Faber

No doubt. Thanks for the awesome replies!!! good to have folks like you on this board!

KenB

Sorry you didn't get a return call. What day/time did you call and did you talk to someone or leave a message? (Just so I can see why we didn't follow up)


Actually, we will be releasing our cams coming soon. I'm just not happy with what is available out there currently and I think we can do better. They probably won't be for sale for a few months as we have alot of testing to do before we release them (does anyone else do this anymore? ) I would stay away from regrind cams. These require expert setup and are not for the average installer. I wouldn't use regrinds period. No reason to when you can get a good set of billet cams.


On all modulars the biggest thing to get right is the cam timing. It's very easy to get it wrong. My 2000 GT had one of the first ever sets of billet cams from Comp. When I put them in, I almost trashed the engine. I timed it right but when I released the chain tensioner, the chain slipped. I didn't see it but I heard it. After checking it all out, one chain slipped one link.

On the 3v it gets a bit more complicated with the cam gears.

tkogt

lopy idle and stock pistons = less power(low end torgue)

if you look at a cam catalog, on the bigger duration cams they will list a min compression ratio for the application.
othewise you will kill the bottom end and the thing will have a powerband like a 2 stroke ( most high duration cams have a powerband that starts at 4500 rpm or higher) the cam in my race motor makes power between 5000 and 9500 rpm.

if the car is just a parking lot poser then go for the lopy idle
if you really intend to put a blower on this motor then wait untill the install and get blower cams and forget the lopy idle unless the blower is just there to bolster the poser thing at the car shows


jay

GT John

You might want to read this article before deciding NOT to change the stock prings and retainers.

http://www.musclemustangfastfords.co...ams/index.html

GL

Faber

That is an awesome article!!!!! Thank you so much! I have been searching for something like that for days.

Faber

I talked to a very nice lady, and she said the technical staff had already gone home for the day, but would call me back in the morning. No big deal really, it is the holiday season so i understand.

dhof303

I have done a swap with both 2v and 3v motors. ANY interference motor that I put cams in gets springs. Retainers are a must IMO if you are racing at high RPM's and pushing large amounts of boost/pressure. I even put springs in Chalon's turbo car with the stock cams just because of the boost pressure and possible RPM's it could see racing (7K and up if the fuel was there and the dyno proved its worthiness).
The drawback to installing cams and springs in the car is hard for sure unless you have the right equipment or take it to someone that does (cylinder pressure tool, 3v spring compressor, and insane amount of patience). Ken knows his stuff, he has been worlds of help to us.

Things I have learned with cam shopping on the 3v:
Comp Cams: Stage I make good power and more easy to tune for, not much sound at all. Comp II and up are great sounding but difficult to dial in--require on-site tuning with experienced 05 and up processor tuner.
BBR-great sound for a little while if you just do car shows and cruise-ins, forget about significant power gains and racing with them is suicide for your motor.
VT-good balance of power and sound, I don't any hands on experience with these personally though.
Derek

GT John

Glad you like the article.

If I was going with cams, I would install the system in the article.

Give Justin at JPC a call. They should be able to provide a tune also.

Have fun

Faber

If there is anything that article did it was to convince me to call on monday and cancel my cam order. This is way too much BS to go through for a 30 rwhp gain and a HUGE loss of low end power. F this cam idea. I need a beer.

GT John

Faber

Faber

So I found out the stock valve spring coil bind is at .512 and the stock springs are beehive springs to begin with. The BBR stage 1 cam is only .480 lift and I heard as long as you can subtract .020 from the coil bind number and the result is higher than your cams lift then you will not have any valve float. So it looks like the BBR stage 1 cams can go on the car without need for a spring change.

Talked to chris at BBR this morning and he said the stage one cams will lose a bit of low end power without a tune, but the drop can be tuned right out and gains will be seen accross the rpm range.

I decided to go ahead with these cams. I will be installing them, and doing a write up Taco Bill style (although he is the undisputed heavyweight champ in the write up category I will do my best)

just a side note to back up my decision not to upgrade the springs and retainers Chris at BBR said that when they were developing the stage 2 cams (way more lift) there were no springs yet developed for the 05 mustang. He said they used the stock springs and retainers and the test car has 2000 miles of pure dyno pulls on it with no spring issues so far.

Five Oh Brian

Looking forward to hearing your results! I'm thinking a cam swap would be great in my car, even if I went with an aggressive profile that built higher rpm power at the expense of low end, as my stall converter flashes to 4300 rpm's now anyway, so I'm never below 4300 rpm's at WOT.

Iceman20v

This is to your original question as to how difficult is it to install cams without springs. I would say you could do that in about 2 hours max with hand tools and novice knowledge about engines. That being said I did my first cam swap earlier this year and went with comp cams stage 4 which requires replacing the springs etc. Now that was a PITA. I figure it took me about 24 hours to replace 24 valve springs and all associated hardware. Although I am glad I did it myself in the end. The power gain was pretty good, about 25-30 rwhp, but there is little to no sound difference in that lopey idle you are looking for. As for other brands such as BBR and Crower etc. I am not sure what they would sound like. Performance wise though I was very happy with the money/effort I put in.

Faber

Awesome! thanks!!!

what did you use in place of the ford timing chain wedge tool? any pitfalls/lessons learned?

Iceman20v

I actually used the ford timing wedge as well as the special tool for the valve springs. I found kits containing both of them for $100 each shipped. But someone suggested if you could get your hands on the wedge then make a diagram of it and make your own out of something soft like wood or foam etc.

bob

That does bring something to light about modern performance engines, they are pretty highly tuned from the factory, and swapping out cams just doesn't give you what it could in the old days.

Faber

I would definately not do it if the investment were close to $2000 for a 30 rwhp gain, but it looks like it will cost me only about $700 in total, which is alot better. I will be as detailed as possible in the write-up.

Iceman20v

Yea I spent at most $1000 because I did the install myself. And that is the stage 4 which includes the springs/retainers too. I dunno I was pretty happy with the gain for the money spent, but I am looking to squeeze as much as I can before I decide to go forced induction or build the motor because I don't have the money to do that right now and I can't wait to save up that long until I have to.

Faber

Got the cams today!

I am going to document and post my experiences with these cams exactly as they happen. I told BBR that I was doing this write up as well.

So here goes:

cams ordered 11/28
Price: 565.00 on sale
Shipping: 52.85 via ups ground (this was kind of dissapointing. I looked up shipping from BBR to my door and it was $21.00 for ground and $32 for 3 day. ups ground means I will most likely miss my weekend install window)

Arrived 12/3
Arrival condition: perfect. good packing job.

The box contained 2 more boxes packed inside it. Inside those boxes the cams were wrapped in plastic, and foam, and bookended by foam as well.

There were some stickers, and an invoice accompanied by instructions.

I talked to Chris at BlowBy Racing on thursday and asked him for a baseline tune for the cams explaining that I was going to try and install them over the weekend. He said he would mail me the tune immediately on thursday. I have not received it yet.

So far I am not having the warmest fuzziest feelings. I ordered the cams on 11/28 fully expecting them to arrive by friday of the following week for the install, but they did not arrive until monday. I can live with all this though as it is just small bs stuff.

The car is at the dealership getting a new gauge cluster (fuel gauge quit working) so I am calling around trying to get a little dyno time for the baseline dyno numbers.