Does Comp Cams under size their cam picks?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From: St.Louis Missouri
Does Comp Cams under size their cam picks?
This is as big of a cam as they recomend for me.I called them several months ago and they gave me part #54-444-11 and said that was as big as I should go.I had a installer tell me he knew a guy there real well that he always worked with and he would call with my info and see what he said.I never gave him the part number and he was expecting a custom grind but they gave him the same part #54-444-11.I will also be doing RHS 210 heads (same as ETP 215),cometic .040 head gaskets and A.R.H. 1 3/4 headers catless.Told them I wanted to make as much power as possible without major trouble in stop and go traffic,use 6th gear at 80 mph and have shift points under 7000 rpms.Wasn't thinking much bigger than this cam and I knoe bigger isn't always better but was think it would be alittle bigger after all the resarch I've done on cams around here.Do yous think they under size their cam picks?Anyone using this cam?Thanks!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,558
Likes: 2
From: Cape Coral FL
I just looked at that cam and it's not that small of a cam. It's a 224/230 .581"/.588" 114LSA and the Intake Centerline is not specified. My cam is slightly smaller with a 112LSA. My car starts nice, idles nice with a small lope, and drivability is nice, even in traffic. With AFR heads and some other tweaking I'm over 440rwhp through 4:10's and cats. My other mods are in my sig and as I said I've done more tweaking to get the final hp somewhat higher than I've listed, just havn't gotten to the dyno to get some real numbers.
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When it comes to making power it's all about the height of the curve, or 'power under the curve'. You can put a big cam in an engine, but then you have to get the DCR up to take advantage of the longer duration which means milling the heads. Also, the bigger the cam, the closer you get to having to flycut the pistons due to longer valve events.
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A couple of years ago this was a 'big cam', now it's a smaller cam.
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When it comes to making power it's all about the height of the curve, or 'power under the curve'. You can put a big cam in an engine, but then you have to get the DCR up to take advantage of the longer duration which means milling the heads. Also, the bigger the cam, the closer you get to having to flycut the pistons due to longer valve events.
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A couple of years ago this was a 'big cam', now it's a smaller cam.
Last edited by ArKay99; Jan 18, 2007 at 05:23 PM.
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St. Jude Donor '03
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From: St.Louis Missouri
I said I want them under 7000 rpms.Was thinking of setting the rev limit at 7000 rpm and trying to have shift points a few hundred rpms under that.That is all depending where it makes the power at.If I can make the power I want at lower rpms then thats even better.At what rpm do you need to upgrade your rod bolts?If I need to do rod bolts I will and I already figured I might need to but I know I don't want to push it over 7000 rpms even If I get new bolts.I forgot to say earlier that I told them I was hoping for 450+ rwhp.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: St.Louis Missouri
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,071
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From: Goose Creek SC
This is as big of a cam as they recomend for me.I called them several months ago and they gave me part #54-444-11 and said that was as big as I should go.I had a installer tell me he knew a guy there real well that he always worked with and he would call with my info and see what he said.I never gave him the part number and he was expecting a custom grind but they gave him the same part #54-444-11.I will also be doing RHS 210 heads (same as ETP 215),cometic .040 head gaskets and A.R.H. 1 3/4 headers catless.Told them I wanted to make as much power as possible without major trouble in stop and go traffic,use 6th gear at 80 mph and have shift points under 7000 rpms.Wasn't thinking much bigger than this cam and I knoe bigger isn't always better but was think it would be alittle bigger after all the resarch I've done on cams around here.Do yous think they under size their cam picks?Anyone using this cam?Thanks!
I think that cam is has slightly too much exhaust bias which is the reason it's rated to 7000. You can have Comp custom grind you a cam with close to similar specs but the exhaust bias is lessened. I recommend you consider a 224/228 .580/.588 on either a 114+1 or a 114+2. This cam should compliment the ETP 215 heads well. The +1 would set your shift point at probably about 6700-6800 and the +2 would shift probably about 100-200 rpms lower. For street use, the 114+2 would probably compliment those heads well. The 114 would keep the drivability manners in check.
Hammer
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From: St.Louis Missouri
I think that cam is has slightly too much exhaust bias which is the reason it's rated to 7000. You can have Comp custom grind you a cam with close to similar specs but the exhaust bias is lessened. I recommend you consider a 224/228 .580/.588 on either a 114+1 or a 114+2. This cam should compliment the ETP 215 heads well. The +1 would set your shift point at probably about 6700-6800 and the +2 would shift probably about 100-200 rpms lower. For street use, the 114+2 would probably compliment those heads well. The 114 would keep the drivability manners in check.
Hammer
Hammer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Goose Creek SC
Thanks everyone!I thought the heads would like more exhaust duration since they don't flow that great on the exhaust side compared to the intake side.Don't you want the exhaust to flow about .80 of the intake?My last combonations were big nitrous combos with around 15* more on the exhaust side.
There are so many things to look at when designing a cam. The most important are valve events, and especially focusing on Intake Valve Closing (IVO) point, Exhaust Valve Opening (EVO) point, and position of overlap in respect to TDC. Now understand, there are other things to focus on too, but setting those three correctly really define the characteristics of the cam.
I could go into detail as to how to set those valve events but it's really beyond scope of the point here and can be quite frankly, a bear to grasp. The real issue with the 6 degrees greater exhaust duration is that even though it does a great job flowing, it also does a great job of bleeding off exhaust too early because of an earlier EVO. This earlier EVO event may make for better top of the RPM scale horsepower but
sacrifices torque to do so. Trust me, the better torque and running out around 6700rpm will be more usable than the 7000rpm and lesser torque you get with the much oversized exhaust duration.
Hammer
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From: St.Louis Missouri
About 4 degrees extra duration on the exhaust side is fine. Going beyond can be fine too if you are designing your cam for some reason to have more than 4 degrees. In your case, I think it's overkill and changes the powerband slightly against what you are looking for.
There are so many things to look at when designing a cam. The most important are valve events, and especially focusing on Intake Valve Closing (IVO) point, Exhaust Valve Opening (EVO) point, and position of overlap in respect to TDC. Now understand, there are other things to focus on too, but setting those three correctly really define the characteristics of the cam.
I could go into detail as to how to set those valve events but it's really beyond scope of the point here and can be quite frankly, a bear to grasp. The real issue with the 6 degrees greater exhaust duration is that even though it does a great job flowing, it also does a great job of bleeding off exhaust too early because of an earlier EVO. This earlier EVO event may make for better top of the RPM scale horsepower but
sacrifices torque to do so. Trust me, the better torque and running out around 6700rpm will be more usable than the 7000rpm and lesser torque you get with the much oversized exhaust duration.
Hammer
There are so many things to look at when designing a cam. The most important are valve events, and especially focusing on Intake Valve Closing (IVO) point, Exhaust Valve Opening (EVO) point, and position of overlap in respect to TDC. Now understand, there are other things to focus on too, but setting those three correctly really define the characteristics of the cam.
I could go into detail as to how to set those valve events but it's really beyond scope of the point here and can be quite frankly, a bear to grasp. The real issue with the 6 degrees greater exhaust duration is that even though it does a great job flowing, it also does a great job of bleeding off exhaust too early because of an earlier EVO. This earlier EVO event may make for better top of the RPM scale horsepower but
sacrifices torque to do so. Trust me, the better torque and running out around 6700rpm will be more usable than the 7000rpm and lesser torque you get with the much oversized exhaust duration.
Hammer
