36 replies to this topic

[D1k1m4y]

looking for a good camshaft for my mini.
tell us what you think is best

[Paul Wiginton]

What other mods, what diff and what do you want to use it for?

Paul

[D1k1m4y]

12g295 head
alloy inlet manifold
hif38
exhaust system with lcb
pipercross air filter

stock diff

adding performance but driving on roads mainly

Edited by D1k1m4y, 18 December 2009 - 02:29 PM.

[l_jonez]

i got a sw5-07 in mine (pretty much the same spec) its a good cam but is to tame for my likeing

[D1k1m4y]

someone said that kent is good i think it was a 246??

[Racer_Pete]

You're best bet would probley to either get a mg metro cam/276/sw5 with that spec.

im currently using a sw10 in my 998cc with a 3.6FD lightend and balenced bottom end etc... excellent cam if you dont mind a lumpy idle and not much below 3000rpm.

[Paul Wiginton]

Id go with 276 Kent or SW 5

Paul

[Ethel]

I'd go with a 276 or similar. It's easy to overdo it with a small bore but you also need revs to make any real power.

[jaydee]

Depends on how much and where you want power, low end or top end.
The 246 is a great torquey cam, but if you want something more revvy, go for a 266 or a Mg metro cam, which is very similar, probably better.
I fyou need power, but drivability in the traffic, let alone the 276, and go for a SW05 or the kent 256, which is a very good cam, similar to cooper s cam, it has high lift and a 254 degrees duration, providing power from 1k to 6,5k rpm and a good torque.

[D1k1m4y]

does lumpy idle mean you have to keep revving the engine to keep it going.

[Ethel]

Or set it higher. The main factor, that only you know, is what you want out of the car. Final drive and compression ratios are also factors. I ran a similar spec with 9.5CR and a 3.44 diff using a 731 cam which was perfectly driveable and idled fine, it just needed a bit more revs to get off the line. 731 is an old BMC profile - 276 is a much improved version of it.

[jaydee]

No lumpy idle with the 256 and the SW05, just a little bit with the 266 and the Mg metro cam.
Never used a 276 on a small bore, but with other cams, just setting tappets to 15 thou and a slightly higher idle speed i've had no problem.

[cap'n crunch]

Personally I would go for a Kent 246.

[Sherlock]

I've always had good results with the old 997 Cooper cam profile, in small bore Mini engines. It was originally known as the 948 (nothing to do with 948cc A series engines) & is still available from MiniSport: CA2P-pin drive, CA2M-slot drive (A+). I don't know how this compares with the Kent cams mentioned, but it gives a very good torque & power band, & the improvement is noticeable without having to go to extremes with ports & inlet valves.

[Cooperman]

It's difficult to be definitive without knowing what you want to use the car for and what the rest of the engine spedc will be.
Unless you are having a much-improved head you'll gain little by changine just the cam. However, with a slightly better head then the 948 mentioned by Sherlock, the old Cooper 'S' 510, the Kent 256 or 266, or the MG Metro would all be good for a road Mini with standard gearing assuming that you fit a decent inlet and exhaust manifold.
Hotter cams will only work with more modifications to provide good gas flow and with higher revs.
If you just fit a 'hot' cam without any other mods you'll lose the bottom end and gain not a lot at the top which is a 'lose-lose' situation.