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MG MGB Technical - Hot Street Cam Revisited

After all the recent info on Elgin cams, I decided to research them and found their website partially informative. That is, they don't list their cam specs in a way that allows the consumer to compare them to other brands. Does anyone have a "cam card" that lists their valve timing or centerline info? I would love to see the differences between their specs, Crane's, and Piper's.
Jeff Schlemmer

Jeff
My experience is they don't list all their grinds on a catalog. Besides duration and timing, they gave me the choice of aggressive lift, hi lift and moderate lift with no change in duration. lifter and cam Reliability vs max performance was the tradeoff. They want the info on your engine, then what you are looking for as a power curve and then give you the options.

Barry

Barry Parkinson

I'd call them. Elgin is more a "custom" cam grinder who chooses to offer the best cam for the given engine at hand, rather than something designed to fit a wide variety of different engines (like Crane does).

Sean
Sean Brown

I'm surprised to hear that Elgin could handle cam production on a one-by-one basis.
All of the cams they had listed on their website seemed low-lift to me, since I know my head flows well beyond their maximum lift numbers - and my head is nothing special. When I'm ready to dig in, I'll give them a call to see what they think is appropriate.
Jeff Schlemmer

Jeff, If you know what kind of grind you want, Delta Camshaft does custom cam grinding. You may need to furnish a core. They can also weld lobes that are worn. I know this isn't MG but my son had them grind a cam for a small block Chevy race engine. They did it overnight and it arrived at his door in Colorado in two days.

For someone interested in playing around with different cam combinations you can order a book titled, "Desktop Dynos" by Larry Atherton. You can read more about it here.
by Larry Athertonhttp://www.proracingsim.com/dynosbk.htm#Order%20Info
You will need the version that comes with the simulation CD. The CD is loaded into the computer and enter the engine data. Cam configuration and timing combinations can be varied and each combination checked for horsepower and torque figures. It isn't like a rolling road but it gives the reader a better understanding of what is needed to give better results.

FWIW, Clifton

Clifton Gordon

Here are the specs off my Elgin cam card. I told them about my engine and what I wanted and they recommended the "264 grind"

Duration: 264 degrees at .015" lift
Overlap: 59 degrees
Intake opens at 24.5 Degrees before tdc
Intake closes at 59.5 Degrees after bdc
Exhaust closes at 24.5 Degrees after tdc
Exhaust opens at 59.5 Degrees before bdc

Intake valve clearance: .014" Lift at Cam:.262"
Exhaust valve clearance: .016" Lift at Cam: .262"

I don't know if I've interpreted all of this correctly; the card has a round schematic that shows where the valves open and close.

Elgin certainly did not return my cam overnight. I seem to recall them taking several weeks with my camshaft. They reground the old shaft that was in my car, I assume it was the stock one.

HOWEVER, my B motor is incredible now. My B is bored .040 over, the head has been ported just to remove casting roughness, the exhaust guide bosses have been reduced and I've got a three angle valve job. I'm running SU HS4s with #6 needles, K&N filters, and an equal length header (crappy) into a 2" exhaust.

I can pull 4th gear from a jogging pace to redline with no hesitation and no bogging. I've got tons of torque, and the engine is very flexible. I don't know how much of this is due to my Elgin cam but I certainly don't regret my choice. I'd use them again.

Chris
Chris

Thanks Chris. That's what I was looking for!
Jeff
Jeff Schlemmer

Doug Jackson specified the Elgin-6625075-15 cam grind, 3* offset key, and his 1.55:1 roller rockers when he built my cross flow engine just before retirement in 1999.I was dubious as there was no overlap, no lump and it was called the " street" grind ( more or less). I talked to Demitri E. a few times and was always amazed over how much personal concern he showed for this one-of deals. I paid for a hard new billet, guaranteed Rockwell 50 hard lifters, and have had the engine to 6700 rpm with no hesitation, float or hint it's through. Peter B did his stuff on the x-flow head last year and removed about 1/2 # of aluminum, installing very large valves as well. Perhaps I could do better with a P285, perhaps not. The car is a pleasure and scream to drive. Left to my own I would've gone with a "hairy" cam, but Dimitri and Doug both "sold" me on the -15 grind and I have no reason to think it a "lesser" choice. Just FWIW. Vic
vem myers

This is also some good info on cams(and other performance items)...

http://www.studdsey.fsnet.co.uk/mgbtunings.htm
CDD Dewey

This thread was discussed between 01/10/2005 and 08/10/2005

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.