Skip the headache of what will and what will not work and buy a crate motor. :)
Either crate motor, or a TOP END KIT.... comes with pretty much everything you need.
X2Quote:
Originally Posted by srtga
I'm running Comp XER Lobes with .610 lift, so I might not be the best person to ask. If it's your only car then I wouldn't mess with the cam unless you are willing to deal with the issues that CAN come from modded car.
What did you decide for a cam? I just installed a pretty aggressive cam in my charger.
hers my coworkers truck.. ls1 motor still on legal street tires. he would be faster with drag tires but he wants it as a daily driver. last runs his rear end was messing up if you look on the wheels you can see the limited slip giving out...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOu9wVgjLmc]YouTube - LS1 Truck Shootout - Carlos Franco[/ame]