Thread: think tank - vqman's N/A Big Cam SR23DE Build 92x86

There is such a thing as too much cam.

VQ, you're scaring me dude. You really think you can pull this off? "Custom cams"? "Suspect you could assemble it"?!?

Have you considered someone selling you a "turn-key" big-block motor? Professionally specified, built, assembled and tested on a stand. Then you and the local professional mechanic of choice just drop it in.

Are you drunk?

right, not looking for 360* duration here.. lol

so I'm thinking like an S3 or S4-like profile on the "low side" and a C3-like profile on the "high side"... I want lopey idle.. but I don't want to lose too much low end torque.

maybe something like:
low end of .455" LIFT / 263 DEG.DUR.
high end of .525" LIFT / 285 DEG. DUR.

you might say it's not worth having a VE head, but hey? why not? I want to build my dream SR. that's what this forum is all about, right?

Here's why I don't think I'd like C3 on DE head -> i would have really lopey idle like I want, but no low end...

Here's why I don't want standard fair VE -> if I went with standard N1 cams, I wouldn't have much of a lopey idle, but a decent top end.. but not a crazy awesome top end like the C3..

SR16VE N1 cams high lobe is only .472" LIFT / 288 DEG.DUR (.469" exh)

I'm not planning on putting a hair dryer on this to back up the cams. I want N/A goodness!!

Scaring you?? you should see me naked brah, you'd REALLY be scared!! (in a MAKE IT STOP sort of way..)

Why couldn't I assemble the parts? after the machine work is done, I can put the thing in my living room and take my time with it... I have friends locally that can help if I come across something I don't know how to do. A buddy of mine just got his VET running.. with SR16 (non N1) cams and a DE or DET block VE head.... GTiR manifold and t28 of some sort, maybe a GT28.. i dunno..

turning wrenches is the easy part.. knowing what parts work best for what I'm trying to do is the hard part....

I did work on Cobra's and Huey's for 5 years while in the Marines, and later I worked at TWA rewinding electric motors, generators, alternators, fuel pumps, etc... I can wrench.. I just don't know cars that well.. i know aviation electronics.. give me some credit...

not at the moment, but I think I may have been when I typed the original post..





so can someone help me decifer these links?

Kelford 314 Camshafts for SR16VE or SR20VE - PartBox Online

Kelford Cams Applications

someone help a brother out

Kelford 184-C cams for SR20VE
Low lobe IN- ???? LIFT/ ???? DEG. DUR - Low lobe EXH - ???? LIFT/ ???? DEG.DUR
High Lobe IN - .492" (12.5mm) LIFT/ 314 DEG.DUR - High lobe EXH - .452" (11.5mm) LIFT/ 313 DEG.DUR

Those things are kind of incompatible. You could use stock VE cams on the high lobes at idle (for the lopey idle) and then switch to the proper low cams right off idle to give you the good low end, then switch back to the high cams at the usual rpm...

I've been talking to Dre via PM's.. he always wants me to call, but I retain data so much better when it's written, I do terribly with verbal communications.

ah, good to know!


if you change the bore/stroke - don't you change teh CC size and shape?

but I don't wanna run my high cams ALL the time.. I don't want to destroy the low end torque offered by less aggressive cams..


hmm.. I thought that if you push the cylinder into a larger bore cylinder the same distance (kept stroke the same) that you'd squeeze the air less. so to speak.. at least that is how it was explained to me. and if you had the same size bore and push the cylinder higher and closer to the head, you'd also compress the air more. Especially with a large crank that takes the piston deeper into the cylinder and allows more air to come in, then goes up even further than it used to.. crunching more air into even less space.. (blowing head gaskets all the while).. LoL

So this explanation I was given is wrong??

yeah it takes time, but something tells me, that all things being equal, tuning an N/A car takes less time than a turbo - only because there are less things to adjust. but then again, with turbo, you're probably more easily satisfied with less than perfect results because the boots adds so much damn power without perfection.. hmm... maybe that makes N/A tuning take so long.. you gotta be PERFECT... :\

right right.. but an S4 cam has lopey idle and more low end grunt than a C5 cam you smart ass..

I have S3 cams now.. not lopey enough.. but if I go to 2.4L I will get back some low end torque by virtue of a larger displacement engine..

I want a large cam, powerful NA motor... but going with C3's really doesn't seem like a great daily driver..

so I am thinking a custom cam with S4 low side and C3-like high side..

I know it can be done with the right amount of money. The question is, would it work worth a damn ??

VQ instead of me replying to your questions, would you please look up compression ratio and how it relates (or doesn't) to bore and stroke? I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but they aren't terribly related. A little reading and a few diagrams is all you need. Try "How Stuff Works" first.

I can tune your car to give you a lopey idle with any cam

That's hilarious, and maybe the best solution to his unique request... =]