TR2/3/3A DIY camshaft inspection?

[karls59tr]

I have an older Kastner D cam in my parts bin. What can be done visually and technically to see if it is still good?

 

[CJD]

Look for corrosion or pitting on the lobes...any is reason for rejection. Then, put a caliper over the bump on each lobe. They should all be within a couple thousandths of each other. If those checks are good, I would have no problem re-using it.

 

[karls59tr]

Look for corrosion or pitting on the lobes...any is reason for rejection. Then, put a caliper over the bump on each lobe. They should all be within a couple thousandths of each other. If those checks are good, I would have no problem re-using it.

If it is still good would it make much difference in driveability in a basically stock motor(with a mild street cam) or not worth doing unless bigger cylinders and other upgrades are added?

 

[CJD]

Performance cams have more overlap between the exhaust and intake strokes. This will make the idle less stable, so you will likely have to raise the idle speed, which may affect the carb tuning. In general, the extra overlap will raise the torque curve to a higher RPM, and usually over a smaller range than a street cam. That means it'll feel more "peaky"....i.e. slow to come into its range and then pull much stronger for a smaller RPM band. These changes are more pronounced in a smaller displacement engine...and less so if you use it in a larger engine...the peakiness, that is. You will definitely feel the power in a displacement upgrade with a matching cam.

If you mostly drive around town, I would think you would be happiest with the street cam. To get the most out of the performance cam you should match it with high ports, decent intake, and a carb tuned for it. Adding larger cylinders will reduce the "peakiness".

Finally, with a performance cam you can usually increase compression, which also helps reduce the down sides of the overlap. Higher compression means even more torque.