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#1 |
Board Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Athens, OH
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![]() Has anyone much experience with the 'A' and 'B' cams in a B230F?
They seem pretty darn similar on paper. Do they drive similarly? I'm really familiar with the 'A', and I love it. The 'B' looks like a very slightly more aggressive 'A' cam. Is it? I guess to give a cross forum bump to the For Sale post: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=337537 Thanks! -Ryan
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Athens, OH 1987 245 1989 245 GL 1989 745 GLE 1991 745 --Regina powered B234F! 1995 945T -- Mildly modded https://people.ohio.edu/ridgely/e-code.htm |
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#2 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Monroe, OR USA
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![]() I think it is just the opposite. An A is more aggressive than a B cam, IIRC. Somewhere on here there is a link to a table with cam specs on it.
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#3 |
Board Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Rushing Lane, Scappoose, OR
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1988 245 White slicktop M47 Wagon! 2.5L NA 8v going in. 1990 745 B230FT Getrag JohnV flywheel 240mm clutch 13c A-cam 3.54 G80 544K MILES 1991 740SE B230FT NPR Strut braces IPD bar A cam 550cc EV14's. 3.73 G80 M90 to put in. ![]() |
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#4 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Monroe, OR USA
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#5 | |||
We don't even like Volvos
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Missouri
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Current -93' 244 m47-iPd sways, 13c, iPd cam, 2.5” straight pipe -93' 245 m47-iPd sways, B-cam -90' 744 AW70:( stock as a rock -94' M-Edition Miata-Stock with a hardtop Past -80' 242gt m46- -88' 245 m47-Welded diff, gutted, 13g Quote:
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#6 |
Can play the blues
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: S NJ, a suburb of Phila.
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![]() I put a B cam in my friends 1990 B230F manual wagon. It made it drive a lot better all around.
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Dave, 1982 242 turbo. 339k miles. Lots of good changes. 1993 245 Classic, 415k miles, enem V15. 5spd. IPD bars and chassis braces. Simons sport exhaust from Scandix. chipped ezk. Been a good road warrior. |
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#7 |
Aero challenged
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
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![]() "B" is for: bad-ass, big-power, bountiful-torque, bodacious-revs...
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Built-not-bought: PDXdl Resto-Mod. ![]() |
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#8 | |
Sh*t pot stirrer
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Keizer, OR
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-Stephen -My car: White 1991 244, 308k miles. B230F LH2.4, AW70, R134a retro. Thrush glasspack, anthracite refinished Coronas -Wife's car: White 1990 244DL, T cam, 190k miles.B230F LH2.4, AW70 w/aux cooler, Duracool AC, purple refinished Virgos, tow hitch, ipd wagon overload springs. -PSM 2002 Subaru WRX wagon: 120k miles, Perrin TBE, Perrin turbo inlet, intake, and Y-pipe, GrimmSpeed cross pipe. Rebuilding EJ207 shortblock to swap in this summer. |
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#9 |
Board Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Athens, OH
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![]() Thanks guys!
I love the 'A'. If the 'B' is a smidgen better, I'm in. I'm going to put the spare AW-72 in this car so I can take advantage of the extra breathing in the higher rev range! -Ryan |
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#10 | |
Board Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Netherlands
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![]() Interesting discussion...I am also looking to swap in a better cam to get rid of the horrible M-cam.
Here's a thread about A/B cam HP increase - bone stone B230F....that covers the differences between A and B. Looking at the cam specs, the A and B are almost identical. But apparently they are not. Most people agree the A is more agressive than the B. One interesting comment came from stealthfti. He gives a comprehensive summary of the differences between the skinny cam familiy, the fat cam family and the dual cam familiy. Quote:
Or even better: get a manifold like this: ![]()
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1994 960 B204FT, full options, leather interior (soon to be B234FT) 1991 745 B204GT (Swede Sixteen VT), M46 flywheel/ Diesel-clutch/M90L gearbox, poly bushing, polaris rimms, 23/19 sways. 1986 745 B230FT, MBC@13psi, 302mm V70 brakes, camber mod, poly bushing, 960 braces, 23 mm front sway, MBC@13psi (sold) 1983 244 turbo B21FT/AW71, full RUSToration/new rear (USA-import) |
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#11 |
Aero challenged
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
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![]() Very happy with my B cam and exhaust. But I think almost any cam will be better than the M.
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#12 |
Sh*t pot stirrer
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Keizer, OR
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#13 |
Can play the blues
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: S NJ, a suburb of Phila.
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![]() One reason why I always mention the enem V15 is because it is a cam with the lift of the K cam but the duration of the B cam. So it has a wide powerband with torque at all rpms. But if you must have a stock cam a B or A are miles better than the M. The A and B are probably the easiest to get here in the US. Also you can get a V cam out of a Penta engine. All of them will improve your M cam engine and make it a better running engine that still doesn't pollute or have bad driving habits.
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#14 |
Board Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Athens, OH
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![]() Thanks all! Trigger pulled on a 'B' cam vs. getting another 'A'.
Ultimately, I'm looking for DD stuff. I've an 'A' in what was the 5-spd 245 (now parts car, engine's going in a 745) and a 2nd one in the 945T. For me, the 'A' is a "liberation" cam. Advanced a smidgen, it just lets the engine be better all around. If anything, fuel economy improved, and in adverse conditions you can downshift without the engine screaming at you. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Volvo engineers decided to use the 'M'.... it's terrible, and if you have a manual trans, you become a slave to the narrow power band. In the turbo car, with a few added PSI, the 'A' makes things 16-valve smooth, but with much better torque delivery. -Ryan |
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#15 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Monroe, OR USA
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#16 |
Can play the blues
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: S NJ, a suburb of Phila.
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![]() In talking of cams though. Both A and B cams are low overlap mild cams. They both have better power bands than the M in any n/a engine and work well in turbos. Volvo was just too conservative with the M and T. One of the best changes I've made to my Volvos over the years was getting rid of the M and T cams.
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#17 |
Sh*t pot stirrer
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Keizer, OR
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![]() A or B cams are just fine for an inexpensive upgrade for some better performance for an NA or Turbo redblock. I am running a T cam in my Wife's car and even that made a difference over the M.
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