Custom cams with no aftermarket support

[Sam_Q]

I am trying to build up and engine that uses a shim over bucket design and I want to change my cam profile. The head in question is a ae112 7afe and has the following specs

Duration: been told 210 degrees
Overlap: about -10 degrees, seen it with my own eyes in my engine unless the cam was installed wrong
cam lobe intake lift: 8.6mm
cam lobe exhaust lift: 7.9mm

what I want to go to:

Duration: 250 to 260 degrees
intake lift: 9.5mm
exhaust lift 8.5mm


I know theres no aftermarket support that I know of so I am stuck.

heres the options I can see:

- get the cams welded and reground: big $$

- fit shimless buckets, apparently some late model toyota 4 uses something that fits and is 0.75mm higher which would let me grind that amount off the base circle but apparently the nose would still need more material

- apparently running 1mm bigger shims is a non option because it will want to flick a shim, what a bitch, can anyone confirm this? (28mm shim by memory)


or lastly my idea that might well be really dumb:

can I just add an underbucket shim to my existing setup? like a shim over and under bucket? I mean sure the bucket will stick up another 2 mm or so but them I can use my stock setup and have enough material to purely grind away to get what i need.

and lastly the realy loopy idea:

- I make 2 new cams, yep I get 2 billets and get them gun drilled and do as much as I can on a lathe, then I get them ground. Cant see that happening any time soon though!


How do they weld cams up anyway? arc, tig??

[jezza323]

im in a similar position trying to get cams made for a 5efhe

i am looking at going with the welds & grinds, along with shimless buckets (as i want to go bigger in cam than you - 290 degrees)

[Sam_Q]

that would be a pretty wild cam, would you be living to having crap power bellow 4000?

[fixeruperer]

they use special rods that are pretty expensive to weld up the cams, with billet cams the most expensive thing would be getting the 2 meshing gears cut.
with the shim under idea you would need to find a spring retainer that has the cutout for the shim and a suitable bucket the valve would have to be in the right position (height wise in the retainer).

do 7afe have the same size buckets as 4ag

i say get them welded up then when you find you perfect lift/duration, get some billet ones made.

[jezza323]

that would be a pretty wild cam, would you be living to having crap power bellow 4000?

with the right intake/exhaust setup it should be ok from 3500 up...and i can live with that

[Sam_Q]

yeah fair enough, sounds like an interesting project I will have a bit of a look at your worklog when I get a moment.

[jezza323]

oh btw, i got the name of a bloke at Nerang (gold coast) who does cam welds from Billzilla

he is called "Kelford Kams"

not to be confused with "Kelford Cams" of NZ

[takai]

Also look at Clive Cams in Nunawading.... or at least they WERE in Nunawading when i was still living in Vic.

[blacktop]

Also look at Clive Cams in Nunawading.... or at least they WERE in Nunawading when i was still living in Vic.

Clive cams is now in Ferntree Gully just behind the Maccas, I highly recomend him, and he does everything at a very fair price, i wouldn't take my Cams to anyone else!

Clive Cams
35 - 37 Clyde St,
Ferntree Gully,
VIC 3156
Phone: 03 9758 5977
Fax: 03 9758 5977

[c2888]

http://www.powerzone.com.my/products.html

Stumbled across this mob whilst surfing the south african twincam forums.
original thread
http://www.tolken.co.za/twincamforum...ic.php?t=22637

[Billzilla]

oh btw, i got the name of a bloke at Nerang (gold coast) who does cam welds from Billzilla

he is called "Kelford Kams"

not to be confused with "Kelford Cams" of NZ

Perhaps ironically Phull .... er Phil from Kelfords in Nerang is a Kiwi and it's a Kiwi company but his is just the Aussie branch.

http://www.powerzone.com.my/products.html

Stumbled across this mob whilst surfing the south african twincam forums.
original thread
http://www.tolken.co.za/twincamforum...ic.php?t=22637

That's another mate of mine in KL, Sirazul.
He's a pretty darn good engine builder, he knows his stuff.

[Sam_Q]

fixeruperer: Unless I am mistaken the gears come off the cams so that wouldnt have to be machined. I dont see why I need a recess in the retainer for the shim. For example to explain what I mean a 20v shim is 8mm diameter and that is smaller than the diameter of the two mating collets. Anyway I just had a look even if 20v shims would fit it would only give me an extra 0.9mm which is nowhere near enough. Oh and 20v buckets are quite tiny
compared to FE items.
As for clive cams it was either them or wade cams that said they would do it but it would cost over 1K...

Bill, what does that Kelford guy charge for a weld and grind for someone like me?

also do you think theres any merit in getting cams off that Sirazul guy? he doesnt seem to like answering mail at the moment. Would he just be selling welded cams himself or is he C&C lathe/milling them?

do I have any other options?

[jezza323]

Kelford Kams guy quoted me $30/lobe for a weld & grind

[blacktop]

As for clive cams it was either them or wade cams that said they would do it but it would cost over 1K...

I almost garentee it wasn't Clive that gave you that price
$80 each cam for a grind so i would amagine it would be about another $100 or so on top of that for Weld and grind
If he chages you over $500 i would be shocked and amazed!!!

He is only a small one man company i think, his about 60 years old and his been doing it since he was a teenager


I would strongly recomend giving him a call as he knows his shit and is always willing to give his experiance on the matter

[Sam_Q]

ok i will try and call again,

hey if cams are prone to chip is nitriding an option?