Daniel, You asked for suggestions. Here is mine. When you are teaching and you introduce a new term make sure you immediately define that term when you introduce it. As it relates to this video, the term 'base circle' was never defined. This is the only issue I found in this excellent video! I love how you take your time and make clear points using real world examples.
Here are my notes/cheat sheet from this video. Hope it helps someone new to all of this! Corrections and possible improvements welcome! The most important aspects of a camshaft are: Duration, Lobe Separation and Intake Centerline. SBC = Small Block Chevy. BBC = Big Block Chevy. LSA = Lobe Separation Angle. IC = Intake Centerline. LL = Lobe Lift. Lobe Lift is Distance. VL = Valve Lift. Rocker Ratio x Lobe Lift = Valve Lift. A more aggressive Lobe Lift moves the valve faster. On a cam card for a Solid roller cam you are looking for data at: .020 Lift, .050 Lift and .200 Lift When you see a bigger .020 number that means the cam is moving the valve slower. This is called the Intensity. On a Solid cam .020 Duration is advertised. .020 = Time. The smaller the .020 gets the less time we have. Generally speaking the smaller the .020 number is and the .050 stays the same the better the engine will run. On a cam card for a Hydraulic roller cam you are looking for data at: .06, .050 and .200 When you see a bigger .06 number that means the cam is moving the valve slower. This is called the Intensity. On a Hydraulic cam .006 Duration is advertised. .06 = Time. The smaller the .006 gets the less time we have. Generally speaking the smaller the .006 number is and the .050 stays the same the better the engine will run. Most Hydraulic cams are designed for a .700 wheel Lifter. A bigger wheel on the Lifter increases Duration. For any given cam you can run a different wheel size. Solid cam example designed for .900 base circle SBC and taken from a Master used to make cams so the following are real world numbers: @.020 (Time) 301 (Degrees) @.050 (Time) 267 (Degrees) LL = .431 (Distance) V.L. = .646 From the factory it has a Rocker Ratio of 1.5. 1.5 x .431 = .646 Valve Lift
I've been in the automotive repair business for almost 40 years. Basically stock repairs and so forth. I don't get into the modified builds. Basically stock part replacement and such so never really had to get into the physics of the cam specs and such. I have always known that there is a lot of factors and thinking that is put into cam specs for what you are looking to set up the motor for what you want it to do for the application. If I ever get into doing myself a modified setup Mr. Daniel is going to be the guy I will be calling for information, parts and assistance for my engine. You can put a lot of modified parts in an engine and It will most likely run but if the physics and proper combination of parts and set up are not correct you end up with lost performance you never knew it could have. Thank you for your time sharing this overlooked misunderstood information. Like I said if I ever get into a modified build you will be my go to guy❤
What most people don't realize is the industry kind of compensates for lash using .020 advertised duration on solids to compare cams, and the .050 duration at the valve is actually less because of lash. When changing to a solid, you need more duration at .050 than a hydraulic to get the same performance.
Had I completed this video prior to speaking with Mr. Daniel I wouldn't have mentioned the lift on my camshaft... having done so I was reminded how irrelevant that fact was. Thank You Mr. Daniel for taking your valuable time to speak with me today on the phone. Speaking with you has helped define some decisions to be made with the correct route to take.
Never gave the mechanical pump lever, consideration, on an upcoming roller build of mine. You Sir, just saved me: time, dollars and STRESS!!!! Thanking you.
Daniel, maybe one of the best cam videos on RU-vid, having worked in a factory that made HSS cutting tools- I can appreciate the details that you are presenting. Thank you for your detail. Looking forward to EP # 2
I’m sure you know & probably aren’t thinking about it, but top tier promod hemi shit, you have to watch the lash & springs ect every pass! They are extremely aggressive, big rocker ratio & they beat parts up! Especially the springs! But you are 100% right with most stuff, we only check lash to make sure nothing is going away! Good stuff rarely needs adjustment! Lots of drag & drive stuff with all aluminum engines, usually tighten to zero lash before the drive! Because the blocks & heads grow so much! Yes, the valves are usually hung open in the morning!
Solid Flat Tappet is a no no today. I once chased my tail having to adjust clearance because cam lobes were wearing prematurely. Comp Cams special. 😂 Pulled the cam and most all lobes were worn rounded.
Just a suggestion for future videos: at this point most people are watching on their phones, so moving the camera closer to the board to make the numbers easier to read would be helpful. Not a huge deal, just thought I'd mention it. Thanks for the info.
I recently put a Comp Cam hydraulic roller retro fit the tech at Comp cams said my MSD distributor with melonized gear and original fuel pump push rod is compatible so far so good only got a couple hundred miles on it so far, great video keep them coming 👍
Brother, this is some great information. I knew most of this this. But not all. I learned some new stuff today. Thank you sir. This is why I enjoy your videos so much. Keep em comin!!!!
Thank you for diving down the camshaft rabbit whole. Would you explain how to select a cam for a cylinder head design. Ie hemi, canted valve bbc, wedge heads, an so on. How port flow differences between the intake and exhaust changes the cam for single or dual pattern. Thank you so very much for taking the time to make all your videos
When you mentioned people referring to cam "size" by the lift, it really took me back, thinking about talking cams with fellow racers' and hot rodders' for the last 25 years... Cam talk seems to follow the genre of the engine at hand... And they tend to only mention one spec, MAYBE two. ie SBC guys almost ALWAYS talked cam size referencing lift, and LS guys always start with the @.050 number or IAN (Internet Adverted Number) 😂 #ijudgeyoubycamtalk
I'm viewing this vid only about 6 minutes in so I don't know what's coming, but somewhere in these Cam101 vids I'm hoping that you do a quick run through on the Cam Pro Plus printouts. Good info. Waiting for Ep#2.
31:34 my old 1940s tractor service manuals say to lash cold, i know those engines are worlds different from modren stuff. I've checked these tractors hot & cold without much change.
@powellcams please get into how to choose a cam for an application and HP/TQ desired. For example i have: X cubic inches X heads/flow/valves/runners X compression/fuel And i want to make X HP/TQ in X RPM range To help avoid wasted money, time and a disappointing combo
Harvey Crane Popularized Intensity but it never really caught on- bummer. With my Cam Doc I normalize to .006 at the valve to compensate for rocker and lash this is called "SAE" duration Think A Crane at .004 or the big box cams · Looking at the BAM roller lifters and see the have a .750 wheel and a .815 wheel. Use the largest wheel possible but remember on MOPAR high lift lobes can uncover the oil galley unless special lifters are used Crower and others have them There is some free cam/ system software her there are others get familiar before tieing up your cam grinders phone I've used a early version for like 50 years Nice presentation
LSA is dictated by combustion chamber efficiency. The better the chamber, the greater the lsa needed. Deep 1st gen wedge heads like 104. Late model l.s. heads like 112° or more.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you mentioned a point about lobe profile velocity that I never heard.....that would be comparing numbers at .o20 and .o53.....thanks.............still heavy shit........I measure or compare grinds by opening and closing events........this tells me exactly in degrees ; how much overlap the cam has,,,,,,,the same is when knowing how much lift at TDC overlap the cam has............I learned this from Tom Sifton years ago.......I ran Harley big twin cams , there was only one rocker ratio available , so TDC lift was specified on the cam card........with cars you have to degree the cam to find that.......rocker ratios are adjustable via swapping rocker arms........................thanks,,,,,,,,I don't trust mega cam companies and mass production catalog stuff.............I would pay the small amount extra to get someone to make me a grind by my chosen events and the possible lsa for the desired power range.......thanks again......
Have you heard of a cam lobe designer that used to work at Reeds cams. His name is Ingram I believe. He has a dos based program for sale for designing lobes.
Are single cam VVT cams generally just "normal" cams ground with built in advance to be phased out, or are they actually designed differently because you can control the retard applied? It would be great if someone got into the details of VVT on LS/LT motors other than just to delete it - I think a lot of us get the basics, but I don't understand it well enough to visualize what all changing the centerline w/o changing the relationship between the valve events does... And thanks for your main channel and this one!
I like to check lash hot on a new combo, but set it cold. The problem with setting hot is... who the hell keeps temperature logs? Once I figure out the good cold number, its settled.
I was watching a youtube video the other day And the guy was saying you should set the lash when the lifter is on the lash ramp because right in that area the cam will be around .001 -.002 lower than the heal of the cam. He claims camshaft manufacturers purposely grind them this way. I told him I feel if the cam grind is lower at the lash ramp then the cam is either worn or bent. What do you think?
@@PowellCams this guy is a race engine builder and he says to set the lash on the lash ramp. Hard to believe somebody could build race engines and think that way. Lol
Hey, have a question. I have a solid roller and put in 2 different motors. The larger cubic inch really changed the idle quality to stock sounding or near. I was wondering if it was just the extra cubic inches or another factor. Here's the 2 engines. The smaller was 355, 11:1 comp ratio, I stalled cam straight up, no advance or retard. Also used same heads and intake on both. The larger engine was 406, about 15:1 comp ratio, advanced the cam 6 degrees. Not sure if the comp ratio and or advance turned it to a stockish idle or if you think it was extra cubes alone. And also it may sounded stock but it a beast of a torque monster from idle which was about 800 until my chip I set at 6500, outran everything I lined up beside, true sleeper with the sound. In the 355 it was hitting a pretty decent lump. Oh also the 355 I ran gear drive, 406 double roller chain with ton slots to advance or retard, Cloyes I think
Sorry but I have to disagree I say a lash of .010 for example when cold may be 0 when hot I understood you to say it opposite .010 cold could be .020 when hot. Please correct me when I am wrong but heat should make the tolerances tighter and not looser in my opinion.
I know you said you use the Cam Doctor to measure & analyze your cams, but that’s a DOS OS program and won’t run on modern computers. Which software program do you use and how do you organize your files?
