Hi Performance Camshafts

The purpose of changing factory engines to work with hi performance camshafts is to increase the horsepower. If you are considering changing stock parts of an engine for high performance ones, you must decide how far you want to go with the increase in power and how much performance in other areas you are willing to sacrifice.

Camshafts were used in ancient days to create movement in toys, to allow life size figurines to mystify kings and emperors, and to make idols seem alive. Most people are familiar with them as parts of an internal combustion engine, without realizing their history.

Stock engines are designed for easy starting, rapid acceleration to cruising speeds, and fuel economy when those speeds have been reached. A quiet engine and a smooth ride are primary goals of a highway vehicle. Motorcycles are also being made these days with an eye to reducing traditional engine and exhaust noise.

There are people who will want a more aggressive ride, however, and those who are interested primarily in racing. These are the ones who will modify their engines with high performance cams; they need to realize that other parts of the car will need to change as well. The engines can also be designed in the first place with high horsepower in mind.

In manufacturing a racing cam, heat treated steel is fashioned precisely to time the opening and closing of the valves to maximize horsepower. Today the use of computer design makes this process very accurate. The length of time the valves are open and the period when both intake and exhaust 'overlap' is called duration. A shorter duration is standard in factory engine design. Increasing the overlap will produce more horsepower at high RPM speeds.

There are at least twice as many valves as there are cylinders, and a matching number of lobes on the camshaft. In high performance engines, more valves will allow more air and fuel to be mixed and easier exhaust release, which produces more horsepower. A stock engine needs only one intake and one exhaust valve per cylinder to operate, and this type of engine will not operate at peak performance with a high lift cam.

In customizing a cam, the manufacturer will need to know the type of engine being built, such as for a dragster, a flat racer, or a muscle car. The engineering department will provide the proper degree of lift and cam angle for each type of engine. Too much duration can actually cause a loss of power at some speeds, and the wrong compression ratio can compromise starting, idling, fuel efficiency, and engine life.

Working with the manufacturing company's experts can prevent problems and achieve the goal of an engine working at peak performance to get the most power when it is needed. There is a lot of basic guideline information to be found in the product descriptions on company websites. Performance magazines often have tips on deciding which cam will fit your needs best.

Hi performance camshafts can be used to build a powerful car, and can be used to increase horsepower in a modified stock car. Attention to every detail of the power plant will achieve either goal.