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Where do you like cam? Adv or ret

Wilford Brimley

Wilford Brimley

Is posting from the grave
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Location
Marysville, wa
So I am wondering what you guys prefer or how your car has responded to advancing or retarding your cam, I'm running the ipd turbo cam with a ".50 trim" t3t4, header, 3" open dp... not sure if running straight up is the best or what happens if the timing is changed one direction or the other, so what does tb prefer? Not chipped yet
 
Advancing generally brings peak power lower in the revs, retarding will move it higher.

With adjustable timing, it can be fun to try a few degrees on either side and see what feels best with what other mods you have. Then move a step further in the direction you liked best. Or do it on a dyno and see what happens to your power band.
 
Do it on a dyno is the right answer. When we have, we've found that straight up gave the best total power under the curve, regardless of cam. Too much advance or retard just means that you have the wrong cam for the application, probably because you got it here for $14.99 shipped and are trying to make it work.
 
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When I had an 8V motor and a 16T turbo and an IPD turbo cam, I had it retarded slightly, just to help with wheel spin in the lower gears. A bit less low end torque, and a bit more high end. Made it a bit easier to modulate off the line.
 
I have an A cam fully advanced STS gear in my 91 245 an aw70, it will keep up with or even pass traffic. I tried 3 degrees retard on my 242 turbo car but made it a dog down low and peaky up top. It's advanced 2.5 degrees now and I'm happier with it, it launches hard at autocross.
Edit I'm running enem V16T in the turbo car.
 
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When I set mine slightly retarded it was at a test-n-tune night at the dragstrip. And advanced made it feel peppier driving it around, but in the 1/4, you were mostly in that RPM range on a launch, and it would spin in 1st and you had to lift a bit to counter. Then mostly from there you were in higher RPM's on the shift.

So retarding it made for higher traps speeds.
 
VB242 said:
I have an A cam fully advanced STS gear in my 91 245 an aw70, it will keep up with or even pass traffic. I tried 3 degrees retard on my 242 turbo car but made it a dog down low and peaky up top. It's advanced 2.5 degrees now and I'm happier with it, it launches hard at autocross.
Edit I'm running enem V16T in the turbo car.
Click to expand...
How far can the STS gear go?
The old drilled out Dale cam gears I use go 0,2,6 in either direction.

A cam is basically a T cam with power range kicked up 1000rpm.
This would make sense if you were advanced 6* or more.

As soon as I smog my 1990 245, I'm putting a Tcam in it advanced as much as I can get it. These auto cars need any little amount of power they can get for daily driver.


Thread 'A cam vs. IPD Turbo Cam in NA application:' https://turbobricks.com/index.php?threads/a-cam-vs-ipd-turbo-cam-in-na-application.150954/
 
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240 240 said:
How far can the STS gear go?
The old drilled out Dale cam gears I use go 0,2,6 in either direction.

A cam is basically a T cam with power range kicked up 1000rpm.
This would make sense if you were advanced 6* or more.

As soon as I smog my 1990 245, I'm putting a Tcam in it advanced as much as I can get it. These auto cars need any little amount of power they can get for daily driver.


Thread 'A cam vs. IPD Turbo Cam in NA application:' https://turbobricks.com/index.php?threads/a-cam-vs-ipd-turbo-cam-in-na-application.150954/
Click to expand...
10 degrees, and I smogged my 90 with an A cam in it, so you should have no issue
 
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