Cam Install


CampoLady

GT Owner
May 25, 2018
69
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?
 

NorthwoodGT

GT Owner
Jun 12, 2009
1,215
Michigan
you really need to contact people like notre or bmf who have done this before and understand the result. these engines are not old pushrod technology so bigger lift cams, especially with a super charger are not necessarily the way to always go in my opinion. you also have to take into consideration the driveability after you install bigger cams. also can require a lot of other modifications as well and special tools like the camshaft alignment tool to get it done correctly. I'd ask here on the forum before attempting such a project. you might get a better result with bigger supercharger, exhaust work and custom tune with bigger throttle body to achieve the power and sound you want. once again ask notre or bmf their thoughts on this.. jmo
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Thanks Scott and this project is right up my alley. I am doing a stock motor with cams and ported stock blower for one of my cars now. Also will be dynoing with modified accufab twin bore t.b as there is some cfm (a couple hundred to be exact) to be had with changing the inlet opening and they perform better than the oval when they are fixed.
 

68Rcodeman

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 5, 2008
800
Spring Hill, FL.
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.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
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.

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.
 

PL510*Jeff

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 3, 2005
4,876
Renton, Washington
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?
Which motor? GT or ???
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
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.
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
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.

Video (audio)??
 
  • Like
Reactions: GTMD

GTMD

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 4, 2011
957
NorCal
Yes, I'd like to hear it too! Subscribing to this thread...
 

GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
852
Issaquah
Do not post audio. I do not want to hear what I must have/can't spend $ on. Cat delete, muffler delete, timing challenged cam tune sounds like it would sound awesome for way less $. Well maybe not, exhaust and bumper delete gets pretty spendy too. I think I'll disconnect a coil!
 
  • Like
Reactions: GTMD

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
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.

Is it anything like this Chevelle currently on BaT? https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966-chevrolet-chevelle-ss-396-16/

 
  • Like
Reactions: digman1

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Video (audio)??

I’m driving right now and will have to upload vids to youtube and post a link
 

GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
852
Issaquah
No. That's just a low idle. My 428CJ .609i/.623e, 254*i/262*e cam has the perfect gallop at 1k RPM
 

CampoLady

GT Owner
May 25, 2018
69
Thank you for your input. I will tell him no way. We will continue to look for a trusted shop to do this for him
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,268
Kalama, Free part of WA State
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!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Nafod and 2112

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
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 disagree about the cams and being I have played with supercharged engines from 500hp to 2000hp for the last 19 years and I have found that the more na power you can make the more HP you can efficiently make supercharged.

For instance a 04 cobra would make about 800whp with a stock engine and boost (25-27 lbs)

A 2020 gt500 will make 1100whp with 21lbs.

The 04 cobra at best makes 250whp Na

2020 gt500 is 225 more whp than that Na if you were to take the blower off and then makes 300 more whp with 4-6 less lbs of boost when boosted because the motor is more efficient.



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.

IMO Stock cams with with no cats/ muffler will only make a loud car. It doesn’t make it sound good.

I’ll try and get some vids to post
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
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?
.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Curious. Did you also increase the size of the blower or decrease the pulley size when you made these changes?
.

No that was back to back with no changes.


stock motor'd GT with cams and stock everything else.

 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Large cams and motor that makes 1450whp.. This was my first set short custom mufflers on my headers back in 2012. Mufflers are about 6'' longer now and its a tad bit quieter.

 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Heads and cams on dyno with Procharger. Made 1211whp.