Engle cam on ebay

[ddub]

I have not heard of an Engle cam before. You may have.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...EL%3AUS%3A1123

[Andy R.]

My wife's '65 Bug had a pretty hot Engle "Dune Buggy" cam in it. I didn't know they did anything for Studebakers. They're still in business. Here's their website.

Though I'd imagine you'll get more valuable info from other "performance-minded" builders on the forum.

[52-fan]

Engle has been around for many years. Of course, you never know if the old companies are still owned by the same people that made their name.

[PackardV8]

As the seller said, that's pretty much a race-only camshaft. The 245 @ .050" duration will kill low-end torque and fuel economy in a stock engine. In a race engine, compression would need to be north of 12:1 to make any power.

jack vines

[candbstudebakers]

The seller is our own SDC member Chuck Kenney of White Cloud Mi. good dude and good seller, knows his Studebaker parts well.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Hmm...a cam like that without matching lifters..?
Leave me out of this one..

Mike

[PackardV8]

Hmm...a cam like that without matching lifters..?

Good point, Michael. It is a used cam and in an ideal world would have the lifters matched to the lobes. If someone gave it to me, I'd probably try it with new lifters.

FWIW, there are some old Iskenderian hard face overlay cams still floating around which cannot be run with stock lifters. They require chilled iron lifters. Anyone out there got a set of 232" lifters? IIRC, the first 232" lifters were chilled iron.

jack vines

[bridgegaurd]

I have not heard of an Engle cam before. You may have.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...EL%3AUS%3A1123

Engle cams have been a good supplier of comp cams for quite some time, and are still in bussiness today.

http://www.englecams.com/

[Skinnys Garage]

Well, I couldn't bring myself to bid $300+ tying to win a used cam without matching lifters. I'd really like to have a long duration cam in the R3 spec area, but don't even have the correct core to get one reground. I fully understand that without the extra work involved the power benefits won't be realized, but that's not what I'm after. I want the rough idle.....period.

I was at the IM in Redwing MN when a '60 Lark idled past me at the show. It was bright red with modern Dragstar wheels, so I assumed it was small block powered from the choppy idle. After it was parked, I made it over to find it had an R3 in it! I haven't been able to get the way it sounded out of my head since then.

I have some experience porting heads and building strong running engines, so I'm not saying that nothing else would get done to it, but idling around at car events is what I want the cam for, not performance. I'll be running a small port Offy intake and a WCFB carb, so it will be pretty limited anyway.

Maybe the R2+ cam will give me what I'm after, but everyone says how nice and smooth they idle (like that's a good thing). I know there are lots of threads about cams and I've read them all, so no need to go into everything again. However, I would like to know if the R3/R4 grind is available (like from Lionel Stones inventory) or do I need to find an R core and regrind it to spec? Thanks

[Bob Andrews]

If you're running a stick you can get a much more pronounced 'lope' by going with an aluminum flywheel. Phil Harris has them. Probably that with the r2+ cam will give you the sound you seek.

[Skinnys Garage]

If you're running a stick you can get a much more pronounced 'lope' by going with an aluminum flywheel. Phil Harris has them. Probably that with the r2+ cam will give you the sound you seek.

I'll be running a HD FOM with the higher stall, so no lightweight flywheel here. I know a little extra low speed jet and backing the timing off will give me a pretty rough idle too, but I want it to run clean with a distinct lope. Maybe the R2+ in a 259 would be the way to go. Smaller engines usually sound a bit more radical than a bigger one with the same cam.

[bezhawk]

Pull a couple of plug wires.........that'll get you a rough idle!!!

[PackardV8]

idling around at car events is what I want the cam for,

Your engine, your money, your decision. Here are some ways to make an Isky ST5 or R2+ cam a bit more radical:

1. Set the valve clearance spec at minimum or even a thou below. The R2+ cam card says .014". Set it at a snug .014" hot. (And since you should have hard exhaust seats anyway, it won't harm the stainless R3 valves you should be running with this setup.)

2. Lots of compression. A longer cam needs a lot of compression to sound tough. If the R1 had 10.25 C.R., then the R2+ would need at least 11:1 to have the same bark and crackle. Running a longer cam with low compression makes for dead doggy. (And no CASO whining about having to run premium with additives and a good tune. Got to pay to play.)

3. If you want sonic bling, then tube headers and turned out short exhausts are necessary. Tube headers let some of the exhaust crackle out into the engine compartment where iron manifolds, even R3s, bury it out the tailpipe.

4. Bore a 289" to R3 diameter and run flattops, which should give close to 11:1 with the R1 heads. A 304.5" with high compression will always sound more butch than will a low compression 259" with the same cam.

5. If you want more lope, play with the initial timing. With the load from a torque converter, a few degrees more or less makes a pronounced difference in the idle lope. This is a lot different sound than a off-tuned carb idle.

jack vines

[Mike Van Veghten]

Add to Jacks note #5 -

"Reducing" the initial ignition timing will make it pound a little harder...
This you'll have to play with to get enough power to actually move the car, vs. making enough noise for your taste.
A large (2-1/2") exhaust system with two Flow MAster mufflers will also go a long way to annoying the neighbors early in the morning..! My neighbor did this to his little 273 Valiant years ago...sounded like a real hot rod..!

BUT....remenber...All of the things noted exept the additional compression...will reduce the low rpm power and milage.

Mike

[Skinnys Garage]

Trust me Jack, I get it. I've built several different kinds of high performance engines with the correct parts to make them work right, but I've also built "posers" before too. A cam with close to 280 advertised duration in a small, stock V8 with just the right exhaust can make a guy with a big block think twice at the stop light.

I'll install an aluminum cam gear, stock stainless valves, hardened exhaust seats and the correct springs for longevity, but basically a stock bottom end and compression. What I'm really after is some info on the availability of an R3/R4 or similar spec cam.