old school cam terminology

[pashtrd]

I have been asked a number of times by "oldtimers" How big of a cam I am running in my car. They always ask if it is a 3/4 race cam. What does that mean? How does that relate to todays cam profiles? Last night someone heard my car idling, asked if I was running a fuelie cam?

[HITMAN]

LOL, I always get a kick ot of those terms. 3/4 race cam? I always tell people that means that the car gets 3/4 of the way down the track and then runs out of power...:rolf

In the days before we started quoting figures for lift, duration, lobe centerlines and overlap, they would use these terms to give you an idea of how hot the cam grind was. A 3/4 race cam was 3/4 of the way to a full race cam, which would have been the hottest grind you could use in your particular motor. A 3/4 cam was thought to be the hottest grind you could use and still have a streetable car.

[michelle]

What's a cam?























Someone was bound to say it eventually.... :goof

[Prince Valiant]

See, I always went by 3/4 signifying 270 total duration, since that's 3/4 of a full 360 degree...granted that's not that wild compared to the 280, 290, 300, even 320 total duration cams that you used to see advertised when total duration was commonly quoted.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Yea that's a hoot, I always thought it was a Ford flathead thing.

[pashtrd]

so then what's a fuelie cam?

[TheRX7Project]

What's a cam?

No, really, what is a cam? And what are these "valves" people keep talking about?

[Myles]

No, really, what is a cam? And what are these "valves" people keep talking about?

Its a common part that encompasses something called "Reliability". Hence why the rotary doesn't have them.

[Sprayaway Fox]

Hitman is correct...When Iskedarian (early cam companies) used to make cams in the early years thats how they classified there cams. Most of them didnt have the selection like they do now....At least thats what my old time engine machinist told me.

Fuelie cams would prolly be for like a old school gasser Im thinking for hilborn injection....Dunno though but would be the correct time period.

[Rocket Power]

When someone says 3/4 race cam and they are not really old, I assume they don't know what they're talking about , and will soon be telling a story about a rare car they had that "caught posi" and rolled over and was destroyed:rolf

[lordairgtar]

I was not sure I ever heard that term, Fuelie cam, before. I don't think that thing exists unless it's a grind specific to fuel injected engines. I went web searching for the term and found nothing. It might be related to a term used in regards to old fuel injected engines, Fuelie heads, which were the heads on the Chevy small block with FI back in the fifties and sixties. I guess any FI engine could in fact have fuelie heads or cams. For all you Mazda or NSU rotary enthusiasts, I did find a couple of sites explaining simply the terminology cam manufacturers and engine builders use. Here's one from Lowrider Magazine:
http://www.lowridermagazine.com/tech/0409lrm_cam_basics/index.html

[BAD LS1]

I just refer to a cam as the "dick of the motor"

[Red97GTP]

i have a broomstick for a cam in the maxima.:crying

[BlackLightning]

I was not sure I ever heard that term, Fuelie cam, before. I don't think that thing exists unless it's a grind specific to fuel injected engines. I went web searching for the term and found nothing.


found this on google.

"Duntov's new Fuelie camshaft and heads surfaced on the 1964-65 Holley-carbureted 327/365 and Rochester-injected 327/375 engines. The .485-in.-lift cam, best known as the "30/30" or "30 across" (valve setting) cam, became the popular choice for hot street small blocks overnight."

[GRNDNL]

I always heard a "fuelie" cam is a big lumpy solid cam like they used in the 50's chevvvy fuel injected motors..........Then any loping solid cam was called a fuelie cam..........:confused

[TheRX7Project]

Its a common part that encompasses something called "Reliability". Hence why the rotary doesn't have them.

Well that explains it.

[lordairgtar]

found this on google.

"Duntov's new Fuelie camshaft and heads surfaced on the 1964-65 Holley-carbureted 327/365 and Rochester-injected 327/375 engines. The .485-in.-lift cam, best known as the "30/30" or "30 across" (valve setting) cam, became the popular choice for hot street small blocks overnight."
Thanks. maybe if I looked up Duntov....

[xopher]

3/4 race cam ... "caught posi"
This always happens to me right after the VTEC kicks in, yo. :goof

[-stew-]

"caught posi" and rolled over and was destroyed:rolf


I was late for work the other day because I caught a flat.