Can a Smooth Idleing Cam Make BIG power?
- Thread starter tjm73
- Start date
Foxfan88 said:
That may be an over generalization. The factory 5.0 Mustang cam with AFR165 heads can make 405 crank HP at 6000 rpm. It's relativly smooth when it comes to idle.
I'm wondering if the stock cam specs with more lift (about .550"-ish with 1.6:1 rockers) would generate higher power numbers on AFR 185 heads while retaining the stock 5.0 idle carrecteristics.
I have an anderson b-31 cam (blower cam) in my car right now. I think the specs are 544/544 lift and 226/228 duration with a 112 lobe seperation. The cam idles very smooth to me. It's definitely a little rougher than stock. It lopes in colder weather but isn't as rough in the warmer weather. And it makes AMAZING power with my sq-trim. I would definitely reccomend this cam. It also makes good power n/a as well.
84blkstang
Member
I have the Comp 270xe-hr14, it has a very, very, slight idle, but basically it idles like a bone stock mustang. From what I understand the LSA and LCA determine the idle characterstics, as does the duration, someone correct me if i am wrong. I do know that the more duration the higher the powerband will be. This is all i know about this maybe michael yount will chime he knows almost everything there is to know
You can have a nice smooth idling cam that make good power, even more then the XE grinds.
Custom is the way to go... the choppy sound is increased with overlap, which is needed on a NA car to make high power. Boost combo's need ver little overlap or your pushing the boost out the exhaust.
Custom is the way to go... the choppy sound is increased with overlap, which is needed on a NA car to make high power. Boost combo's need ver little overlap or your pushing the boost out the exhaust.
It's possible for a relatively smooth idling cam to make a lot of power, but I can't imagine a cam with a stockish idle making *optimal* power on a high rpm engine. Ideally for a street engine you'd want to maximize lift with less emphasis on duration to produce a decent idle and good power. It so happens that our 2v 4.6 engines respond very well to more lift due to the design of the heads.tjm73 said:
Yes, the LSA and duration both affect the idle, but the LSA needs to be to a specific size to get optimal results with a given duration. For example, the LSA could be widened to get a better idle, but the power curve would be negatively affected.84blkstang said:
I would say a N/A engine can benefit from MORE overlap than a boosted one. I'm saying this because my Comp 270's have a good amount of overlap based on the idle quality (specs: 234/238 @0.50, 113 LSA). The dyno showed a big difference in the upper rpms (initially 430+ rwhp, up from 378), and improved all the way up the curve from 2700 rpms. My fuel system can't safely keep up with the cams beyond 6000 rpm thoughRick 91GT said:
. Even de-tuned with a lower rev limiter it is obvious the cams are in there when I go WOT 
.
Like anything else, it depends on the whole combo, cams only controll the lift of the valves. The cam is ground to promote cylinder filling at certian engine speeds and many different things determine the grind to do that. So a cam engineered to operate from 4000rpm to 7000rpm was not engineered to operate at 800rpm, so of course it won't run right. Lets say that cam was engineered for a 408, it won't do the same thing in a 306.
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