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A or VX3 cam for B230 na. engine with manual

Bom

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
I found A and VX3 camshafts very good price at local garage but curious which one is better for my car. (240 B230 na, manual transmission). Current camshaft is T cam which is ok for low rpm but very bad for high rpm. Since A cam has more lift and duration than VX3's, does it has less torque in low-mid rpm but more power in high RPM than VX3?

Thanks
 
T Cam is good for towing and stump yanking. A cam is a great improvement for a B230. Basically just about any cam other than the anemic M cam is an improvement.
 
Yes, I did search and read many posts about camshaft including the one in your link which I read several times but still confused whether the suggestions were based on na engine or op’s future plan for turbo. It seems A cam was not much mentioned and not popular for this board.
 
Ive read so much on this it gets confusing. Basically my advice is pick up a A cam for 50 bucks and run it. VX is good but you will probably have to pay 200 for it. I would not run a T, just my advice. I put a V cam in mine; but would of rather had an H.
 
The "A" cam is not a bad cam. IMO it is great for a normal driving manual trans car and picks up some hp in 3.5k+ band. IMO there is not a lack of low end.

I am currently running an "A" cam with my B21F+T. Off boost driveability is great. I have also run a "V" cam and a "T" cam with this setup and the "V" did have a noticeable shift in the power band towards the upper rpm and the "T" had a lot of low end (<3.5k) but did not keep pulling if I wanted to rev out a gear. IMO the "A" is a good compromise where it maintains great drivability but will pull to the upper rpms if you want it to. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks, he sells both cams ar $20 each. Cam price is cheap but he charges about $50 for installation.
 
I found A and VX3 camshafts very good price at local garage but curious which one is better for my car. (240 B230 na, manual transmission). Current camshaft is T cam which is ok for low rpm but very bad for high rpm. Since A cam has more lift and duration than VX3's, does it has less torque in low-mid rpm but more power in high RPM than VX3?

Thanks
The A is a better camshaft in my opinion and experience(at the expense of very slightly worse idle quality and emissions). I haven?t tried them back to back but I liked the T cam more than the VX when I ran them! I did run the T cam retarded 4 degrees and with tight clearances, though. The A produces more tailpipe emissions than the VX, but it?s really a great stock replacement with no downsides on an otherwise stock motor. It?s been many years since I ran an A cam, but it was a very torquey cam that still had some pull up top.

Ive read so much on this it gets confusing. Basically my advice is pick up a A cam for 50 bucks and run it. VX is good but you will probably have to pay 200 for it. I would not run a T, just my advice. I put a V cam in mine; but would of rather had an H.
Depending on your goals, a T cam is a beast and will pull to 5,000 rpm if your setup is right. The V cam and H cam lose a lot of low rpm torque(good for mileage and acceleration without downshifting) in a stock motor in comparison to a T. The VX will have better torque than a V in the same engine due to the less aggressive exhaust lobe. A K has better torque and low rpm drivability than an H, but the peak power of the H isn?t really worth it over the K in a stock, street application.

The "A" cam is not a bad cam. IMO it is great for a normal driving manual trans car and picks up some hp in 3.5k+ band. IMO there is not a lack of low end.

I am currently running an "A" cam with my B21F+T. Off boost driveability is great. I have also run a "V" cam and a "T" cam with this setup and the "V" did have a noticeable shift in the power band towards the upper rpm and the "T" had a lot of low end (<3.5k) but did not keep pulling if I wanted to rev out a gear. IMO the "A" is a good compromise where it maintains great drivability but will pull to the upper rpms if you want it to. Hope this helps.
Agreed. But the T will pull higher with the valves set tighter(and retard the cam timing), too.
Thanks, he sells both cams ar $20 each. Cam price is cheap but he charges about $50 for installation.
SUPER CHEAP!
 
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Thanks a lot for more claification, i finally got vx3. It has less throttle response at low to mid rpm than T but better in high rpm. I personally prefer T cam since it matches with my application which is mainly driving in the city with traffic jam. If T had more power in high rpm, it would be perfect for me.
 
Yes, exactly. The VX3 will give up a little bottom end to pick up some top end in comparison to an M cam or T cam. That's generally how camshafts work, they give up one end to increase the other if no other mods are performed. If you advance the VX3 some more, and/or try looser valve clearances, it could pick up some more bottom end torque. It may not be enough for your liking, though.

The T cam has less duration and overlap than any other factory camshaft so it will produce the MOST dynamic compression of all the factory camshafts. This means, if you don't change anything else, you will pick up more low end torque by swapping in a T cam than any other factory camshaft. Assuming you don't run into detonation problems(you won't with a stock B230).

If you want a larger camshaft to work well at low rpm, you need to pick it wisely and then also increase the static compression ratio to keep the dynamic compression ratio similar(or higher). Or change ignition timing.

Here's what the T cam did for my 1987 244 automatic. First time slip is with the M cam, second is the T cam. Only go fast part was an adjustable cam gear, otherwise, power came from adjusting the valves to .012/.014", advancing the ignition timing 4 degrees(or was it 6?), retarding the cam 4 degrees, running premium gas and repurposing the preheat hose/opening for some fresh cold air in the front spoiler. Otherwise it's just a light DL with 147k on it.

M cam:
402903_10100404851501338_1536429172_n.jpg


T cam:
539459_10100440668967848_1018537970_n.jpg


Car picked up three tenths and 1.5mph even though it didn't feel faster aside from a little extra torque off the line.

If you're racing around the city streets with an automatic redblock equipped car and you don't want to pull the head for higher compression, slap a T cam in for more torque with some tight valves and retard it to let it pull longer!
 
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For normal road use the VX would be the better choice in a non turbo engine. With turbo the A is better for low down. T cam is a good hammer
 
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