Theres No Simple Formula to Choosing the

Perfect Camshaft

What camshaft should I use? How many times have you been asked or heard that
question uttered? Why is it so difficult to choose the correct camshaft for an engine build?
What separates one camshaft design from the other? After all, isnt it true that a camshaft
opens and closes valves? Simple, right? Well lets delve in and see what we can learn
about the operation and selection of the best camshaft.

Proper camshaft selection allows the maximum amount of air/fuel mixture into an engine for
a given application. The amount of fuel that can be used, then removed efficiently,
(volumetric efficiency VE), will not only dictate engine power but also the entire engine
package selected for the build. After all, the camshaft design affects valve timing,
compression and the engines ability to breathe. From pistons to manifolds, valve grind,
piston pin offset, rod length, etc. Once the camshaft has been tabbed correctly for the
application, the rest of the build can focus off that selection.

What wont be provided here is a sure-fire cant miss camshaft selection formula. It simply
doesnt exist. The list of variables is far too great. Proper camshaft selection is a
combination of first and foremost, your experience coupled with the determined usage;
engine displacement, compression ratio, fuel system carbureted or injected, RPM range
power desired, transmission type/converter stall speed, vehicle weight, final gear ratio, tire
height, cylinder head and valves, head flow, manifolds, rocker arm ratios, aspiration and
emissions test passage if necessary.

Too often the camshaft grind is selected based off of numbers that look great on the
packaging but have little to no benefit. Think bigger is always better? Not always so in the
case of camshaft selection. The addition of 25 base horsepower on a camshaft install is
great, provided it enhances the application. However, if the build is for a street performance
engine, adding 25 horsepower above 6,500 RPM might mean utilization of the added
horsepower is difficult.

Lets begin the journey now and see what we can learn.

Camshaft Basics

It is true that the camshaft is responsible for opening and closing valves. The critical aspect
is the timing of these events. The correct camshaft selection will match valve operation to
pressure differentiations and airflow inertia for a selected RPM range to produce maximum
volumetric efficiency (VE).

Before delving in too deep it should be understood that a bevy of internal engine
parameters affect cam timing. These criteria include-engine bore and stroke, connecting rod
length, pin offset, desired operating RPM, static and dynamic compression, intake and
exhaust flow as well as cylinder head flow. If our choices are correct the camshaft selection
will be successful. If not, well lets hope this article helps to prevent any such dilemma.

Lets start with a quick rundown of some terminology.

Duration- is simply the number of crankshaft degrees that a valve is off its seat (held open).
An air/fuel charge enters or exhaust gases exit the cylinder whenever a valve is open. In
general the longer a valve is open the higher the RPM an engine can rev. The higher the
duration the longer the valves are held open affecting both the power band and driveability.
Longer duration (higher number) improves top end power with an expected reduction in low-
end torque.

Lower duration boosts low-end torque which results in better idle quality but sacrifices top-
end power. Short duration cams also limit valve lift due to rate-of-lift limits of the lifter. Roller
cams offer an improvement here over hydraulic grinds, by allowing higher rates of lift with
short duration.

Comparing camshafts can be tricky as duration numbers are generally supplied by two
figures; advertised and .050 inch. Advertised is generally between .003 inch and .006 inch
off the seat. SAE designates .006 inch as the official figure. What occurs before .003 inch is
largely considered irrelevant. For camshaft comparison the .050 inch (crankshaft degrees)
starting and ending figure is typically used. The .050 inch figure constitutes generally how
the cam will operate.

Lift-easily the best understood specification of camshaft design. Maximum valve lift is
calculated by multiplying lobe height at its highest from the base circle of the lobe, times
rocker arm ratio. The rocker arm ratio multiplies (increases) the effective lift of the camshaft
lobes. For example, a 0.310 lobe lift cam yields 0.496 of valve lift when using a 1.6 ratio
rocker arm.

Peak lift on most engine builds are constrained by engine design;

A.To maximize valve clearance the piston crown can be modified. Hence, a concession
must be made between the amount of valve lift that can be selected without being
detrimental to piston design.

B.Short duration high lift designs also constrain valve lift by cause of acceleration needed to
obtain high lift. As RPM increases, peak lift is reduced for a given valve lift duration.

Typically more lift increases power. Increasing lift, while not altering duration will boost
power without changing the power band.
Cam degreeing set up for the camshaft with .786 gross lift helping to produce roughly 900hp in a rear engine
dragster.

If peak lift is too low airflow will be restricted into and out of the engine reducing power. This
is known as throttling the engine. To achieve maximum power typically a camshaft with as
much lift as possible should be chosen for the airflow capable of the cylinder head and
manifolds. Maximum possible lift can negatively alter low-to-mid range performance.

A lower intake valve lift increases air charge momentum passed the open valve. The
increased velocity leads to enhanced fuel mixing and combustion. For added torque at a
selected RPM keep the lift as low as possible without restricting the air charge.

Ordinarily peak valve lift selection is not governed by partial load conditions. Deriving valve
lift for this application would in all probability reduce the engine power output. However to
increase fuel economy during low-to-mid operation restricting the valve opening via valve lift
is an option. Curtailing airflow past the intake valve diminishes the engines need to reduce
airflow via the throttle plate reducing pumping losses.

To find which lift is best for your build find the maximum cylinder head flow point and match
the lift to that range. Superfluous lift can cause engine reliability issues. High lift camshafts
place an inordinate amount of stress on engines valvetrain and valve seats. Insufficient lift
results in poor performance and failure to achieve maximum horsepower. Accordingly a
concession is necessary when selecting peak valve lift. Your decision is entirely dependent
on intended RPM and load the engine will be operating in.

Lobe centerline (LC)- is the peak lift point of the cam lobe in crankshaft degrees. Intake lobe
centerline is ATDC and exhaust lobe centerline is BTDC. Symmetrical cam (both sides of
the lobe are exactly the same) centerline therefore is the halfway point between intake and
exhaust centerlines. An asymmetrical cam may use different durations on the opening and
closing side of a lobe. This will affect the centerline as it may not be dead center.
Asymmetrical refers to a camshaft lobe profile where the opening and closing ramps are not
exactly the same. The reason some camshafts are this way is to try to achieve an opening
ramp profile that has a high velocity and a closing ramp profile that has a slower velocity. In
this way the valve can be set down more gently than the rate at which it was first opened.
The difference if present is minuscule

Lobe Separation Angle (LSA) or Lobe Centerline Angle (LCA)- is the only camshaft
specification rated in cam degrees, not crankshaft degrees. Lobe separation is the angle in
camshaft degrees between the maximum lift points of the intake and exhaust valves. LSA is
the result of the placement of the intake and exhaust lobes on the camshaft and cannot be
changed unless the cam is reground. This is usually calculated by dividing the sum of the
intake centerline and the exhaust centerline by two.

This measurement is another way of expressing valve overlap, the amount of time that both
valves are open on the same cylinder; as well valve opening and closing points and lobe
centerline. In a nutshell the engine responds to valve timing events. This is the reason that
Lobe Separation Angle alters valve overlap as it also changes the four valve timing events
of a camshaft. Lobe separation affects valve overlap which in turn affects the power curve of
the engine, idle quality and vacuum.

Valve Overlap- the time when both valves are open as the piston travels in the bore.
Overlap begins as the piston approaches TDC on the exhaust stroke and continues until
just after TDC. The correct overlap is essential for optimal performance encompassing
endless hours of engineering design. When both valves are open simultaneously a drop in
cylinder pressure will occur. Overlap is most easily understood as the ability of intake and
exhaust flows to affect each other due to pressure waves that vary with load and engine
RPM. All in all valve overlap is quite balanced around TDC on most engines. Piston motion
has the greatest effect on airflow the further from TDC that valve overlap exists.

Theory behind valve overlap; since the intake valve is open slightly departing exhaust gas
flow creates pressure differential (vacuum) that aids in pulling fresh air/fuel mixture into the
cylinder without any of the intake charge passing into the exhaust system. The exiting
exhaust gas at TDC that is replaced directly by the intake charge would exceed that which
is normally drawn into the cylinder by piston travel alone. Think poor mans
turbocharger/supercharger.

Overlap trails only duration in its ability to produce power. Additional horsepower increases
with the appropriate amount of overlap and can easily exceed output from a relatively
identical camshaft with a wider lobe separation. Additional duration, increasing overlap by
opening the intake valve earlier and closing the exhaust valve later, is commonly found on
performance camshafts. Altering the intake valve opening point is typically the most
dynamic modified cam timing event followed by exhaust valve closure. Exhaust valve
closure is primarily used to regulate the amount of overlap.

As with almost anything engine performance related however, a trade-off exists. Adding
overlap can result in poor idle quality (low vacuum), elevated emissions, and poor throttle
response until RPM overcomes intake and exhaust reversion.

Increased overlap is beneficial at higher speeds and loads due to exhaust pressure waves
drawing in the intake charge while both valves are open. As the piston travels from BDC
pushing exhaust gases from the cylinder the intake valve begins to open before BTDC.
Application dependent this process may start as early as 50BTDC on a race application
compared to a street vehicle which can be as late as 3 to 5 BTDC. Exhaust valve closure
operates in a comparable range ATDC. Adding the intake BTDC to the exhaust ATDC
closing events results in crankshaft degrees of overlap.

Typical overlap for a given application as follows; trucks/good mileage towing 10-35, daily
driven low rpm performance 30-55, hot street performance 50-75, bracket/oval track
racing 70-95, dragster/comp eliminator engines 90-115. Large overlap at lower speeds
results in poor emissions and idle quality as the mixture flows directly into the exhaust never
burning. High overlap also results in an EGR effect that although beneficial for emissions at
part load, reduces power under full load.
The Four Stroke Cycle
Ok so now we need to understand the terminology and design aspects of the camshaft. For
starters however a review of the 4 stroke cycle is in order yea I know, youre saying to
yourself really? Isnt that the same as reading instructions, who does that? Its even more
simplistic than camshaft operation. After all what can be so hard about Suck-Squeeze-
Bang-Blow? Ah thats what we are aiming to expand upon here; valve timing in relation to
piston location in the bore. How to manipulate the timing of these events to provide what the
customer and/or engine builder is hoping to achieve for the given application. The theory
well.

1. Intake stroke- The piston is at TDC from zero velocity. As the piston begins moving down
the cylinder from TDC the intake valve opens and the exhaust valve is partially open. As the
piston descends it picks up speed and the exhaust valve fully closes. With the valve
opening air and fuel begin to fill the cylinder. It is commonplace to assume that the vacuum
created here is solely responsible for the cylinder filling to reach maximum volumetric
efficiency. This however is only partially true. The piston reaching its maximum velocity
(approximately 70-80 ATDC) provides the greatest pressure difference between
atmospheric pressure and cylinder pressure. Piston velocity derives from stroke, rod length,
piston pin offset and RPM. The greater the velocity, the more air we can draw into the
engine. As the piston travels down the cylinder the exhaust valve fully closes while the
intake valve, which is fully open, begins to close as piston reaches BDC. Why keep the
intake valve open slightly after BDC? Momentum from the incoming intake charge continues
to fill the cylinder even though the piston has slowed at BDC. Enhancing Volumetric
Efficiency.

2. Compression stroke- The piston reaches BDC and two events are simultaneously
occurring- the intake valve is almost closed and the piston speed slows greatly. The intake
valve closes fully after BDC. Momentum from the incoming intake charge continues to fill
the cylinder even though the piston has slowed at BDC. The piston then begins the journey
back to TDC on the compression stroke squeezing the air fuel mixture to an elevated
pressure/temperature that allows the spark plug to ignite and burn the mixture. This event is
critical as the burn needs to be controlled, not an explosion (detonation). End result of
detonation- engine damage, usually melted ring lands. Proper controlled burning returns the
piston at maximum velocity to BDC.

3. Power stroke- The piston is at TDC with both valves closed, the spark plug has fired.
The expanding gases from the ignition event of the compressed air/fuel mixture forces the
piston back down the bore. As the gases expand cooling also begins. The exhaust valve
begins to open before the piston has reached BDC. Most of the gas pressure from
combustion contained in the cylinder is depleted between 45 and 90 ATDC. When the
crankpin reaches 90 ATDC most of the power has been recovered and cylinder pressures
are low. Opening the exhaust valve before the piston reaches BDC allows the excess
pressure in the cylinder to be expelled just before the piston reaches the bottom of the
stroke. Opening of the exhaust valve during the power stroke aids in reducing cylinder
pressure and pumping losses. The term Blow Down is used to describe this action.

4. Exhaust stroke- The exhaust valve is opening fairly rapidly as the piston begins its
ascent. As piston velocity increases the exhaust valve needs to be fully open to reduce
resistance (pumping losses) which robs power and fuel economy. Exhaust valve closure is
delayed until after the piston has reached TDC and begins its descent to take advantage of
the exhaust gas velocity and increased cylinder scavenging. Delaying exhaust valve closure
and beginning to open the intake valve on the exhaust stroke also aids in reducing pumping
losses. This increases cylinder fill during the intake stroke due to the negative pressure
(vacuum) in the cylinder via a process known as scavenging. The vacuum created allows
more air/fuel mixture to fill the cylinder as well as ensuring the exhaust gases are purged
efficiently.

Editors note: This article is the first in a three-part series. Look for more camshaft design
information in upcoming Engine Builder issues.