Do-It-Yourself High Performance Car Mods

Aftermarket Camshafts and Valvetrains

Camshafts are crucial in an all-out naturally aspirated buildup. The choice of camshaft is closely tied to the RPM where you want maximum power; in fact, many cam manufacturers describe their camshafts in terms of the RPM range where the cam works best. Most performance cams will make the engine breathe better at high RPM at the expense of performance at low RPM. Therefore, an engine builder needs to pick a camshaft with care. A cam that is too “big” for street use is certain to hurt acceleration at typical cruising RPM and cause rough idling, while the high RPM gains the camshaft can make will not happen without the appropriate other mods. Camshafts are typically measured in terms of duration and lift, with ...