I would add that your husband would love the sound of the modular motor with a fixed retarded cam timing that makes it sound like it has big camshafts and the old school thump or rumpedie sound that he is referring to. This is done with a tune and only effects idle and sound and is back on full power off idle. Even with bigger cams and the variable timing they don't have the thump that he is seeking. Please check into this as it is an effective inexpensive way to get the sound he want's.
Which motor? GT or ???My husband is getting bored and wants to change out the cam to more meaty sound and performance.
How hard is this to do as a DIY project? I've gotten prices from 15 - 20K. What is all involved with changing the
cam, and also what is suggested?
For idle noise that’s a cheap inexpensive way no doubt. For an all around bitchen sound cams are the only way.
You can turn a ford gt into a grown mans sounding car pretty quick with a good set of cams.
I just put a car together with cams, stock mufflers and cats and it’s rowdy. Never in my life did I expect it to idle and sound like that with 100% stock exhaust.
As a diy project
It requires taking the engine out of the car, ie removing front splitter, draining coolant, oils etc. Taking the transmission/clutch off, putting engine on engine stand. Removing intake, valve covers. Timing cover, oil pan, you will need to remove all the rocker arms one by one with specialty tools from ford. You literally will be down to a long block to swap cams. Unless you are super familiar with installing cams on a mod motor this isn’t really a diy project. Not something you want to mess up either. Also while engine is apart the environment it’s in needs to be very clean.
Very labor intensive project. Hence the reason for the large dollar quotes.
Video (audio)??
No. That's just a low idle. My 428CJ .609i/.623e, 254*i/262*e cam has the perfect gallop at 1k RPMIs it anything like this Chevelle currently on BaT? https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966-chevrolet-chevelle-ss-396-16/
I’ve built a few motors myself. So here’s my advice:
The FGT engine was designed with a supercharger as part of the package, so the cams are designed to take advantage of the SC. Boosted engines, whether they use mechanical super chargers or turbochargers, use a “less aggressive” cam because the air is being forced into the intake of the engine, rather than being sucked in. Specifically, the cams in boosted engines have less “valve overlap” because the boost would push excessive air/fuel mixture through the head and out into the exhaust while the intake and exhaust valves are both slightly open. In a normally aspirated engine, valve overlap is needed to assist scavenging of exhaust gasses from the head. One of the main things “performance cams” do is increase the valve overlap, which is largely responsible for the lumpy idle in such engines. . Therefore, a normally aspirated “performance cam” does the OPPOSITE of what you want for a boosted engine.
If he really wants a DIY hobby project, I suggest two options:
1. You can get as much noise (“music” to some of these FGT Forum inmates) as you want by installing an X-pipe exhaust. Has he thought about that? And if an X-pipe isn’t quite enough over-the-top, then go with long-tube headers, cat delete, and X-pipe. Trust me, that’s seriously loud.
2. Build a new normally-aspirated engine with whatever fire-spitting cams he wants, then swap out the existing FGT engine and save it or sell it. A huge advantage to this approach is that the car remains drivable until he’s ready to install the new engine. If he goes this route, the possibilities are almost endless. He can build anything from an old-school Cobra Jet (like Carrol Shelby did for the GT40’s), up to the latest big block based Ford engines. However, the big blocks may present some challenges for getting them into the existing space and location, adapting a dry sump, and attaching the belt-driven accessories. But hey, overcoming challenges is part of the hobby!
I made 875 whp with my ford gt and stock cams. I put a set of cams and ported heads on the motor and it made 1211whp. We’re the ported heads worth some power yes but only on the intake side as ford gt exhaust side is awesome stock. The cam valve spring package played a much larger roll in the gains.
Curious. Did you also increase the size of the blower or decrease the pulley size when you made these changes?
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