How do you tune the Brian crower cams for the Mk3?

SUPRASTEVE

Supra Maniak
Jun 13, 2007
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I really want to know how to do this because I am thinking about buying cams I want to get the Stage 2's 264/264, but I havn't the slightest idea on how to tune them. Does anyone know? Also can the Mk3 get smogged with these cams?
 

Slow66

I think with my dipstick
Apr 3, 2005
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Just degree them as per the "cam card" that comes with them.

Then on a dyno you may want to make small adjustments to the cam timing (via adjustable cam gears) to make "different" power (i.e peak vs. avg.) This of course will be dependant upon a lot of other variables...turbo, head flow, style of intake manifold, compression, etc., etc.
 

figgie

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
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Slow66;990820 said:
Just degree them as per the "cam card" that comes with them.

Then on a dyno you may want to make small adjustments to the cam timing (via adjustable cam gears) to make "different" power (i.e peak vs. avg.) This of course will be dependant upon a lot of other variables...turbo, head flow, style of intake manifold, compression, etc., etc.


yes

even though it is a dieing art. Degreeing a cam is still necessary to account for manufacturing tolerances and changes in head thickness from milling etc.
 
May 18, 2007
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Aarhus
If somone has these cams on a mkIII turbo could you post your cam settings?

I have been playing around with my BC264s and I have ended up with

+4E and -4I

That is quit a lot off from what is recommended by BC. I have not had them tuned on a dyno but just from idle quality and "feel" of the car.

My main approach was to adjust idle quality since I have been told that a turbo engine should be idling smoothly. So I started taking out overlap until idle was smooth. That meant keeping the exhaust around +4E to +3E. Retarding the exhaust to less than +3 would severely affect idle quality.

Retarding the intake more than 4 seemed to make low rpm power fall off but seemed to increase high end power a bit.

But all this is without a dyno and therefore quite vague.

(I hope I haven't misunderstood + and -) (+ clockwise and - counter clockwise = advance & retard)
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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Kristian: One thing to keep in mind and be aware of is the less overlap you have the higher your dynamic compression will be at the same boost level right up to the point where detonation/mechanical damage occurs.
 
May 18, 2007
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ok thanks.

Do you think I have taken out too much overlap? I'm running 2mm MHG and stock turbo.

I would really like to hear from someone who has actually had these cams dialed in on a dyno. It might make it a bit easier for me to find a resonable setting.
 
May 18, 2007
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Aarhus
I got this from another thread I did:

The BC264 cams have the following specs, at 0 & 0 setting:

IO 22 BTDC
IC 62 ABDC
EO 70 BBDC
EC 14 ATDC
36 degrees overlap
114 LSA

You have to double the crank degree variation for any cam alteration, ie 1 degree cam variation = 2 degrees crank variation.

At your setting of I-6 & E+4:
Overlap is 16 degrees, hence the better idle
LSA is 124
I don't understand it all. You probably do. :bowdown:
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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Ok degreed they should have 114 lobe centres......

Add your 8 degrees and your really closing the leak and bumping cylinder pressures.

As a matter of interest can you run a comp test with a fully charged battery and the throttle held open please?

"safe" for me is pulling 4 degrees out of the overlap and without testing and running the motor on the Dyno using electric ears I wouldn't chance 8.
 
May 18, 2007
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Thanks. I'll bump it back to +3E and -1I then.

The compression test is actually quite low at +4E & -4I but I didn't test with a good battery nor with the throttle open.

I have posted this before:

komp.jpg



I'll see if I can get one done tomorrow - not sure though.
 
May 18, 2007
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Ok, thanks. I was told that it was in the low range.

I was actually worried about the "low" compression since the motor is brand new.

Actually the compression is a bit higher now since I had the valves adjusted since that compression test was performed. Three of the valves were sticking slightly on cylinder 1 & 2.

You have been really helpful, thanks a lot.
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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Very welcome Kristian!

As with most "adjustable" things more isn't always better and if you don't understand what the adjustment is doing in relation to your particular setup you can "adjust" to engine failure.

It's great that the guys are starting to learn about all this but please proceed with caution.
 

bowsercake

New Member
Aug 24, 2005
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I have 9mm cams running at +5*Ex and -2*In and I'm not pulling enough vacuum at idle. Idle rpm is 700. With the cams at 0 (no adjustments) the engine will not pull any vacuum. The cam gears are aligned correctly with the crank.

How can I increase vacuum at idle without adjusting the cams even more. I can only think of raising idle speed but I am unsure of how to do that.
 

figgie

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
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bowsercake;991588 said:
I have 9mm cams running at +5*Ex and -2*In and I'm not pulling enough vacuum at idle. Idle rpm is 700. With the cams at 0 (no adjustments) the engine will not pull any vacuum. The cam gears are aligned correctly with the crank.

How can I increase vacuum at idle without adjusting the cams even more. I can only think of raising idle speed but I am unsure of how to do that.

as IJ and I stated. Did you degree the cams to see what it is actually doing?

I am quite baffled out how anyone can put in such a critical part and not double check the measurements that are supposedly there. Astonishing! :)
 

Slow66

I think with my dipstick
Apr 3, 2005
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figgie;991683 said:
as IJ and I stated. Did you degree the cams to see what it is actually doing?

I agree.

"Degreed" as in using a degree wheel on the crank, and a dial indicator on the bucket to measure valve lift. Not just "degreed" as in lining them up at TDC...
 

bowsercake

New Member
Aug 24, 2005
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Well, I don't see how it is possible to degree my cams without knowing what they should be degreed to. Is there some sort of formula or general knowledge to follow to degree cams based on their specs? I don't have a cam-card or any other reference to follow so I just reinstalled them they way they came out.

At what crank angle (generally) should it open to .050" at?
 

figgie

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
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bowsercake;991980 said:
Well, I don't see how it is possible to degree my cams without knowing what they should be degreed to. Is there some sort of formula or general knowledge to follow to degree cams based on their specs? I don't have a cam-card or any other reference to follow so I just reinstalled them they way they came out.

At what crank angle (generally) should it open to .050" at?


read it ALL

http://www.compcams.com/Technical/Instructions/Files/145.pdf

this applies to our cars also. Also answer most of the questions you have or will have ;)
 

bowsercake

New Member
Aug 24, 2005
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Thanks for the link. That article was informative. I have read up on degreeing before and I did see that video where those two guys degree the 1000hp 2JZ.

So, without having a cam card I will have to rely on the Intake-Centerline method to degree my cams? Since the article is dealing with pushrod V8s I assume that I will have to duplicate this degreeing process for my exhaust cam as well.

So, the maximum lift at the intake valve should be matched to TDC on the #1 piston. So then the maximum lift at the exhaust valve should be matched to what? Bottom Dead Center of the #1?

Also, how would I adjust idle speed on a 90 turbo?
 

figgie

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
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bowsercake;992489 said:
Thanks for the link. That article was informative. I have read up on degreeing before and I did see that video where those two guys degree the 1000hp 2JZ.

So, without having a cam card I will have to rely on the Intake-Centerline method to degree my cams? Since the article is dealing with pushrod V8s I assume that I will have to duplicate this degreeing process for my exhaust cam as well.

So, the maximum lift at the intake valve should be matched to TDC on the #1 piston. So then the maximum lift at the exhaust valve should be matched to what? Bottom Dead Center of the #1?

Also, how would I adjust idle speed on a 90 turbo?

correct (basically all your questions are answered in the article). If you are feeling really adventurous, google cam degreeing for a gaggle of links. :)