Cam shaft assistance

[carusoracer]

Hello,

New to the forum. I'm looking to get my 240Z back out of storage and on the road.

My car was a BSP Solo2/Pro Solo car for SCCA.

I would like to make it more fun and chuck out the rule book as the car is not competitive in the current class structure.

I have looked at Schneider Cam shaft grinds and the Old Nissan Comp catalogues but I'm not sure what would be the best Streetable TQ monster Cam that can breathe a little up top?

Engine will be reconfigured to Flat Top pistons around 9:1 Compression ratio 2.8L with N42 Head. Gears will be 3:90.Triple Mikuni 44's for breathing

Need help locating a 3:90 R180 or the gear as I have a well setup 3:54 LSD R180.

Also looking for 5Spd combination and change to close ratio transmission.

Mission: Return the car to the Street/AutoX and some limited Track Lapping days. Durability and Pump gas with a little Octane boost.

Any sourcing helpful. Dyed in the Wool Z Car enthusiast looking to get back to the Z Car Power:smoke:

Thanks

[jmortensen]

3.90 R180's are like hen's teeth. I'd find a 4.11, they're much easier to come by as they were used for the front diff in the mid 80's Nissan 4x4s.

For cams I was running something very close to the Schneider Stage IV and thought it was great with my stock compression L28. When I added triple carbs it became obvious that the cam was too small, but it worked nicely with the SU's.

I wouldn't buy the Schneider cam though, I'd have your stock cam reground. If you search around the internet you'll find that the Schneiders are usually closely accompanied by posts about oil no longer containing as much zinc and phosphate, and they'll say how hard it is to get a cam to hold up without those additives. But those threads really seem to follow the Schneider cams around if you know what I mean.

The bigger your cam is the LESS octane you'll need, and since you're only running 9:1 you might be able to run your motor with a ~.490/290ish cam at 89 octane, maybe even 87. But now that I think about it, shouldn't a flat top piston and N42 combo put you at more like 10.5:1? Even so, I think you'll have no problem with 92 if you have that kind of compression with the larger cam.

Also if you search for octane boost you'll find out how little of a boost you get from the can you buy at the auto parts store. You can buy the components from the hardware store by the gallon, much better bang for the buck. I don't think you'll need it for your planned build.

[carusoracer]

Thanks for the reply!

I think I'm going to settle on the Rebello Street Cam ...Unless I get some more information on the WAKO Cams from Japan or ISKY.

Any other replies?

[240ZMan]

Myself and a few others have gone the reground cam route with good results. I used Delta Cams in the NW. The grind I chose was close to what Scheider calls their stage III. I was able to keep my stock springs and just change the lash pads. Total cost to regrind the cam, resurface the rockers, and shipping was about $125 IIRC. They even threw in a T-shirt.

Idle is still reasonable, and it makes good power from 3k - 6500, pulls to 7k if you want. I've had mine in for 2 years now and once I had the proper lash pads and clearances, I was amazed at how quiet the valve train became. Even with the hood up it's barely audible.

To Jon's point, I'm running an N42 head on an L28 with flat top pistons. I had to back the total advance off by about a few degrees to solve a detonation issue in the 4500-5000 rpm range. I'm at altitude FWIW (~6k feet) and run pump premium (91 octane).

If I tracked the car more often, I'd go with new valve springs and more lift. But for a mostly street driven car, this combination has been excellent.

BTW, I'm running with an 81-83 5 speed and 4.11. That combination fits the cam's power curve very well. As long as I'm willing to downshift, there's always a gear where the engine will be in its powerband. It's really a lot of fun to drive on the track or street.