Knurled wrote:In reply to mguar:
Forged stroker cranks are available for Buicks, stroker pistons are off the shelf items, too.
As far as "the factory cam is the best cam" mentality, you're kidding right? We're talking about an engine that makes roughly 110hp from 3.8l (Chevy or Buick) and is out of breath by 3500 rpm. These are the kind of engines that turned people away from American cars during the 70s. You're seriously going to think that this is sufficient cam and going more will just ruin things?
In many cases, a hotter cam will INCREASE low-end and midrange because the factory cam was made for smoothness and reducing emissions with the first- and second-generation emissions controls in place. Over all costs. Power was NOT a consideration at all, if more power was desired then a V8 was checked off on the option sheet.
You are assuming that you know more than a factory engineer..
Your statement is absolutely correct if the OP is a cost no object guy.
I didn't get that feeling.. It's not what can be done, rather what can be done afford ably.
When an engine is opened up it's extremely rare for real performance to be achieved for $1000.
I'm not saying a camshaft cannot add power. Heck I know the opposite is true.. However where and how much power is added?
For Decades I bought camshafts, had camshafts reground, copied other cam profiles and tried those etc. Yet my lap times never really changed that much.. Oh dyno numbers improved!!! Sometimes a lot.. Yet lap times seldom reflected the improvement on the dyno.
Turns out the key I was missing was average net horsepower..
If a given car races between say 4000 & 6500 RPM.
The average net increase over that RPM range is what affects lap times.. not peak power or power at one particular rpm range..
If for budget reasons your RPM is limited and the cost of the parts in the engine are built to a price rather than a standard.. (the case in most circumstances)
then care must be used in cam selection..
I've found a computer program that replicates within 2% of actual what sort of real world gain is possible.. Yes a camsahft might make more power but is the required head work done? Has the head, intake etc. been on a flow bench to establish exactly what reality is?
