naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Ok, as many of you know I'm in need of getting another cam in my car since I wiped out my MSA Stage II (probably a good thing in the end). I'm looking at regrinds given the indestructible nature of the Nissan cams. I've gotten one response back in my inquiries and it's from Delta Cams. He's offering a regrind at $65 with 260 duration and .460 lift (approximate, he said his books at his shop). That sounds a bit small doesn't it? I'm looking to get a nice wide power band and good low end torque, is this going to wake my engine up or leave me wishing I'd gone bigger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 If you're running stock FI you don't want to go very big, in fact you might be better off sticking with the stock cam. If you're carbed or running aftermarket FI, then that suggested cam isn't very large. Do realize however that when you get up to about .480 or so you run into issues like coil bind and the valve spring retainer hitting the valve stem seal. Running a bigger cam is worth the hassle in my opinion, but you'll need springs, retainers, and new shorter valve stem seals to get around those issues. It's not rocket science and all of those issues have been dealt with and described thoroughly here, but it's more involved doing the .460 cam that the guy suggested. Regardless of which cam you go with, you'll have to get the lash pads right to correct the valvetrain geometry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 I thought it sounded small. I'm running MS-II fuel and spark, I already have Schneider performance valve springs in, I can go as high as .600 if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 You can go that big, but you'll have to deal with the valve stem seal issue. If you deal with that then you can run a big cam with no worries. For a street car that's not extremely temperamental I'd suggest you stick to something around .490 to .530 lift or so. The really big .600 lift cams for L series are really road race cams and they usually have rpm ranges of 5000-8500. Plus they wear out your valvetrain faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 Oh yeah I know, I wasn't suggesting I really wanted one that big...Good lord that would be the end of daily driving that car...haha...No I just want to wake the engine up and give it a good wide power band with some decent torque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 fast z Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 If you have programable, FI, I run a 585 lift 286 duration cam, and its a great all around cam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 585? Good God...I don't need anything that big, although something more around 500 would be nice. So far Delta Cams has only offered up a .464 lift and 272 duration. Wonder why their recommendations are so low? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 When choosing cams for the street it's always best to err on the lower side. Maybe Delta is speaking from experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 585? Good God...I don't need anything that big, although something more around 500 would be nice. So far Delta Cams has only offered up a .464 lift and 272 duration. Wonder why their recommendations are so low? I think they have a lot larger cams that they can grind, but just like MSA they don't really push the big ones because they know that anyone using stock FI will be PISSED OFF when they go to all the hassle and find out that their car runs like dog poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 I think they have a lot larger cams that they can grind, but just like MSA they don't really push the big ones because they know that anyone using stock FI will be PISSED OFF when they go to all the hassle and find out that their car runs like dog poop. I've already explained my specs to them and they're still giving me weak cam specs. The MSA Stage II Cam shaft is pushing more lift and duration than what Delta has offered so far. I like the price, but they need to bump up the specs some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I know they have a "standard" grind which is over .500 lift. Should be able to just ask for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dladow Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Keep in mind that as the cam's duration increases, the general effect is to move the peaks up the power band. The longer duration cams will produce more horsepower, but at a higher rpm, and usually at the sacrifice of less lower rpm torque. On a street motor, torque is where its at, since you live in the 2-5k rpm range most of time. If you are on the track and keeping it at high rpm's, then you won't notice losing the lower rpm torque. On a street motor, the loss of the lower rpm torque with the hotter cam will make the milder cam seem more powerful. Another thing to check is the duration at .050. The higher that number is in relation to the advertised duration, the faster the valve is opening and the more power it will generate. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted August 14, 2007 Administrators Share Posted August 14, 2007 Ok, as many of you know I'm in need of getting another cam in my car since I wiped out my MSA Stage II (probably a good thing in the end). I'm looking at regrinds given the indestructible nature of the Nissan cams. I've gotten one response back in my inquiries and it's from Delta Cams. He's offering a regrind at $65 with 260 duration and .460 lift (approximate, he said his books at his shop). That sounds a bit small doesn't it? I'm looking to get a nice wide power band and good low end torque, is this going to wake my engine up or leave me wishing I'd gone bigger? Naviathan, You’ve got mail… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 Ahhh, finally I see some decent numbers. Just got another email from Delta. They have 280 x 480 292 x 495 Get this: 325 x 475 - This interests me a lot. Lift is a little low, but 325 duration...That could be what I'm looking for right there. He calls it the Hot Street. I requested some more details, but the more I think about it, on an N/A this might the cam to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 Thanks Paul! I'll shoot one back tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 "325 x 475 - He calls it the Hot Street." I call it 'lack of standard measurement'! LOL What are they measuring the duration at, when it bumps off the base circle till it returns? I would be very curious to see what their specifications stack up like when compared with others who use the '0.050" Lift' standard. It really cuts down the duration, and on an N/A engine .050' lift is where you start getting appreciable flows. Turbo is different, those valves crack at the right boost pressure and you are flowing from seat to seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zmanco Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 naviathan, I had Delta Cams regrind my cam to their 284 and .480 lift spec. I kept the stock springs and just changed lash pads. I've been very happy with it. BUT, don't expect lots of low end torque. My stock cam definitely was much stronger below 3k rpm than this one. Not that it's bad, but the real fun happens above 3500 rpm. There's a reason modern cars have variable valve timing What are your plans for the tranny and diff? I went with an 81-83 ZX 5 speed and 4.11 diff. It makes for a very fun car to drive - assuming you enjoy shifting a lot. I don't think I'd be as happy with this cam with the stock 4 speed and 3.36 diff. One last thing, I was a bit disappointed with the way the exhaust tone changed at idle. The stock cam sounded deeper with my header and dynomax muffler. That's not a reason to not do this, but it was a bit of a surprise to me how much the cam changed the sound of the exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 "it was a bit of a surprise to me how much the cam changed the sound of the exhaust." Changing the advance/retard of the cam while dialing it in for maximum power will have the same effect. When we had the Bonneville car dialed in 'straight up' the exhaust valves were opening with pressure still in the chamber, and it sounded like a NHRA Top-Fueler. Some people were actually scared when we fired it up--sounded baaaaada$$! But we got more power as we dialed it in, and the exhaust note (that which you get on straight headers with no exhaust attached...) changed quite a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 You raise some good questions Tony. I'm not realy sure, but being that I want to keep my low end toque, but broaden my power band I think this cam is going to be the way to go. Can't hurt to try and anything has to be better than what I have now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 Zmanco, I want to keep as much torque as I can down low. I'm figuring for the tranny and rear I'll keep the stock trans and pull the 3.54 diffy from my 77. I want this to stay my daily driver and get some decent gas mileage. The change in gears is also the reason iw ant to keep my low end torque. One of these days I'm going to pull the 5 speed from the 240SX in the JY. I might put it in and I might hold it for my 77 that's getting the stroker. Not real sure yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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