Custom CNC billet cams from scratch $400 ~ 20 qty

[acannell]

Just for fun I called up LSM to get a quote on a custom camshaft made from a bar of steel. 100% custom geometry, whatever I tell them.

http://www.lsmeng.com/Camshafts.html

I told them it would be for a 80'/90's 2.2/2.5 Chrysler K-Car, 8 lobes, 5 bearing journals.

He said he needs to see a drawing obviously, and the minimum order is qty 4.

But for around 20 qty, based on those specs, ball park something like $400 to $600 each depending on complexity. I would guess more like $400 since our cam could not get simpler. But I'll have to send him a model/drawing for an accurate quote. Price does not change if the lobes get crazier.

These would be made from a Solidworks model, CNC machined from steel bar stock, ground and hardened.

So if someone comes up with a camshaft design they want to do a group buy for, there is really nothing in the way. Its not thousand of dollars in setup fees or anything like that. Its totally doable and the price is right.

Now all we need is a design for a camshaft.

[85boostbox]

So you need someone to make one in solid works?

[acannell]

So you need someone to make one in solid works?

The only thing we're really missing is a design or good idea for a cam as far as all the cam specs, i.e. lift, duration, etc..

If we had that, I can do all the rest as far as modelling it and getting cams made from LSM.

LSM also said they could engineer the cam based on valve specs. So in that case anyone could probably just send them the stock cam and tell them what they want as far as valve activity. Might not even need to do any modelling that way. Although Im not sure if LSM would charge more for that service because I didnt ask.

Main thing to take away is that there is not really a financial barrier to having totally custom cams made. Get 10 or 20 people together in a group buy and it barely costs anymore than people are paying for cams at the moment.

[Keito]

I'll take this one
http://youtu.be/5oLk-FT7Pgk

[bakes]

I'll take this one
http://youtu.be/5oLk-FT7Pgk

Hey i know that car and cam lol and yes it can be used a copy but i think we can take that cam farther with Tod , Rob . Warrens help
Just know you have to have the valve springs to go with it stocker will bind.
power band of the cam starts at 4000 and goes up to 8000 or more

[Keito]

Ya, unfortunately it wouldn't work with a 2.5
It's one mean sounding 4 banger

[knownenemy]

Um,..........I'm IN!

I'm not sure of the exact specs I'll be suggesting yet,
but I'll take a look and see what I've jotted down in the notes.

[bakes]

Ya, unfortunately it wouldn't work with a 2.5
It's one mean sounding 4 banger

why wouldnt work on a 2.5l

[Chris W]

Would this be the same profile for all, or, each camshaft would be a unique profile?

We asked our cam manufacturer to provide us with an estimate for camshaft "blanks". Since there is a fraction of the work required to produce these the price should be considerably less then a finished product. With blanks in hand achieving the custom profiles might be a more cost effective method. We'll let everyone know once they get back with us.

Chris-TU

[acannell]

Would this be the same profile for all, or, each camshaft would be a unique profile?

We asked our cam manufacturer to provide us with an estimate for camshaft "blanks". Since there is a fraction of the work required to produce these the price should be considerably less then a finished product. With blanks in hand achieving the custom profiles might be a more cost effective method. We'll let everyone know once they get back with us.

Chris-TU

Keep in mind I know nothing of LSM, they are just the first place that popped up in a google search.

The quote I asked them for was for a run of identical cams. Looking at their website they do pretty much everything though including blanks.

By blank do you mean something with the lobes just circular, or something where the lobes have been approximated to a given design and only a few thou remains to be ground off?

[boost geek]

any one have a copy of my cam card? mine is on another computer which is doa

[bakes]

i have it some where it's posted in r5/ f4 cam tread post 133/134

[4 l-bodies]

any one have a copy of my cam card? mine is on another computer which is doa

Yup, here it is. BTW total valve lift will be a bit less than posted @.543 @ 1.75:1. LRE used 1.78:1. Overlap @ .050 is +10°
Todd

[acannell]

4L-bodies and bakes, what is that cam all about, is that the fav to make?

[4 l-bodies]

4L-bodies and bakes, what is that cam all about, is that the fav to make?

NA designed camshaft made by LRE a long time ago that was in Steve Calder's 87 CSX. It appears to be in Boostgeeks SC now. Notice the installed centerline? Due to very short LSA (compared to almost all turbo grinds), it has lots of overlap. I wish we had more camshaft choices like this (lift and duration #'s) for applications that would warrant such a camshaft.
I remember quite well what Steve's CSX sounded like at idle with this camshaft. IMO, would need heavily modified top end of motor to make this one work well. Notice the last sentence on cam card? It was wise of Boostgeek to run Comp conicals with this cam as conventional springs would be very close to coil bind with conventional valvetrain. Conicals with their oval wire gives you more headroom before coil bind. This camshaft is not hardly for everyone, but probably works nice at high RPM in the correct application.
I believe Colt Cams has a NA circle track camshaft with lift very close to this already.
Todd

[bakes]

Todd did you want to run Dick"s cam in you machine ?? Dick said he be happy for me to pull it out . and while it out i was going to swap in Simons super 60 roller cam for a test.

[Keito]

This is why I wouldn't run it in my 2.5
I'm shifting around 5K

This camshaft is not hardly for everyone, but probably works nice at high RPM in the correct application.
Todd[/QUOTE]

[Ondonti]

Would this be the same profile for all, or, each camshaft would be a unique profile?

We asked our cam manufacturer to provide us with an estimate for camshaft "blanks". Since there is a fraction of the work required to produce these the price should be considerably less then a finished product. With blanks in hand achieving the custom profiles might be a more cost effective method. We'll let everyone know once they get back with us.

Chris-TU

This seems like the way to do it to me.

If you were doing it yourself, why wouldn't you just machine a blank and let someone else do the profile? The blank is the problem, NOT the profile. Nobody needs another cam grinder, they just need a blank to do whatever profile they want.
Blank could be made on a programmable lathe.

[boost geek]

james if my car is up and running with the s60 cam maybe you should run it on the dyno to see the real difference in it thanks for finding the camcard guys!

[4 l-bodies]

Todd did you want to run Dick"s cam in you machine ?? Dick said he be happy for me to pull it out . and while it out i was going to swap in Simons super 60 roller cam for a test.

Thanks for the offer I appreciate that, but it will be a while before I'm in a position to evaluate any camshafts in car. Probably not til summer. Simons s-60 grind should be an interesting test on a modified motor such as Dick's SC.
Todd