Cam and compression ratio compatibility
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The chart will show why it is foolish to install a 230 degree cam in an 8.00:1 motor in an attempt to get a lope out of the motor. It might lope, but it will lack the power to pull the hat off your head. There seems to be an obsession with lope these days. Lope is simply the sound of the motor being inefficient at low rpm's because the ascending piston is pushing fuel/air mixture back up the intake tract through the still open intake valve and disrupting the metering abilities of the carburetor. | The chart will show why it is foolish to install a 230 degree cam in an 8.00:1 motor in an attempt to get a lope out of the motor. It might lope, but it will lack the power to pull the hat off your head. There seems to be an obsession with lope these days. Lope is simply the sound of the motor being inefficient at low rpm's because the ascending piston is pushing fuel/air mixture back up the intake tract through the still open intake valve and disrupting the metering abilities of the carburetor. | ||
| − | On the other hand, it's equally as foolish to install a short cam into a motor with a fairly high static compression ratio. You get into an area of such high cylinder pressure that no fuel short of alcohol or racing gasoline will prevent detonation. | + | On the other hand, it's equally as foolish to install a short cam into a motor with a fairly high static compression ratio. You get into an area of such high cylinder pressure that no fuel short of alcohol or racing gasoline will prevent detonation. |
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| + | You can move 1/2 point of SCR either way and be in the ballpark. In other words, if you have a 9.00:1 motor and you want a little more cam, you can move up to a cam that would be used in a 9.5:1 motor and be ok. On the other hand, if you wanted to go with a little less cam, you might use 1/2 point the other way, down to an 8.50:1 cam. | ||
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