Re: [AMC-list] cam crap

[tom jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 07:25, Wrambler <wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I forget who you said makes that cam?
> I'm wondering exactly what it would really do in action.
> Your right, I don't see twisting that engine above 4,000 rpm.
>


I don't know who makes it; Doug Galvin sells them. They are billed as "RV
cams" eg. low rpm torque. He specifically stated that the tradeoff from
stock was a loss of torque above 3500 (as if I could care) and more at lower
speeds. The factory cam torque curve is flat, 164@1500 to 168@3000 to
150@3800. (Like I said I don't believe "168" so much as the shape of the
curve.)

THere is NO WAY IN HE11 that 4000+ rpm performance in this motor -- without
major work -- is useful.


  So, a cam like that may let you run out first/second for less shifting in
> those speed ranges, but with O/D you may have a real woofer.
>

It's not for first gear, it's time spent in 2nd and 3rd. It's a really light
car, and coming out of turns at low rpm in second gear, any improvement
would be worth it. Long stroke, let it lug, that's what it's good at! And
it's geared to match that. ANd it makes going to thre grocery store easier
too.


I am not expecting any miracles or free lunches. If it's 164@1500 now, I
know it won't go 200 ft/lbs, a cylinder full of fuel+air is all I get. But
I'll take a bit of a torque lump around 1800 - 3000 in exchange for going
flat over 3500, 4000. That's what the cam was billed as.

This new cam seems to lower overall torque, but extend the torque drop off
to up past 5000 rpm. That sounds like the 15 minutes of bench work on a cam
by someone who's not seen this motor in action. It would cost as much to
make this motor run reliably at 5000 as it would to make a 232 run at 6000.
I think that this new cam was NOT done by someone paying attention to THIS
PARTICULAR MOTOR.


On top of that you have the mushroom tappet issue, so, it's not a simple
> swap out.  Oh, wait,you do have the side covers so maybe you can lift the
> tappets
> and pull the cam, but still...
>

Pretty much, you turn the motor upside down and yank the cam.


>   I keep seeing/remembering how short the time in 1st gear was on my 196's.
> It was like, let out the clutch hit the gas, shift, well actully more like
> push the clutch pedal, clang/shift...  :)
>

Yeah, first is for stop lights. THere's one hill where I bother to
double-clutch and get in first. Elsewise I just lug it, 700 rpm it's fine,
chug chug.


 I always tried to pick a cam that would drop off ever so slightly
> BELOW max rpm, say about 200 rpm. That usually allowed for better
> torque down low.
>

That's the stock cam!
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