RAWAMG

Who out there has upgraded their cams and what did you go with... SLR, Kleemann, other?

Recommendations?

Advice?

Tech-Tune

SLR's.... Personally I don't think the gains were worth the money spent

e55amgrocket

Ive got PTE cams and they are the most extreme cams you can get for these engines. I'm having a custom set made for my new engine build can quickly found out that these cams aren't easy to regrind like most cams are. I don't know how much power i gained with them but i bought them for my goals and needing/wanting to shift power around over the stock cams.

RAWAMG

Good to know 4 sure... Thanks

layzie12g

I wish some one would come out with a BIG cam for these cars. I'd like to hear it.

PACougar

I'm running Modern Horsepower cams. They have a pretty decent lope and I bought them for the same reason Steve did, to move the power around. I believe they have the same specs as PTE's cam with the smallest amount more lift.

e55amgrocket

Just isn't possible with what mercedes gave us to work with. The ones I'm having made will be a lot more aggressive than the PTE cams BUT will take valve reliefs in the new pistons, the head will have to be clearanced for the cam then there's also some work that will be needed with the spring/valve guide area to allow more rooms and keep the spring from binding. It has quickly become way more work and cost than I anticipated to get more aggressive with my head/cam package that we want to be at. Hopefully the reward is worth it.

e55amgrocket

I have a feeling they are PTE/VRP cams most likely. There's hardly any room for more of anything than those cams stock. To the point that these cams are at the limit for most builders in terms of a safety cusion if the valvetrain was to get a little unstable.

PACougar

I actually got this information straight from Patrick, I was going to buy a set of his but he was out so he pointed me to MH. We also put in the newest revision SLR valve springs when we installed the cams.

e55amgrocket

I Didnt know MHP had cams for these engines. Depending on how everything works when I get the custom cams back I might try the SLR springs if my builder thinks they will work. The springs in the heads now have hardly any time on them so I'm really hoping they will work. Our goal is to make peak power around 6300 and carry that to 7000 and shift at 7100-7200 with 7300 redline. How high have you turned your engine so far?

PACougar

I've been shifting at 6700, I need to get back on a dyno to see where the powers falling off and if I need to move that around. Hopefully I'll have some dyno time next Saturday. I'd like to know where the SLR actually shifts at.

e55amgrocket

I would usually shift around 6800-6900. A few times when it wouldn't shift it would turn over 7000. I seen over 7000 a few times on the data logger. With the PTE cams I was starting to drop off right at 6800-6900 so I'm confident with the new cams and work we've done on the heads ill be able to keep making power until I shift.

Max.H

Interesting... Someone should try to get set of adjustable cam sprockets made. That is way easier to adjust and move the powerband then making new cams, dealing with the lobe seperation angles, coil bind, etc etc.

e55amgrocket

If only it was that simple. All that will do is advance or retard the timing of the valve events.

PACougar

It would really help to shift a bit higher especially because of the gears.

adianaty

Talked to PTE about this already and looked at it myself, no room for adjustables but fixed versions with changes in overlap are possible. Seemed like the PTE cams had a little too much overlap since they were designed for a NA car so I was hoping Pat could adjust the gears to increase the valve separation.

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

How is retarding or advancing the cam gear going to affect overlap on a SOHC engine?

e55amgrocket

Because your changing the LSA by advancing or retarding the cams so your changing the overlap also.

slownrusty

Interesing thread. For forced induction engines, you want a cam that has a fairly aggressive amount of lift to keep the instake valve open as long as possible, the duration does not have to be quite as agressive.

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the case of the engine were discussing, the SOHC design negates any LSA adjustability because the intakes are on the same shaft as the exhaust so any retarding or advancing of the cam will change the ICL or ECL in relation to crankshaft position but the overlap/LSA is a constant.

One exception I can think of to this was the last generation Vipers. They had a cam with another cam inside the core, and the exhaust could be tightened to the intake as the RPM increased.

e55amgrocket

I thought the same thing but was told differently. 99% of my cam knowledge is from pushrod cars so some of this is new to me. When the guy I talke to was talking about the LSA and overlap he said to make sure it was installed straight up and a lot of SOHC can still be slightly advanced or retarded.

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

Yes you could definitely make an error during install and have either cam retarted or advanced in it's entirety, but you'ld need separate intake and exhaust cams in order to alter the LSA or overlap. Its great for broadening the torque curve but with a supercharger a broad torque curve isn't much o a concern

You're Ford savvy if I recall.. Remember The 05+ Mustang GTs ..they use VVT on the 3V engines to help the gutless NA 4.6s get those pigs of a car moving, and then still make some power up top but they'd just be advancing or restarting the whole cam profile. The blown Shelby 4Vs, they were still fixed cams IIRC.
With the new 5.0 DOHCs, all 4 cams have phasers so the LSA along with every other cam timing event except lift and duration are adjustable. An NA engine tuners dream!

Again, correct me if I'm wrong, I could still be drunk from the Rolex race

e55amgrocket

Our cams are almost impossible to mess up instating them. I was saying it is possible to change LSA and overlap with adjusting the cams but not with ours. If we had a intake/exhaust cam we could. I personally hate cam phasers and if your trying to make big power the first thing everyone does is put limiters on them or takes them off completely. The best thing we have going is the airflow out heads can support and we don't need huge lift cams. The one thing I've learned about cams is lift dosent mean that much. Duration does

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

Cam phasers are great.. They're free horsepower! The reason for the locks or limiters usually has to do with PTV clearance. The factory might have 50 or 60 degrees or so of articulation capability in the phaser, which will cause PTV contact if you go adding bigger cams with wider duration. In an all out race engine however theyre not as useful because you're chasing a certain RPM range. Just more parts to fail at that point.

I've done lots of modular Ford stuff, are these AMGs much different in regards to cam setup? Im about to tear apart a pullout engine i picked up to build, been following your build in admiration. I'm assuming I should pick up the cam lock tools? What bolts are throwaways?

adianaty

You are right. Had my conversation with Pat mixed up. We were talking about retarding the stock cams to get the RPM's up and I had asked him if he could change the LSA of the cam independently...