Cams????

[GT2003]

Does any one know of the trype of cam we have or need to give the most gains? Just curious.

[GTManiac]

Sheer Speed is supposedly developing a race cam for the 3400

http://www.sheerspeed.0catch.com/SheerSpeedProducts.html

[bszopi]

Call around to cam companies about regrinds. The cam that Shear Speed is supposedly developing doesn't add much to the cam profile. I had a regrind done by Crower that had better numbers than what I have heard about the Shear Speed design. And a buddy of mine got a regrind from Crane that is even more extreme than mine.

One thing to remember though... the 3x00 PCMs aren't as freindly to cam swaps as the older 3.1 ECMs were. I speak from experience in that as of right now, I have actually lost power with the cam install because the computer isn't handling it very well. This may be mainly due to my car being MAP controlled, therefore the lower vacuum caused by the increased lift is messing with it. The MAF cars may be able to adapt better. I'm (slowly) in the process of installing an aftermarket ECM, so that should help out alot.

If you are interested in getting a custom cam made, good luck. I had my cam originally sent to Crower for a custom billet cam, and after 3 months of them just sitting on it, I finally talked to one of the head guys. After about 10 minutes of discussions, it was determined that it would cost $1800 for 3 cams ($600 each, most likely more for just a single one) and it would take an additional 4-6 months to get it made. So I opted for the $150 regrind.

Just my input on the subject, considering I'm one of the few people to have an non-stock cam in a 3x00.

[GTManiac]

I thought about what you wrote and was sort of inspired to get this sort of thing done. I mean a cam normally runs how much? (I don't know and it's why I am asking.) as compared to this new billet one. If we could get 4-5 guys interested in this to get a group buy set up and get these things made I think this could be the start of something. I personally can not email these guys back and forth as I know next to nothing about the cams or the terminology or what not, but if the interest is there and someone esle can correspond with the cam company then I would be the first person to be dedicated to this endeavor. This would be a great start to modifying the new 3400 I have sitting over in Jackson right now. So let's hear it from others interested or not go ahead and reply.

[GT2003]

In Jegs. THey have a cam, like Powermax I think. And here is the numbers on it, would it work? It is for chevy 2.8,3.1,3.4 V6. I know it is chevy, but it is a 3.4 V6 cam. Anyway here are the mubers.

270-254112.....258 degrees/264 degrees.......401''/.423''....and they are $159.99.

I don't know that much on cams, so do you think this would work or what?

[Watch4MyBu]

Those engines are the older versions of the 3100/3400. It is the 2.8 3.1 mpfi and the 3.4 dohc. Will not work on our engines

[bszopi]

The cam you listed from Jegs is for the older MPFI engines. The SFI engines use a roller cam, and there is a sync ring for the SFI setup which is one of the reasons they are so expensive. There are no cam core blanks for this cam, therefore is has to be completly designed from scratch. The way the cams are originally made from the factory doens't really allow for a cam blank to exist either. The cams are actually assembled by sliding the lobes onto a hollow tube and then a steel ball is forced through the tube to seat the lobes. A cam company is not going to go through this process.

As far as emailing them, don't even bother. You read need to call them in order to even hope to get anything done. I was in contact with Crower about every other week when they had my cam, and it still took them 3 months before they even did anything with it. Crane WILL NOT do a custom cam, and I'm pretty sure Lunati is the same way. Crower did NOT want to do it, but they said if we paid half up front (~$1000), then they would attempt it. They were really guarunteeing anything either. And like I had mentioned, we were looking at 6 months for 3 cams.

Until there becomes more support for these engines in general, a cam company won't put the time into R&D for it. As far as pricing goes, even if they were available you'd be looking at around $400 plus install (cost me ~$250 to do myself, so look at around $500+ to have a shop to it).

Don't mean to get anyone's hopes down, but I basically took a year trying to figure out what I was going to do, research the cam, get a spare cam, send it off, etc... And I ended up just going with a regrind.

[Special Ross]

I thought that using a regrind cam was bad because the cams in the 3400 are hollow shaft?? Is this correct or not?

Thanks
Michael

[bszopi]

Its not because of the hollow core, but because they are assembled cams (as I mentioned before). The problem that could arise is when machining the lobes, there is a possibility that the lobe could become loose. This was originally mentioned a couple years ago by Crane. Since then, GM has started using assembled cams in many newer engines. Cam companies started looking into regrinds more, and have since determined that it is safe to do. Crane and Crower (that I know of, I'm sure others are similar) will do regrinds now on assembled cams, and they stand behind them. I have had mine in since May, and have put over 6000 miles on it so far with no problems.

One thing to note though. Regrinds can only gain you so much, cause you can only re-shape a lobe so much. But, my cam profile along with my freind's profile, provide a significant increase in lift and duration from the stock specs.

[Watch4MyBu]

bszopi....what kind of stand alone will you be using

[bszopi]

Perfect Power MIC-3

[Watch4MyBu]

is that equivalent to a haltech or an electromotive system. Ijust looked at the site. Are you getting the piggyback system or the full race computer. Who sells it and what are the prices like

[bszopi]

It is similar to the Haltech E6K. The Electromotive is WAAAY more advanced, and what I wish I could afford. But $2500+ is alittle bit out of my price range. As far as dealers, I got it off eBay, but there are several dealers thoughout the US. If you looked at the site, then just check out the dealers area.

As far as what type it is, it is a full fledged stand-alone unit. It has been replaced by the PRS system, so to get any info about it, you have to look at discontinued models or something. It will actually be acting in parallel with the stock PCM though, since I still need tranny controls. But all fuel and spark control will be via the MIC-3.

[jaketuff]

Originally posted by bszopi
Call around to cam companies about regrinds. The cam that Shear Speed is supposedly developing doesn't add much to the cam profile. I had ...

Brad, gotta fix your time in oyur signature, I don't think anyone can see the time because the dark blue is so 'camoflauged.';)

It looks like it is really solid!

Pat

[bszopi]

There, its fixed now... its not really all that impressive for what I have done to the engine, but hopefully once I get the new ECM up and running it will improve.

[Watch4MyBu]

I am interested in the perfect power piggyback computer