Cam & lifter advice please

[BIGAIR]

Hey all,

Read a few posts and know that if I go roller cam, I will use the lifters from TA. However, I am not sure I can afford roller @ this time. So, I could use some guidance on selection. I currently have an ATR 214 flat tappet cam that has lost some lobe size :frown: Since installing that cam, I have upped turbo size to a 70 Q trim. Car has stock ported heads and T&D rockers.
Soooo, what do you guys recommend?.......cam size, springs, venders,etc. I can sort out the price diff. once I know what I'll buy.

I know info is kind of general, let me know if you need more!
Thanks,

Lee

 

[BIGAIR]

Just saw the Rev. X kit from Full Throttle. Would the 215/220 set up w/ Morel lifters be Ok for my set up? Car has an AC 9" NL 3200-3400.
Don't know the price if a flat tappet set up, but is that a good cam size?

Lee

 

[87action]

camshaft?

Saw one on here not too long ago, full throttle roller 210/215 for around $600

 

[jdpolzin]

How well was the 214/214 ATR cam working with your combo? What is the lift on that cam?

 

[BIGAIR]

Do not remember the lift on the ATR cam. I worked good I guess, but it was going flat before I put the 70 turbo on.
Heres the story......I had the engine built by Duttweiler many years ago w/ a 206 cam, I know that his build was awesome. A few years later, I decided to put in the ATR cam and T&D rr. A local shop did the work as I was not too keen on hauling it out to Ca. again for Duttweiler to do (SHOULD HAVE).
Get the car back, has the new cam, rr and accompaniments and I put on a 61 PTE turbo. Car ran good, but not what I was expecting. One night, started to hear a clacking, take the intake and heads off to find the local shop had not ground off the rocker pedestal to clear the T&D's......So they hardly moved and I found a pushrod right through one of the lifters. I went to the shop and they were out of business, go figure! I replaced the lifter after inspecting the cam as best I could w/ it still installed( I know, I should have pulled and relaced everything, but I did not ) and grinding the pedestal. So I have always thought that the cam had lost lobe size from the restricted movement of the rr. I ran the car for a while and went 11:70's running WAY rich (900egt w/10:00 AF) I over reved and blew a head gasget now and that brings us to my initial post. Now that everything is going to be apart again, it is time to do what I should have done earlier. So recs on a cam for this current turbo and set up would be appreciated. :smile:

Sorry so long, but now you know

Lee

 

[jdpolzin]

Lee, sorry to hear about your luck! I'm no cam expert and am certainly no professional engine builder! I'm on the learning curve and I rely on my friends and reading to teach me! I recently ran into a few post about max lift with stock guides. People are saying .450-.455 is the max unless the guides are cut to clear the large lift. I'm not sure what the lift of the 206 Dutweiler installed was and I'm sure the shop that installed the ATR cam didnt check. Just be sure to check that out when you do decide on your cam. I just took my heads back to the shop to clearence them as well!

Anyways, I do know most people prefer the rollers so they dont have to deal with worn lobes on a flat tappet. For the money, you can istall 3 flat tappet cam and lifters. I dont see a problem using a flat tappet and I am using one in the motor I'm building now. I do know a lot of guys are having luck with 212/212's. To me, this seems to be a pretty well rounded cam for 60-70 series turbos.

 

[BIGAIR]

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah, I would love to go roller, but the money could be spent elsewhere.

I will look into the 212 series stuff, but seems like this turbo may need more, IDK.
I drive it around town every now and then, but mostly it gets driven to the races. So a more aggressive cam is ok.
Lee

 

[jdpolzin]

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah, I would love to go roller, but the money could be spent elsewhere.

I will look into the 212 series stuff, but seems like this turbo may need more, IDK.
I drive it around town every now and then, but mostly it gets driven to the races. So a more aggressive cam is ok.
Lee

Maybe give Dan Strezo a call. He's the man when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm sure others will chime in as well. Might be best to look at people signatures to see what their times are and what cams they run with a similar turbo. Most of what I have read or been told, actually just got off the phone with a guy about this, but anyways most people say the cam isnt really a huge issue unless you get into some serious times. I personally think it does have quite an effect on spool up. To me, it's got to be a balance of turbo, converter, timing, and the flow of the heads. I'm curious to see what others will chime in for this as well. Good thread!