Camshaft Comparison

[gearheadgreg]

I've got a few books on 911s and 911 engines, searched the forums, etc. and haven't been able to find anything definitive.

I was wondering if anyone has come across a good comparison of all/most of the 911 camshafts available - Factory, Elgin, Web, etc. ?

Thanks!

[Steve@Rennsport]

Greg,

This is truly a very complex subject as cams can only be compared against the "mission" at hand and that makes it difficult to make direct comparisons.

There are many good products, but ones choice should be custom tailored for each engine's configuration and how it will be used. Installing the wrong cams really hampers the performance of the car.

[gearheadgreg]

Thanks for the input Steve. I truly understand that it is a system of matched parts that makes (or breaks) an engines output, and the heads and cam are real personality identifiers. Ive spent years messing with watercooled VWs and understand the cams for those very well, but have really only wrenched on 911s in college and hung around the races and shops for a few years. Looking for some more advice.

I've read the books and all the old Anderson stuff where he always recommends E cams over S cams for power curves, but the Web cams or other grinds are almost never mentioned in Upfixen and the like.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Happy to help.

My point here is that selecting cams must be done inside the context of the rest of the engine and the car, otherwise ones' performance will suffer. All of the aftermarket cam grinders offer good products but the selection requires more data.

Power curves can only be compared to engines of the same displacement.

Here are the variables that MUST be factored to make the correct choice:

1) What the car is used for such as street, street/track, racing.

2) Vehicle weight.

3) Stock or close-ratio gears.

4) Engine displacement.

5) Choice of intake systems.


Each and every one plays a big role in selecting camshafts so one would need a lot more detailed information before making an accurate and constructive suggestion,... .

[tom1394racing]

I've compiled this list of Porsche camshaft specs.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Great chart, Tom.

The only thing I'd add is that each & every camshaft profile behaves differently, depending on displacement & compression ratio, so one should really consult your professional engine builder to find out how they perform for a given application.