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Upgrading Focus 1.8 Cams

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Old 17-02-2011, 11:59 PM
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Focus333
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Default Upgrading Focus 1.8 Cams

Right i want to upgrade my cams, and i dont want to go for Kent or Piper as the price is a lot and they need setting up, shimming etc. So i want to put some 130/136ps from a 2.0 Focus or Mondeo.
Only issue is I know the Mondeo 136ps cams are from Silvertop and mine a Blacktop, so can someone help explain which will fit and which wont?
Also what you would recommend to get the best gains?
Running 1.8 full 4-1 stainless de-cat, custom ram air induction and uprated plugs and HT leads.
Thanks in advance
Joe
Old 18-02-2011, 08:16 AM
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JonathanJ
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I am sorry to say no matter what cams you put in you will need to re shim , the SE engine has solid lifters and so even if you put a cam in out of a 2 litre then you would probably find that most if not all would need a reshim , also if you put a cam in out of another engine size then you will probably need to play with its timing to get any meaningful gains so it will need vernier pulleys fitted to allow this .

I have to say if you want to have gains then you might be disappointed as the only real way is to use components designed for the job , you say that kent / piper are expensive but they are due to the development costs to make sure they give a gain rather than giving nothing .

I would say save up and use the right components and you will be so much happier with the results .
Old 18-02-2011, 09:00 AM
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hogdog
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Silvertop cams won't fit.

2.0 Blacktop cams are the same as the ones you have fitted.
Old 19-02-2011, 03:02 PM
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tabetha
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As said any cam fitted with shims will at the very least need checking, I don't know what your concern is though, seriously if you can fit a cam then setting the gaps is a piece of piss, a bit long winded but the type of job a trainee does perfectly first time around.
If you can count and do some seriously basic + and - maths that and a feeler gauge is all that's needed, you can even do swapsies with the shims from one place to another so may not need that many, the last car I did needed 3 out of 8 that's all, they were Ł3 each.
Some cams are overpriced, it's very rarely anything to do with development, it's due to them being in business to make money, I always go for a regrind before new, as these are work hardened(heat), the added bonus is that you can have what you want, for example the new cam for the gf's astra has a pinto profile from a fast road 2l pinto onto a 1.4 auto astra!!
tabetha

Last edited by tabetha; 19-02-2011 at 03:05 PM.
Old 05-03-2011, 04:15 PM
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Focus333
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Originally Posted by tabetha
As said any cam fitted with shims will at the very least need checking, I don't know what your concern is though, seriously if you can fit a cam then setting the gaps is a piece of piss, a bit long winded but the type of job a trainee does perfectly first time around.
If you can count and do some seriously basic + and - maths that and a feeler gauge is all that's needed, you can even do swapsies with the shims from one place to another so may not need that many, the last car I did needed 3 out of 8 that's all, they were Ł3 each.
Some cams are overpriced, it's very rarely anything to do with development, it's due to them being in business to make money, I always go for a regrind before new, as these are work hardened(heat), the added bonus is that you can have what you want, for example the new cam for the gf's astra has a pinto profile from a fast road 2l pinto onto a 1.4 auto astra!!
tabetha
Sorry bout late reply, i have bit more money now so can afford for piper/kent cams. But tabetha when you say regrind, do you mean reprofile my standard cams?
Thanks
Old 06-03-2011, 06:12 PM
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tabetha
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Yes regrind/reprofile same thing, any half decent engine shop can do this for around 1/3 the price of new ones.
tabetha
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