Camshaft experiences in here please

[sprayed65]

I've searched around and read some decent info on camshafts, seems I'll stick around a 204-208 duration for my stock headed TTA...

My question resides in this, I'm going to go through all the work and process of installing a cam and I would like to be able to hear my results, as in I want to know which cams you guys call choppy or which cams hit hard? A friend of mine has a big roller in his GN and it idles the way I like them, slow and choppy.

I will be going with a flat tappet due to budget restraints, which ones sound the best for what I will be putting in my stock headed TTA...I want to get as far from a stock sounding idle as possible.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

You don't need a big cam for our cars...in fact, you could really throw off your performance if you put too big a cam in (to get that lopey V-8 sound) and you don't have the rest of your combo to support the cam.

a 206/206, 208/214 or similar cam will wake up you car....maybe a cutout will give you the sound you're looking for.......

 

[sprayed65]

I've got a cutout, along with an upgraded turbo and some 50# injectors...houston downpipe and some other goodies, a th400 and a good converter going in this week...

While I'm sure someone has run 10's on a stock cam, it's probably a whole lot easier to do so with the correct cam for a setup or at least a more efficient one (tens are not my goal btw). I don't need it to sound like an outlaw car or anything, but I am not digging the "yeah my muffler fell off" sound at the stoplights

 

[83ttypecooled]

lumpy idle

Hi,
The NICE thing about turbo Buicks is that they don't make a lot of noise, aren't lumpy on the idle either. In a world where fart cans rule, it is kind of nice to only hear the whistling death that signifies a properly set up turbo Regal.Our cars don't need radical cams;if you want lumpity lump, buy a Chevy.

 

[sprayed65]

Hi,
The NICE thing about turbo Buicks is that they don't make a lot of noise, aren't lumpy on the idle either. In a world where fart cans rule, it is kind of nice to only hear the whistling death that signifies a properly set up turbo Regal.Our cars don't need radical cams;if you want lumpity lump, buy a Chevy.

if I went that route I'd buy something fast like a ford ....well actually that makes no sense, my fastback rattles the pavement lol

so are you guys saying those cams sound stock?

 

[SouthernCal GN]

My 214/214 roller has a bit of lope, but nothing really crazy. I prefer the quiet, stealthy approach; it makes the look on my victims' face all the more priceless when this black, quiet, grandpa sled blows by them!

I also run Walker Ultra-Flo mufflers, which give a good tome.

 

[breiter]

Kenne Bell 208

I run a Kenne Bell flat tappet 208. I have other goodies as listed in my signature but as far as an good tone at idle I am pleased. There is a little more to it then just the cam. A couple more factors are your exhaust and engine timing. My car sounds different at 15 degrees of timing compared to 19 or 20. Bigger is not necessarily better. It's all in the tune.....

 

[VadersV6]

First off, this isnt a V8, so it'll never really sound like one. Second, Its not a naturally aspirated motor. To get more air in a naturally aspirated motor, you need to open the intake valve earlier and close the valve later. This adds overlap which brings in fresh air and dumps it right back out through the exhaust without being used, and also bleeds off cylinder pressure at lower-mid rpm cause the valve is closing so late and the piston is pushing the air right back out the intake valve into the intake manifold. To compensate for the bleedoff of cylinder pressure, the compression usually gets increased. This brings back much of the lower rpm torque. The choppy idle is a by-product of all this. You pick a cam that matches the curve you want. Not a cam that sounds cool. Its basically barely running at idle because the cam specs make it incredibly inefficient at low rpms, but great up high. The turbo buick by nature makes ALOT of power at low rpm and not alot up high. The turbo creates alot of cylinder pressure at low rpm. You want to throw in a cam thats completely unsuited for the natural power curve of the turbo buick motor. The stock cams, or close to stock cams work so great because they're a great match for the natural characteristics of a turbo motor. The turbo forces the air in, and the stock cam lets it in and seals it up in time...it doesnt just dump it right back out without being used. An N/A motor is a completely different animal and should be treated as such. Figure that every 10 degrees added duration will raise the powerband up 300-500rpm. A 210 cam is about 20 degrees over stock. Figure that raises the powerband up 800rpm. Are your heads well matched for the increased rpm? Is the turbo matched for that? If you want to slap on so much overlap and duration just to get the pro-stock sound, you're going to end up losing power if the rest of the engine isnt built to match, as well as the torque converter.

 

[bison]

I recently got my blue GN running and it has a fabricated 3" in exhaust on it with flowmaster muffs. The exhaust is heavy and not the best for performance but it sounds great. I am also running a 212-212 comp roller with a nearly 9.0-1 compression ratio. If your not worried about performace as much as much as me, maybe you should look into the flowmaster muffs. They are not suited for turbo application though. Too bad you not local because i will be removing this exhaust at some point and replacing it with a lighter free flowing single 3 or 3.5". Until then i am using an electric cut out. I would let it go cheap but wont ship it.

 

[QUIP'6']

running frang's 204/214 cam just lifted head and blew gasket when i took heads off i inspected cam and lifters THEY ARE PERFECT NO ABNORMAL WEAR i ran 12.98 on stock parts with this cam on 94 octane has reverse taper

 

[VadersV6]

Flowmasters? You can stick bananas in your tailpipes and get the same performance for alot less money. :biggrin:

 

[John Wilde]

My 214/214 roller has a bit of lope, but nothing really crazy. I prefer the quiet, stealthy approach; it makes the look on my victims' face all the more priceless when this black, quiet, grandpa sled blows by them!

I also run Walker Ultra-Flo mufflers, which give a good tome.

Sounds like you have the fastest boat in the harbor!

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Yup!

So, John, ya making the move up here out of the SF madness?

 

[John Wilde]

Yup!

So, John, ya making the move up here out of the SF madness?

We are thinking about it.
My son will be born in January and we will put our house up for sale in late spring.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Offer that we talked about earlier is still open, if you want to take that exploratory trip.......let me know!

Couple of nice houses for sale on my street...

 

[oddfire6]

First off, this isnt a V8, so it'll never really sound like one. Second, Its not a naturally aspirated motor. To get more air in a naturally aspirated motor, you need to open the intake valve earlier and close the valve later. This adds overlap which brings in fresh air and dumps it right back out through the exhaust without being used, and also bleeds off cylinder pressure at lower-mid rpm cause the valve is closing so late and the piston is pushing the air right back out the intake valve into the intake manifold. To compensate for the bleedoff of cylinder pressure, the compression usually gets increased. This brings back much of the lower rpm torque. The choppy idle is a by-product of all this. You pick a cam that matches the curve you want. Not a cam that sounds cool. Its basically barely running at idle because the cam specs make it incredibly inefficient at low rpms, but great up high. The turbo buick by nature makes ALOT of power at low rpm and not alot up high. The turbo creates alot of cylinder pressure at low rpm. You want to throw in a cam thats completely unsuited for the natural power curve of the turbo buick motor. The stock cams, or close to stock cams work so great because they're a great match for the natural characteristics of a turbo motor. The turbo forces the air in, and the stock cam lets it in and seals it up in time...it doesnt just dump it right back out without being used. An N/A motor is a completely different animal and should be treated as such. Figure that every 10 degrees added duration will raise the powerband up 300-500rpm. A 210 cam is about 20 degrees over stock. Figure that raises the powerband up 800rpm. Are your heads well matched for the increased rpm? Is the turbo matched for that? If you want to slap on so much overlap and duration just to get the pro-stock sound, you're going to end up losing power if the rest of the engine isnt built to match, as well as the torque converter.

i couldnt of explained it any better. these cars are hi tech, you cant be thinking old school V8 when trying to make more power....

 

[Turbo1dr]

A friend of mine has a big roller in his GN and it idles the way I like them, slow and choppy.

I'll bet that if the idle mixture on your friends GN was richer it would idle smooth as glass. My 214-210 roller cam is choppy at an idle if I get the mixture lean at idle but when it's rich it's smooth.

 

[SloGN]

combo and dyno results in sig. i have since then swapped out the stock ecm for a fast system and have not got the car to the dyno again.

I have got to fix second gear before heading back to the track or dyno.


i love my stock cam