Stock Grinded Cam Help
Stock Grinded Cam Help I have a local machine shop here that can grind stock cams to what you want your specs. Question is will it perform and make as much power as say a comp cam, etc? I would like to hear from people who has used one.
Thanks
Thanks
Re-grinding cams is a fairly common practice. However, you can only go so far on a stock core, so don't expect to turn a stock cam into a .600 lift fire breathing monster. It's not going to happen. I am far from an expert on the subject, but the most I think you'd get on a stock core is something like
.525" lift with low 200's duration and you'll be stuck with a real wide LSA
117* or so. Basically, you won't even equal the LS1 Hot Cam, which can be had crazy cheap. On top of that you'll have reduced the base circle of the cam and will require custom length pushrods. Bottom line, by the time all is said and done you'd be better off with an aftermarket cam. Even the GM Hot Cam would be a better choice!
.525" lift with low 200's duration and you'll be stuck with a real wide LSA
117* or so. Basically, you won't even equal the LS1 Hot Cam, which can be had crazy cheap. On top of that you'll have reduced the base circle of the cam and will require custom length pushrods. Bottom line, by the time all is said and done you'd be better off with an aftermarket cam. Even the GM Hot Cam would be a better choice!
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A stock cam can be cut into any available LS1 lobe offered by any manufacturer. As an example: Comp does not have different cam cores for each grind they offer, they all start with the same core. What is important to consider here is that the tip of the lobe can't exceed the diameter of the bearing surface and any cam with higher than stock lift always has a reduced base circle. Remember also that lift and duration are measured at the valve, not the lobe. What this means is that a small amount removed from the cam lobe makes a larger difference at the valve. With a 1.7 rocker ratio removing .029 from the base circle increases lift by .050, and duration is affected the same way.
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Lobe profile is very important, as in ramp rate and duration, not just lift and duration. Companies such as comp spend a ton of R&D time and money to develop lobes that will produce the most power. Your local shop may be able to come close if they have very good (expensive) equipment and a cam to copy. Most likely this won't happen, and although they may spec out close, they won't be the same thing. Cams aren't that expensive. I would buy one from someone who has done the development work and has the reputation behind them. Also, if you put a nice size cam next to a stock cam and compare the lobes, it doesn't look to me like there would be nearly enough material on the stock cam to clean up if you were trying to use it for a core. The lobes are not nearly as "fat". While the cam manufacturers don't have grind specific cores, the cores that they do start with have much more material on them before grinding than a stock cam has.
It can make the same power as any other cam with the same specs. Most grinders I have talked to prefer to use a new core versus a used one. The only downside I can see to using a used core is wear on the lobes.
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If you could use a used cam as a core, wouldn't it have the wear ground off when regrinding? And if they have measurable wear something is bad wrong.
Somewhere I have pics of my cam next to my factory cam side by side.... I can post tomorrow if it would help explain what I'm trying to say about the stock cam not having enough material to regrind into an agressive profile. I don't think there is enough material on the factory cam to regrind it to match a more agressive profile. The larger cam lobes are noticably meatier in the ramp areas. As a machinist and tool and die maker, it's obvious to me it would be a problem.
Somewhere I have pics of my cam next to my factory cam side by side.... I can post tomorrow if it would help explain what I'm trying to say about the stock cam not having enough material to regrind into an agressive profile. I don't think there is enough material on the factory cam to regrind it to match a more agressive profile. The larger cam lobes are noticably meatier in the ramp areas. As a machinist and tool and die maker, it's obvious to me it would be a problem.
Regrinding a stock cam by strategically removing material to leave a larger lobe just doesn't add up. The gentle ramps and wide LSA can't leave much material for the profiles achieved by agressive aftermarket lobes cut on a virgin cam core.
ok i have an 01SS the shop removed my cam and sent it out to regrind, well its ok but to small, the regrind is 220/230/.440/.475...Not Happy!!!!!!!its just a tad bigger than stock....its called an RVcam...needless to say my car is under the Knife as we speak.....going with 228/232/.595/.595/112+2,,,,just my .02cents....oh its for sale.....very cheap.....
I had about 5 ls1/lq9 (stock) cams laying around from different motors ive bought over the last 2 years, and I sent one to a cam re-grinding company. The lq9 (1721 casting) cam is the one to use because it has the tighter lsa from the factory. I told them "go as big as you can" and they cut mine to 248/254 @ .050 dur. and 610/ 618 lift. safely. That is the max you can go though. The factory heat treating goes a certain depth and if you go deeper it will wear the lobes down. Getting a cam cut costs $83.00. So if you could safely run a texas giant copy, why spend $395 on a cam??
Once again....people on here who have'nt run the part in question are throwing in some "expert opinions" on what will work and what wont.
Just my $ .02
Once again....people on here who have'nt run the part in question are throwing in some "expert opinions" on what will work and what wont.
Just my $ .02
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yeah they grind the lobes so they come loose and then tighten them and reweld to change the lsa 
... j/k but i wouldnt waste youre time and effort. Just by a cam from comp thats made to youre specs and done right, dont cheap out and do it half ***. If youre gonna swap cams do it right the first time. Just my advice
... j/k but i wouldnt waste youre time and effort. Just by a cam from comp thats made to youre specs and done right, dont cheap out and do it half ***. If youre gonna swap cams do it right the first time. Just my advice 