stage 3 cam

[zman525]

Hello all, im tihnking about buying a cam kit from MSA. was plannin on getting the stage 3 cam with a power band from 3000-6500. anyone ever use this cam before? is it worth the money? hp increase? any input would be greatly appreciated. also any other reccomendations on cams would be great.

[LanceM]

That would be a good choice for an engine without other upgrades. Stock carbs will work and a better exhaust would help. Should be very streetable and you should notice a lot more pep all around, but would think about a stage II first.

[zman525]

well im goin for a longer range of pull. Id be running fuel injection thogh... would it still work out (its a 1976 cali 280z)?

[Arne]

Stock fuel injection doesn't respond well to cams with a lot of overlap. Milder cams will work better with injection.

[SteveK]

Stock fuel injection doesn't respond well to cams with a lot of overlap. Milder cams will work better with injection.

Non stock FI responds well though, I use a cam with in excess of 300 degrees of overlap with throttle bodies and its fairly potent combination.

[26th-Z]

MSA cam kits come from Schneider Racing Cams. Nothing shabby about their cams. http://www.schneidercams.com/cams/50.htm

[Zrush]

Absolutely! The 77 has a stage 3 Schneider Racing Cam along with many other mods. Sounds like a V-8, runs like a V-8, guzzles gas like a V-8. Back in the "old days" we used to call it a "radical" cam. Don't hear that much today.

Vicky

[Panamared]

Im in the same situation, between stage 2 cam and stage 3 cam.

Wish one is the best for street use (cops aren´t a problem). And how much power can I get from stage 3 against stage 2 cam.

I have a L24 engine E88. Dont think I need a bigger engine for now.

Paccesetter headers 6 to 2 to 1 and crane ignition system xr 3000.

Carbs are SU´s but planning to change them to weber triple.

Please need help, any comments are welcome.

[Dtsnlvrs]

MSA cam kits come from Schneider Racing Cams. Nothing shabby about their cams. http://www.schneidercams.com/cams/50.htm

I used to think the same thing, but now know better. Schneider Cams are ground on CWC billets not Japan billets. IMHO CWC has the metalurgy all wrong for OHC setup. I installed a Schneider in my car (full MSA cam kit) and now have two scored and pitted cam lobes. I would put my money on Isky. They will grind on a new Japan Billet (if available) or regrind a used Japan Billet. And I would not "cam" a 280 with stock injection. Just my 2 pennies.

[Sean240Z]

Hmmm...Interesting. I've got the Scheider Stage II cam with 25,000 miles on it. I've had no problems and was unaware of the potential issues. I just found some more info at the following link:

http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/engine.html

Scroll down to the 8th section on camshafts for some info on Cam Rules, the CWC billet and a recommended street cam.

I just adjusted my valve lash this weekend. I'll keep an eye on the lobes. Hmmmm.

[jmortensen]

Sorry to anyone who is proud of their Stage III cam, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine, so I'll probably come off more obnoxious than usual.

Stage III is the third stage of wimpy. I think they have the Stage I and II so that FI people can feel like they're really "stepping up" to the Stage III. If I were Schneider, I'd call the III the Stage I, the Stage IV would be the Stage II, and the all out race cam would be the Stage III. As Arne points out the stock FI can't handle overlap, so by making the very mild maximum duration cam that the FI can handle the Stage III, the FI people get to feel like they're really upgrading. That's my theory anyway.

I run something similar to the Stage IV. It runs great with SU's, when I switched to triples it turns out to be a bit on the small side. I'd like to find something in the .520/300 range now, but I've got enough other crap to do that I'll get to that when I get to it.

I know two or three people who have bought the Stage III and regretted it, one being former member here Zvoiture. I tried to warn him, but he went with the Stage III for his "race" engine on his track day car. I think he put down 180whp on the dyno after installing it in his new motor. He was pretty disappointed. Later on his Unilite took a crap on him, twice. Eventually I think he bought a GT2 engine that was all done up and put that in his race car.

Also, I think a regrind is a better choice than a new Schneider cam. Seen too many posts like this one: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=109514 The Nissan metallurgy is proven. All of my friends and I run regrinds, only a few with really high lift are running new camshafts (and those aren't Schneider). None of us has ever wiped a lobe and I don't think any of us resurfaced or replaced the rockers, that's probably 15 camshafts now with many many miles on them.

Actually the "replace the rockers when you replace the cam" thing is the same deal to me as the FelPro contingent who are so emphatic that the L6 has headgasket issues. The rockers are an issue because of the cam you're using, not the other way around IME. All right, I'll stop now... I think I killed it. :dead:

[Dtsnlvrs]

I concur with the above statement. I never wiped a lobe on a Japan billet, and I never had rockers reground. I never cared where they went when I had them removed. It was not until the purchase of a Schneider cam that I had rocker and or lobe issues.