Question about Cat-Cam - 285°. Is it worth it?

[MrSlacker]

I want to know if getting a Cat-Cam 285 is worth it for me. A friend is selling it for a very good price and I am tempted. It will go into a completely stock M20 with stock exhaust. What kind of performance gains can I expect?

Please let me know if you need any additional info.

Thanks!

[xwill112x]

lopey idle and a bottom end that sucks, with a top end that pulls a bit harder.

I'd pick it up on the cheap, and start building from there around that cam.

[ZM Blue Devil]

yes but buy the time you decide it will be already sold to me.

[MrSlacker]

lopey idle and a bottom end that sucks, with a top end that pulls a bit harder.

I'd pick it up on the cheap, and start building from there around that cam.

What would you recommend I pair it with?

yes but buy the time you decide it will be already sold to me.

L, we'll see about that!

[DmcL]

so basically anything up to a 288 is cool with stock 885 valve springs?

have found someone selling 1 kent cam and 1 schrick cam thats been sitting around his shop for years for a very good price (oh and throw in a free vernier cam pulley) just to get rid of them. dunno the spec of either but for the money even if they were like 265 it would be worth the money lol

[xwill112x]

I would recomend stiffer valve springs, as yours are problably old and tired. Headers and a good set of injectors and a valve angle job wouldn't hurt either.

[MrSlacker]

Any other thoughts?

[xwill112x]

exactly how cheap are you getting it? if its a steal just get it anyway and flip it for profit if you dont want it.

[digger]

on a stock car no!

[Wh33lhop]

so basically anything up to a 288 is cool with stock 885 valve springs?

have found someone selling 1 kent cam and 1 schrick cam thats been sitting around his shop for years for a very good price (oh and throw in a free vernier cam pulley) just to get rid of them. dunno the spec of either but for the money even if they were like 265 it would be worth the money lol

It's not really the duration that's the problem with stock valve springs, it's the lift and the additional rpm that you may want to be running due to the powerband shift. Schrick recommends performance valve springs for any of their cams more aggressive than the 284 (you may want to check to see that your old OEM springs are still in spec if you run a 284, additionally valve clearances are very tight with that cam so you'll probably want to retard cam timing a bit with the pulley). You probably want to check with other manufacturers regarding their respective cams.

[DmcL]

i dont think either of the cams im thinking of gettign would be more than like 272 and i wouldnt be revving over 7000rpm anyway. id like to boost the engine at some point but for the price i can get these cams for im tempted to get them, keep 1 and flip the second for profit untill such times as i go boost and if i dont ever boost then ive still got a nice little cam in there..

[nando]

you aren't going to want to use it with a totally stock engine. a compression increase, full exhaust with tuned headers, headwork, and upgrading everything in the intake tract are neccesary to get the full benefits of a cam. By itself, it can increase power a bit, but it's going to be restricted by the stock intake/exhaust, and the dynamic CR will be a bit low.

basically, if you're planning on building up the M20 from the ground up - it's good, but if it's all you're going to do, you should pass it on to somebody else.

lopey idle and a bottom end that sucks, with a top end that pulls a bit harder.

I'd pick it up on the cheap, and start building from there around that cam.

what? What on earth do you know about the catcams 285? Nothing? that's right.

[nando]

so basically anything up to a 288 is cool with stock 885 valve springs?

have found someone selling 1 kent cam and 1 schrick cam thats been sitting around his shop for years for a very good price (oh and throw in a free vernier cam pulley) just to get rid of them. dunno the spec of either but for the money even if they were like 265 it would be worth the money lol

no aftermarket cam is going to be good with 20 year old, 100,000-200,000 mile springs. new OEM springs minimum for a 272, upgraded for anything wilder than that..

[Wh33lhop]

no aftermarket cam is going to be good with 20 year old, 100,000-200,000 mile springs. new OEM springs minimum for a 272, upgraded for anything wilder than that..

Are you saying you're getting float? :p

[nando]

no, but you're safer with the stiffer springs. they've worked fine for me.