Daniel,
It really sounds like your car is 'an exception to the rule' and not typical of
what can normally be achived, by the average home mechanic. Unfortuately, most
of us don't happen to have a 'dyno' handy to put our cars on, and must rely on
the 'tune by ear' method. Even so, dyno time at a shop can be quite expensive,
and may not be a practical use of funds for the average spridget owner. I'll
still stick by my recommendation for the milder cams. The lower the torque
curve, the more drivable the vehicle. I rather be in 3rd or 4th gear running up
hills than 2nd any day.
- Bryan
BTW - I have my 266 timed to exact spec using an 'offset' cam key. and my
exhaust set up to Vizards reccomendations also.
>Subject: Re: Dream machine
>To: Bryan.Vandiver@eng.sun.com, spridgets@autox.team.net,
bmantz@roanoke.infi.net
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>I'm going to disagree with Bryan for the following reasons:
>
>I get a smooth ride with the 286 cam in my engine because it is correctly
>timed, used with a CV exhaust system (as per Vizard), and has spent time on
>the dyno getting set up correctly.
>
>Everytime I run the car on the dyno (sometimes twice a year sometimes once in
>two years) the dyno guy is always impressed with the torque for the engine,
>especially so when I remind him it is a 286 (though the dyno figures speak
>for themselves anyway).
>
>I use a 45 DCOE on a street car with 40mm main venturi because the CV
>manifold enables this and I didn't spend a ton of money on the engine to run
>a small carb. Have using main venturi ranging from 34, 36 (2 for sale), 38
>and eventually 40mm I know that the 40DCOE would be less successful. In any
>event if you are running large main venturi in a 40DCOE you have the worst of
>worlds so don't get hung up on the carb size as much as the venturi size.
>Perhaps I should say I don't include 'racing on the public highway' to be
>real racing (officer).
>
>I don't consider the 286 is a race cam - only 296 and upwards. However, what
>counts for me is having a close ratio gearset (in a 5 speed) that makes it
>easier for me to keep the engine 'on the cam' rather than having a choice of
>running low rpm or high rpm because the gear set is wide. Given that my car
>gets past cars with obviously much greater torque convinces me that I spent
>the money on the right things and in fact the only car that got away from me
>was the Elise which probably doesn't have much more mid range torque than the
>A-series under the bonnet of my car. Remember too that in any given
>acceleration or torque counting (up-hill?) situation it is not the torque
>alone but the torque to weigh ratio that matters. In other words if you are
>FAT and heavy with a ton of junk in the boot in an overweight car, will still
>lose out to the skinny guy/gal (hi Amy?) with the empty boot car that might
>just have no bumbers.
>
>Daniel1312 - YMMNV
>
>In a message dated 24/08/00 19:24:50 GMT Daylight Time,
>Bryan.Vandiver@Eng.Sun.COM writes:
>
><< Performance cam (266 or 276, anything more, and you are looking a a rough
> idle, and no 'bottom end' meaning you will always have to keep your RPM's up
>for
> power (not good on hills, and mountain roads, also makes the engine more
>prone
> to overheating)
> - A DCOE is cool, but unless you can find a good deal on a used one, can be
> expensive. You can do just fine with a DCOE 40 for the street. '45 DCOE
>isn't
> necessary unless you plan to 'race'.
>
> I run a Kent 266 cam in my 1275, with a Dellorto DHLA 40 (simular to a
>DCOE),
> Manifolw headers, and I mildly ported the head to improve 'breathing'. I am
>very
> satified with the power. I noticed that other cars with hotter cams, had a
>hard
> time keeping up with me on mountain roads, since I had more bottom end
>torque,
> and a wider power band, than the 'race cam' engines have. So keep in mind ,
> what's 'hot' on the track, may not necessarily be good for sprited street
> driving.
>
> - Bryan
> >>
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