49 replies to this topic

[KernowCooper]

But the point is which even someone as experienced as yourself is missing the point, if the car is used outside the cams powerband 75% of the time then a lesser cam would be more suitable for what the OP is asking in his post.

And the statement you made about" Ive had in a MG metro and a 1380 mini and both where performed better with the 286........"
under what conditions, thats like saying a F1 car in the Old Birmingham street race performed better than the F3000 cars.

I think this post should be closed now as it has the information given so the OP has the necessary information to make a decision on which cam would suit his application better..

[Orange-Phantom]

I would have to agree with what Cooperman is saying and getting at being totally honest.

I bought my mini knowing fully well what I was getting into with the spec it is. It's not a daily drive.

I'm very lucky with our roads and lack of speed limit which allows me to flex and use the engine I've got if and when I choose to, and I do because otherwise it would be a waste. Being a seven port it's still very flexible (and Peter Vickers knows how to build and Engine) and I had the dyno charts from Gerald Dale before I got it.

One thing I would add is over here we have a totally warped perspective on speed and driving. Put it this way I grew up with our family car being the old mans bright orange Clubman Estate with twin 1 1/2 SU's and that was running a 649 cam! Yes that was the family run around so being truthful I'm probably not the best person to ask "is this going to be okay for a daily drive". Yes maybe.... if you want to be arrested!

[Cooperman]

I use the 286 all the time in rally engines. But they are RALLY engines, not road engines and they get revved to well over 6500 rpm a lot of the time. In fact the 286 is my favourite performance cam as it does give good power right up to around 7500 rpm so, in fact, it is effectively a race cam. Fitting a 286 cam and then not keeping it between 4000 and 7000 rpm is like buying a suit and never wearing the jacket, or buying a return rail ticket and only going one way. In other words, it is not using what has been purchased for its intended use. Why would anyone do this? It's even worse with cams, as if you pick a cam which works best out of the rev range where you like to drive, you are not getting the top end you've paid for, but you are losing the bottom end where you do drive and where a 'softer' cam would be so much better. There is a lot of nonsense talked about cams and you, Mark, are not doing anyone any favours by championing the 286 as a good road cam when, quite obviously, it's not - and I do speak from many years and many, many rallies using the 286 (and the old 649 and 544). The 286 is a fantastic cam for stage and historic rallying, but it's very poor as a road cam. I'm not going to post further on this thread as it's getting very silly and is not helping the OP to obtain a good road engine.

[Cooperman]

If the best way you can start a new post in response to one from another poster is LMAO, which one might reasonable assume means 'Laughed My A**E Off', whilst on 24th February you began a post with 'Sorry but that's rubbish.....', then you and other members on here are going to seriously fall out. You will kindly treat other members, whatever their experience, or lack of it, with due respect and it might be a good start if you formally and publicly apologised to Dave (KernowCooper) and Martin 'mra-minis') for the unbridled insults which you have fed their way over the past few weeks. I am sure I'm not the only one to have this issue with you and if you wish to keep posting on here you will modify considerably your attitude.

[MRA]

I think this topic runs the risk of going down the who's got a bigger final drive and better camshaft.. I am closing this topic