New Cam

[Guest chris]

Just removed cam cover and inspected cam.One of the lobes on the cam seems worn,

very visible groove worn into 2nd lobe from back.2 questions.How do I identify which cam is in

the engine(2ltr).When I bought the car allready built I was told it was an RL cam,as far as I understand this would mean that the head would have had to have been modded to accept an RL cam and would need to confirm this before I go out and buy a new RL or FR cam as a replacement.Secondly, not having that much experience with stripping down a head,how difficult

(or easy)is replacing a cam or is this best left to an engineer?Hope someone can help.

chris

[Peter Bell]

Hi Chris, in my experience identifying a cam is very tri cky, some have coloured markings but not always, and just looking at them doesn't mean much. Kent RL cams are pretty wild things which must be a pain to drive on the road. There is good info in Dave Andrews site on pinto cams, look on the old? RHOCAR site under downloads. To replace the cam is straight forward and with luck you may be able to do it with the head in place, it will involve cutting a hole in the bulkhead as the cam comes out of the back of the engine for some strange idea. If you have some major fixtures in the way of the cam the head will have to be removed, it may be a good idea anyway to examine the valves etc. Just follow the haynes manual and make sure you have marked the position of the jackshaft pulley, (the one that drives the distributor) before you take the belt off. It is also a good idea to fit new followers at the same time as the cam.

Regards Peter

[Guest RH1]

Having fitted a s/h Kent cam to my engine, it was marked on the very rear of the shaft, only way to see the marking is to remove rocker cover and look at the very back end of the shaft, if yours is non standard then it may well be marked in the same place.

 

Mine has the marking, KCFR22

 

As far as changing the cam read the manual it is fairly straight forward to do, if you get a new non standard cam kit such as a kent, it will come with full instructions for fitting and timing etc.

 

Rob

[Big Jim]

Before you start spending money, do you really want to upgrade your cam? or is it just because you have seen some wear? if your happy with the performance and it's just because of the wear, and it's only a few score lines on a couple of lobes, then I wouldn't bother, it will be fine. Even if there's 1/16 inch wear, you won't notice any problems. If you are going to upgrade, then it can become very costly, a cam kit is £160'ish, and you'll need a vernier pulley, that's another £60. a new up-graded cam belt £20'ish, a decent head gasket, oil, filter, new cylinder head bolts, new anti-freeze, new rocker cover gasket.

If you are going to do it, don't cut holes in your bulkhead, that's a bodgers way of doing the job, take off the cylinder head, you should change the valve springs (although I didn't when I put the FR32 cam in a ex-injection engine)

[Guest Battery Bill]

Chris

When we took our donor to bits the camshaft had 2mm ears on it all along!

It still seemed to run OK (We have put a new one in) but if yours is just a bit of wear why bother spending too much dosh?

[Guest chris]

Thanks for the comments chaps.Ive just costed the "operation"and have thought better of it till the winter may be.One thing though,what does a vernier pulley do?(pardon my

ignorance on the subject)

cheers chris

[Big Jim]

To get the best out of a performance cam, (and that's why you fit them) it's best to fit a vernier pulley to get the opening and closing times of the valves spot on for that cam. The vernier pulley is slightly adjustable, where the "Ford" pulley is either a tooth this way or a tooth that way, with the vernier, you can adjust by smaller amounts. You can use the Ford pulley, but you're not getting the best settings.

[Guest Simon cooper]

Me again (like a bad penny),

If you have as much as 3 thou wear to your cam, then i am afraid it is scrap. The case hardening has gone and wear will accelerate at a phenominal rate. It is also bloody noisey and closing up the tappets will only alter your cam timing on that valve.

The toe of a cam is the most stressed piece of steel in the whole engine. Due to the angle of the dangle and ramp angles, opening and closing angles are drastically affected.

If your lobe has worn on number 2 , then you have an oil supply problem on that hole in the spray bar. I always take out the holes on the spray bar by the next size up in drill. Wash the spray bar in petrol and airline it.

A Vernier pully enables you to alter the cam timing in relation to the crank (infinately). By advanceing or retarding the cam by as little as 4 degrees you gain more bottom end torque or more top end speed, depending on your needs at the time. In simple terms it allows you to shift your "power band" up and down the rev range.

When you fit a non standard cam, you should fit a vernier so as to get the best out of the cam. Also, the woodruf key is not always in the same place as your original ford cam as some cams are "re-profiled" from old cams and this means that the lobes are offset slightly to alter the angles needed.

The operation is simplicity itself with the head on the bench. Please don't cut up your car just for the saving of a head set and bolts.

Simon

[Mat-Moo]

I guess that means my cam is a bit worn then?

[Guest chris]

Looks like youve got my cam there Mat!!

chris

[Guest Angel Boy]

I guess that means my cam is a bit worn then?

 

Mat,

How do you get the penny washers on your camshaft?

 

Andy