Custom cam VS. Off the shelf?
Custom cam VS. Off the shelf? I was just wondering are there any real gains to running a custom cam as opposed the an off the shelf cam? I am having a hard time deciding so i wanted to ask the collective. I was thinking about the MS4 but i am really indecisive. I will be running a cam only stock 346 with mods in sig. I also will be putting on 1 7/8" headers that i got for an extremely good deal. I don't know if it matters but i believe they are tts? Also will be running 150 shot wet kit. Thanks for the help.
Last edited by }BlueFire{; May 1, 2008 at 01:44 AM.
I can't believe this is actually a thread. Come on man. You think if there wasn't a benefit to running a custom cam people would have them? Not trying to take shots at you but that's kind of a silly question.
ok well thanks for the answers. I just was wanting to know more so if anyone say had an ms4 then went custom and gained x amount. I really don't know if the extra money is worth it. Especially due to the fact i plan on running a 408 with a decent amount of nitrous. I just want to run a decent cam to get me through the summer. I already have lca's, torque arm, rebuilt six speeds inc t56, cb driveshaft, mcleod twin disc, 4.10 moser 9 all planned within the next few months. All in preparation for whats to come.
I just was wanting to know more so if anyone say had an ms4 then went custom and gained x amount. I really don't know if the extra money is worth it. Especially due to the fact i plan on running a 408 with a decent amount of nitrous. I just want to run a decent cam to get me through the summer.
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i dont know why custom cams are such a big deal. people say you can get a custom grind to match your mods. come on, seriously. other than those who have aftermarket heads, basically everyone has heasers, intake and exhaust. almost all the off the shelf cams are for cars with headers intake and exhaust. i think people are seriously overestimating the whole custom cam thing. maybe it makes people feel better like they are unique i dont know. but with aftermarket heads then sure i could see the custom cam.
Your also forgetting that some people have different gear ratio, tire size, stall size, desired shift rpm, need to pass smog, cats, idle quality. Just with about everything, custom is the way to go. But the off the shelf cams are proven to run well under certain conditions.
It is all about the set up. If you have stock heads and stock scr then you need a diff cam for you.
not to mention converter and gears.
I run 11.82 scr so i have plenty of tq even with a big cam. and only run a 2 deg split on duration between intake and ex. but i run afr heads.stock heads need a bigger split to work.
you need to know what you want before you can pick what cam you want.
or basicly how much money do you want to spend .figure that out then pm patric g and he will set you up with the right cam
not to mention converter and gears.
I run 11.82 scr so i have plenty of tq even with a big cam. and only run a 2 deg split on duration between intake and ex. but i run afr heads.stock heads need a bigger split to work.
you need to know what you want before you can pick what cam you want.
or basicly how much money do you want to spend .figure that out then pm patric g and he will set you up with the right cam
Off the shelf cams are proven and well know and u can build your set up around it...custom cams are tailored to what you want in a cam (idle,fi,nitrous,drag only,etc.) its like buying a suit off a shelf or having one custom tailored for you.
Of course it would be nice to get a custom cam to match your exact combo, but problem is, you'll never know if you got the "right" custom cam unless you try more than one. Off the shelf cams will allow you to set up a similar proven combo that others have tried beforehand. You are not the guinea pig.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: BFE
If i was in the US, I would throw and open challange on Off Shelf cams Vs Custom.
Rules would be motor has to be stock, new (break in only allowed), and same pre-determined bolt ons. Dynos on same day in climate controled environment.
We could make it simple, bring your Off shelf 224/224 cams and i'll bring my grind.
Out of all of them that I know to exist (on the market), I know I can beat them by 25fwhp.
Like I said, you tailor the cam to the combo, not the other way around (equal to being born head first Vs feet first)
Rules would be motor has to be stock, new (break in only allowed), and same pre-determined bolt ons. Dynos on same day in climate controled environment.
We could make it simple, bring your Off shelf 224/224 cams and i'll bring my grind.
Out of all of them that I know to exist (on the market), I know I can beat them by 25fwhp.
Like I said, you tailor the cam to the combo, not the other way around (equal to being born head first Vs feet first)
If i was in the US, I would throw and open challange on Off Shelf cams Vs Custom.
Rules would be motor has to be stock, new (break in only allowed), and same pre-determined bolt ons. Dynos on same day in climate controled environment.
We could make it simple, bring your Off shelf 224/224 cams and i'll bring my grind.
Out of all of them that I know to exist (on the market), I know I can beat them by 25fwhp.
Like I said, you tailor the cam to the combo, not the other way around (equal to being born head first Vs feet first)
Rules would be motor has to be stock, new (break in only allowed), and same pre-determined bolt ons. Dynos on same day in climate controled environment.
We could make it simple, bring your Off shelf 224/224 cams and i'll bring my grind.
Out of all of them that I know to exist (on the market), I know I can beat them by 25fwhp.
Like I said, you tailor the cam to the combo, not the other way around (equal to being born head first Vs feet first)
I agree tho because I would rather have my own cam ground for me and my setup then buy one off the shelf. I understand where some of you say, "well, most of us have the same mods, or the mods are so similar." This is true for bolt ons, but then you start fabbing your own FI system down the road, port your heads, or throw on a wet kit and now the only cam you should look into is a custom one. I like to think that the shelf cams and others experience with either shelf cams or even custom ones can only help you find something suitable for you car and setup. The price is a the same for both and then you get to spec a cam that will shine where the shelf cam(s) fall off.
ok predator lets say your cam beats any other cam by 25 hp. then what happens if since its so good u decide to mass produce them, and now its an off the shelf cam? now all of a sudden its no longer the best because there is more than one of them? how do u think all the off the shelf cams were made? they were custom when the first one was made. they figured out which specs worked best, and then got good results so they mass produced them.
Well i just had my cam custom specd by PredZ.. But mine came back alot smaller than what I ordered for some reason. I wanted a 230/236, but got a 224/234, not for sure why but i'm hoping predZ helps me out with this one. I just gave them the numbers that PredZ gave me and this is what I got for some odd reason. 
.
. Well i just had my cam custom specd by PredZ.. But mine came back alot smaller than what I ordered for some reason. I wanted a 230/236, but got a 224/234, not for sure why but i'm hoping predZ helps me out with this one. I just gave them the numbers that PredZ gave me and this is what I got for some odd reason. .
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