17 replies to this topic

[1990minicity]

What cam should i go for in my 998 engine that im building up?
Ive got a ported and gas flowed 12g295, 1.3 roller rockers, twin hs2's, lightened and balanced flywheel etc and am wondering on cams and have reached the point where im stuck
Sw5-07 i hear very good things about but that its abit "wet" and better for cruising
276 i hear it could be a little cammy but i wont mind that

so i dont know what to do
any experiance of these cams in a small bore would be excellent and thoughts greatly appreciated

Cheers

[twrminisport]

Interesting question
Im planning on running a similar spec so i will be interested to see what people say.
Ive heard that the sw5 is abit of a motorway mileage cam and not that sporty wheras the 276 can make it nice and lairy

[Cooperman]

The 276 should work fine with the rest of the spec. Good idea to gas-flow the carbs a bit too (see Vizard's book).

[danrock101]

Think I'd run the 276 too, I've ran a SW5 before and it was very boring (I like it cammy and lairy) but they do make good power with a good cylinder head and if drivability is what you're after I don't think you can beat it (didn't know I had the cam in it untill I stripped the engine)

[mk1leg]

SW5 for me My 1380 runs great had it RRed at slark and 93 bhp not bad pulls like a train and managed to do 110 on M5 last sept when in the UK.......so I'm very pleased............

[Bluecray]

I've a 276 with a standard head on and even like this it certainly likes to rev - I just need a head now

[J960mayfair]

sorry to jump in and hijack post but how much did you pay to get head ported and polished?

thnaks

[D 'n A]

I am planning the same mod. If you have doubts on both cams, why not go for a Kent 266, or such?
Ax dodds road sport cams may interest me as well.

Calver says the sw5 is brilliant, but has to be revved to get the best out of it. Well if you have to revv it anyway... I would choose a slightly hotter cam. But that's my personal opinion.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

I've got an sw5 and it has great low down torque and takes off at 3500-4000 revs. Job done. SW5 all the way. I think Swiftune use magic dust or voodoo magic when making them, as the profile figures are not readily available.

[TimmyG]

Calver says the sw5 is brilliant, but has to be revved to get the best out of it. Well if you have to revv it anyway... I would choose a slightly hotter cam. But that's my personal opinion.
[/quote]

I believe Calver actually said that this cam DOESN'T have to be revved to get the best out of it - and that is its best point, it works at any revs, high or low so doesnt get annoying after a few miles or jerking along in traffic.

I have an sw5 in a thou with an mg metro head, hif44, tidy manifolds exhaust etc and it made 52bhp@wheels @5800rpm and was still making 50bhp at 6750rpm! It pulls like a train from any revs and all the way to the top. Its a great cam! But....if you're after a lumpy idle for pose value (because it does sound good!) look elsewhere, the sw5 idles as smooth as standard.

Tim.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

I personally would get the sw5 with roller rockers, If the cams too lairy especially in traffic wont get used much
wasted fuel in the zorst and crappy tick over unless idle speed is set to 1200 rpm
and then the fun of stalling a purdy mini
Also less chance of cam followers wearing with a less agressive cam and with the roller rockers
happy quiet engine
Smoother engine and more progressive torque, less stress on the lay shaft and the drop gears
Unless you like that sort of thing

[D 'n A]

Calver does say it has to be revved much, but not in the 998 related topic.
Read the 1098 tuning topic he wrote.

[Cater_Racer]

I ran 276 on my 998cc and that showed 77BHP on the rollers. A bit cammy but it depends on your priorities.

[benspickup2011]

Sounds a bit of a monster for a 998! Whatwas the rest of the engine spec. Im currently deciding if to build a 998 or 1275 with a 286 cam, stage 3 head and twin su's. My only concern is it mght be a total nob til you hit 5000rpm. My mate had a 285 piper cam in his 998 which went blooming well- whooped my spi cooper!

Edited by benspickup2011, 01 March 2011 - 09:56 PM.

[Gulfclubby]

Can't comment on the small bores but do have some personal experience with both 276 and SW5 cams in big bore blocks (two 276 in 1380s and the SW5 in a 1430. The first 1380 with a 276 was a Slark engine in my Dads Woody. Did approx. 130hp and lasted 50'000 kilometers. Fantastic engine considering the heavy tuning. Very nice driveability even at low revs (tame as a lamb) and then almost literally explodes at around 3000rpm. Very sexy driving. Requires high idle though, 1100rpm or more.

My own Clubby Estate is running a similar setup by Rosslin Racing. Behaves similar too, goes like a rocket starting around 3k rpm, requires 1100rpm idle and is fairly cammy down low. Not the kind of cam you want for driving in traffic jams, but country roads, oh yes please.

Last but not least, my Dad's Cooper S 1430cc with an SW5 is amazing accross the band. Idles normally and pulls like an ox from the first twitch of your toe. Almost scary to drive as a result as it launches off so fast.

I guess it really depends on what you want. I personally prefer a rather tame low rev performance as it allows for more "civilized" driving in populated areas. Then again, if that is not your concern, the SW5 is probably one of the best all-round cams available.