Camshaft:- Performance or Stock? you be the judge.

[blkfordsedan]

You're gonna make me sign up on Facebook, aren't you...

[FestYboy]

Ya just did 1 for drumnerd33. Lots of info about it on my shops Facebook page. The lobe profile is much more aggressive, requiring less duration for the same type of power output. What I came up with will produce tremendous increase in power & compliments the increase flow of a ported head, cam specked @ 209/219 @ .050 .512/.513 lift 109 LS

Matt, might you be able to A-B a stock and ported head with that particular cam? I only ask because swapping a cam takes baybe an hour if you're slow, but swapping heads is a bit more involved and for those who will want to do this in steps, it would give them an idea as to what each step would be worth in power increase.

this may not be what you have in mind, but for the average Joe on a budget, a step by step build and dyno of a top end system would show what each stage does. i.e. start with stock engine, then add cam, then add header, then add what ever intake mod you have planned, then add modified head, and then finaly swap pistons.

i'm just thinking out loud here of ways to garner more intrest.

[blkfordsedan]

Hate to keep asking questions, Matt, but "inquiry minds want to know"..

*With the B3 heads you've reworked, how much cam journal wear have you seen? Have you seen any that you felt were questionable?

*Are you re-using the old rockers on your new cams? Are you worried about used rockers causing pre-mature wear on your new cams?

[sketchman]

^

my cams are nitrited .030 deep into the lobes after grinding, nothing short of 7 1/2 grinder with a hard wheel should eat the lobes.

[mattdickmeyer]

Hate to keep asking questions, Matt, but "inquiry minds want to know"..

*With the B3 heads you've reworked, how much cam journal wear have you seen? Have you seen any that you felt were questionable?

*Are you re-using the old rockers on your new cams? Are you worried about used rockers causing pre-mature wear on your new cams?

I have only ran into 1 head that was unusable. What happens is the cylinder head bows & puts excessive thrust on the end journals of the cam & grinds away the aluminum on the journals.

[mattdickmeyer]

Matt, might you be able to A-B a stock and ported head with that particular cam? I only ask because swapping a cam takes baybe an hour if you're slow, but swapping heads is a bit more involved and for those who will want to do this in steps, it would give them an idea as to what each step would be worth in power increase.

this may not be what you have in mind, but for the average Joe on a budget, a step by step build and dyno of a top end system would show what each stage does. i.e. start with stock engine, then add cam, then add header, then add what ever intake mod you have planned, then add modified head, and then finaly swap pistons.

i'm just thinking out loud here of ways to garner more intrest.

The answer to you is complicated. All said, to test every combination of cams w/headers, cams w/stock head, cams w/ported head, header w/stock head, header w/ported head & so on & dyno everything as I do it & then test H/L compression on pistons, different IN manifolds. Believe it or not would cost more then $20,000 in shop time/material. However, I have recently bought a '91 Festiva (come to find out it needs a tranny) for the purposes of dyno thrashing. It is completely stock so it will offer excellent base line numbers & I will be using it for purposes proving how well my products work. The reality is, I enjoy doing this & it is a break from the everyday norm but financially my progress depends on demand.

[jawbraeka]

The cam that you have appears to be stock. The lift you have lifted is stock, the duration on the OE B3 cam @ .050 lift is 190 degrees. If you measure @ .020 lift duration is approximately 205, so possibly the specs you have are @ .020. I spoke with a guy at FMS years ago when I was considering developing my own cams, they had absolutely no idea what the specs were on "their own" cams indicating they had no involvement in the production of their product.

As for a catalog of parts for Festiva's, I am working on making more parts available.

WOOT WOOT

My problem is that there's around 6 engine combinations that are popular for the Festiva & it can cost $1,000's if not tens of thousands to develop performance products for 1 engine alone.

I understand that designing, fabricating and then testing each cam can be expensive and time-consuming.. i am a patient person, and i'm in no hurry..
however, is there a way to at least run a "simulation" for each cam at all without production at all to find the best balance for economy/acceleration/speed?

I have counted 36 different testing scenarios so far and i am certain this is something that isn't just done in your spare time.

With that in mind, can you tell me the 6 motors that are popular with the festiva and can you give me a rundown of each of the types of cam that would be considered for the top 6 in each engine.. for example

1. EconoMAX v1 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?
2. Economax v2 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?
3. Economax v3 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?
4. left this spot for the elusive Peconomax 7000 lol - The most idea cam of the lot.
5. PowerBAND v3 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?
6. PowerBAND v2 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?
7. PowerBAND v1 - What does this cam do / What benefits will this cam have?

3d printing is becoming an option and i'm sure that people would love to see a kit coming from you with a "DIY B3 Printable Performance kit" printable from home and be able to make a 1:1 scale plastic model at home.. this would be sick.. any chances of this happening anytime soon from you guys there.. i'd be in on this in a flash.

I have talked with several members & the 1 thing that I keep hearing is, "I want the most power I can get but yet get the best fuel economy", this is why I have focused mainly on the B3 as it fits that criteria. I am working on an engine right now to test some future products that I am sure will eclipse any level of power ever produced by any engine combination.

Sweet, i want to run the socks of a fully blown Holden Commodore/Chevrolet anyways. let me know when you get closer.

Along with the performance parts that I already have available & with what is coming in the future, I would certainly offer complete engine assemblies that are ready to install.

Sweet.. i'll be happy to wait for a catalogue of "pick-n-mix" performance, all ready to install and definite props would be thrown your way, along with a shitload of cash too.

Sorry matt, all my questions are within the quote in bold... please let me know what your thoughts are on these as i'd be quite interested.

Thanks.

[mattdickmeyer]

HOLY CRAP!!!!!! Do you want a cheeseburger & fries with that too?? (just joking) In terms of simulations, I do in some cases do this, but at the end of the day, it is just a simulation & I hold VERY little stock in them. I have done simulations & then dynoed & seen anything from similar results to not even close. In terms of testing to find the best cam profile, I have done this as well. I wound up with 3 different particular profiles that I feel that would fit the needs for the majority of the members engine combos. And lets be honest here, there is nothing really wild & crazy going on that would require an outrageous cam profile. Remember, if you have a particular combo & feel the need to maximize your set up, all you have to do is contact me to discuss your engine combo & intended usage & I can develop a profile for your specific application. As far as running ALL of those different engine combos you listed, it would be unrealistic as the possible combos one could have are endless & it would be more productive to continue as I am contacted by members. We have as many as 35 cars go thru the shop a week PLUS all the custom work that I do. As far as the other engines that members are putting in festivas, B6 B6T B8 & BP, I could provide cams, valves & things like these as well. The problem is, for the most part, I am the only one funding this movement & I am sure many have no idea the expense involve.

[blkfordsedan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, cam grinders use a pre-existing master lobe to grind (duplicate) onto production or regrind cam shafts. The big expense is creating the master lobe. For the typical SBC/SBF, this is not a big issue since there are tons of different master profiles already in existence. They can usually find one to fit your specifications. When I talked to Crane and Comp Cams about a custom grind for my B6, neither one said they had any masters that were compatible with the Mazda OHC design and they both recommended Web Cams. Assuming this is all true, did you have new masters created?

As far as the other engines, the B6 (8V) is basically the same as the B3. You could have a custom grind specific for the B6 to address the differences in rod length, bore and such, but I personally dont think it would feasible. I'm sure you could squeeze a little extra out, but im sure you have a pretty good idea how your existing B3 grinds would perform. In other words, I think the grinds you already have for the B3 will suffice for us few B6 guys. In the event that you or someone else decides to build a max effort 8V B6, then it might be different. The DOHC crowd already has some (albeit limited) aftermarket support thanks to the Miata and Escort. However, if you did develop some grinds for these, you would have the advantage of a larger market that extends beyond the Festiva world. These are just my personal thoughts.

If you would, could you PM me the specs and prices on the cams you have? I went on Facebook, but it won't let me access anything other than pictures since I don't have an account. Tax returns will be coming back soon and I really want to look at swapping out my FMS cam for something a little more "meaty". I assume I would have to look at springs as well. I don't know if the valve guide height on the B6 is the same as a B3 or not.....or even if that will be an issue.

[mattdickmeyer]

COMP has the ability to do it, they just don't want to. Part of what you said is true. All blanks have a lobe form with lobe separation pre-established. For example, SBC have a 302 lobe, 316 lobe, 320 lobe, ect.... The larger the lobe the larger the available profile & still maintain a given base circle. On re-grinds you are dealing with a finished lobe so the base circle is reduced to allow for material removal for a given profile. This only allows so much room for more lift/duration. Variances of lobe separation can be made within a degree or two but will greatly reduce the amount of lift/duration added top the cam. feel free to call me sometime at the shop as my explanation scratches the surface of the subject.

[blkfordsedan]

LOL, I thought it a little odd that Comp said they couldn't. IIRC, Crane told me they were no longer doing any regrinds? But I also realize that Joe Blow Redneck doesnt always get the full story. Especially if they think your just kicking tires. Years ago, we had a couple custom regrinds done for FE blocks. There was a guy in Salina, KS that did them but I don't remember his name anymore. They worked great, but we used the old solid lifter style adjustable rockers due to the base circle. Thanks....and thanks for the PM. I'll give you a call sometime, but I know your busy and I can get pretty long winded...especially if I'm talking to someone that can give me detailed answers.