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What cam for spring longevity/low maintenance?

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Old Mar 5, 2015 | 07:40 PM
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Default What cam for spring longevity/low maintenance?

I'm shopping for a head/cam package, and have been researching for weeks but having trouble answering my specific question, which is how long do upgraded springs last with a mild cam?

I'm looking at AFR 210 heads and a very mild cam (need to pass CA smog), but one thing I do NOT want to do is have to go in and replace my springs every 10k miles. This is a strictly street car that I drive 8-12k miles per year, and that just doesn't appeal to me.

Does anybody have suggestions for a smog happy combo that will need as little maintenance as possible? I'm happy to spend the money on the right parts up front to avoid the hassle down the line. My goal is 400-450 WHP.

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

EDIT: I'm specifically looking at the Texas Speed 224R cam.

Last edited by pantherchams; Mar 5, 2015 at 08:53 PM.
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Old Mar 5, 2015 | 09:04 PM
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PSI 1511 Max Life or PAC 1518

cant go wrong with either and if set up properly with that cam and and not abused you could see 50k miles easy. regardless you should still check them at 20k-30k miles and replace as necessary.
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 01:09 AM
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Overlap needs to supposedly -4 and lower. Those springs are good for that cam.
If your keeping the stock exhaust manifolds it seems like having a large split duration on your cam is better.

Last edited by dagon138; Mar 6, 2015 at 02:21 AM.
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 09:43 AM
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Send a PM to Tony Mamo. He knows the heads and what cams will pass in CA. As for springs, if you upgrade to the AFR 8019's with a mild cam, you will have a very long term package. Don't think beehive springs will control the valves in AFR heads, they are rather heavy. Also, the 224R I believe is on XER lobes, not the best for valve spring life.
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 10:31 AM
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It's all in the lobes designs...
I am a big fan of the LXL lobe👍

Typically the
XER, XFI, LSK lobes are pretty hard on the valve train while the
XE, LXL and EPS lobes are easier...
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Send a PM to Tony Mamo. He knows the heads and what cams will pass in CA. As for springs, if you upgrade to the AFR 8019's with a mild cam, you will have a very long term package. Don't think beehive springs will control the valves in AFR heads, they are rather heavy. Also, the 224R I believe is on XER lobes, not the best for valve spring life.
Cool, thanks. I'll drop him a note.

Originally Posted by Z06VENOM
It's all in the lobes designs...
I am a big fan of the LXL lobe👍

Typically the
XER, XFI, LSK lobes are pretty hard on the valve train while the
XE, LXL and EPS lobes are easier...
Thanks for the info, how do you guys know what the lobe design is for the cam? Are you telling just by looking at them?

Appreciate the help!

Ben
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 03:40 PM
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You can go by the part numbers etched on the the ends.
I am no cam guru but looking at the basics, a

224/224 grind with LXL lobes on a 115 + 4 , for a -6 overlap would be very reliable with a good springs and pass emissions...
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 05:55 PM
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That really tones down that 224 if that's what your looking for. I would never go over 112.
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Old Mar 6, 2015 | 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul 75 L82
That really tones down that 224 if that's what your looking for. I would never go over 112.
A lot harder to pass smog with a 224 on a 112. A really good tuner and high quality cats might help. But its still right on the edge.
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Old Mar 7, 2015 | 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Anthraxmm
A lot harder to pass smog with a 224 on a 112. A really good tuner and high quality cats might help. But its still right on the edge.
Thanks all, I really appreciate the thoughts. It's crappy to have to leave power on the table, but at the end of the day I'm not interested in dealing with a car that can't pass emissions legally and easily. Been down that road before.

Originally Posted by Z06VENOM
You can go by the part numbers etched on the the ends.
I am no cam guru but looking at the basics, a

224/224 grind with LXL lobes on a 115 + 4 , for a -6 overlap would be very reliable with a good springs and pass emissions...
How do I find this cam? That grind and overlap is exactly what I've been looking at, but I can't figure out how to determine the lobes while shopping online.
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Old Mar 7, 2015 | 12:41 PM
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Talk with whoever you're buying the cam from, almost all of them can custom grind a cam to any spec you want on any lobe. Unless you want a proprietary lobe like eps or fti, then you must go through them.
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Old Mar 7, 2015 | 06:44 PM
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OP....

Shoot me an email, PM, or phone call.....I will get you squared away on the cam.

I also would recommend a smooth lobe like the Comp LXL....I run those lobes on my CTSV and its a car I put alot of miles on.

A 224/224 on a 114 is passable on emissions but by no means a lay up....still requires a good tune. If you want less worries when the time comes to smog the vehicle I would want to go 115 as well to reduce the overlap and improve (reduce) emissions. You could also shorten the intake lobe but I think a single pattern on a 115 is a good choice for a mild performance cam you can enjoy driving and still squeak by the sniffer when the time comes.

I can spec and have Comp dropship this custom cam to your door. Get in touch with me for more info.....normally takes a week or less depending on what part of the country you live in

Cheers,
Tony
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