V8 Camshaft

[boycie]

Hi I would like to change the cam in my 1995 3.9 V8 disco , do you think
I should stick with a standard cam or fit a piper, crane or the like?. Before
someone say,s do a search I have but there is a lot of conflicting advice
on the results, if you have changed a cam on one of these engines perhaps you could let my know what you did and the results.Thanks.

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

its an impossible Q to answer - it depends what yu want it for - tiz like choosing underwear. do you want a high revving BHP monster that wont tick over under 2000RPM or a torque tractor that will pull a house and a top speed of 60?

 

[boycie]

Dear mad hat man thanks for the reply I had not thought it through. I tow a caravan
now and then and I want to do some offroading ,the car is lifted 2 inch,s on the
suspension 2 inch,s on the body and has 33.12.5 tyres so I think top end power would
not be a lot of use.

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

in that case yu are looking more to a 260 grind "towing" cam. Something like Real Steels DW268 "Stump puller" in a 4.3 stroked lump.

 

[alex8882]

google mutha thumper cam. sounds great plenty of torque and doesn't seem that bad on tick. also on youtube

 

[300bhp/ton]

I think it does depend what you intend to do with the Landy and any other supporting mods you plan.

Breathing mods, ie better intake and exhaust (including proper long tube exhaust headers) will make a big difference with a cam. You'll also likely need to re-tune it somehow.

For personal preference I'd go as big as you can. It'll still make more torque, but it'll shift the torque curve up the rpms, so very low end (sub 2000rpm) might not be as strong, but it won't be by a huge amount. But gains higher in the rpm range will sure make up for it.

I've read/heard say the cam from a 4.2 works well in a 3.9 but I don't know the specs of it.

My RV8 is actually in a Triumph not a Landy, so evidently doesn't tow and doesn't weight the same.

That said, it was a standard SD1 155hp motor running twin SU's. It went ok'ish but felt like hitting a brick wall at about 3000rpm and really didn't like to rev much (same as all stock Landy RV8's).

It now runs a lot of mods and makes about 230hp/219lb ft on the rolling road, not bad for a lil'old 3.5

But it's how it feels to drive that is the biggest difference. It still feels fairly strong in the low rpms and will pull top @ 1200rpm but it revs so freely and so sweetly now. At 3500rpm it just comes alive rather than giving up and screams to over 6000rpm.

My advice would be go as big as you dare.

 

[boycie]

Thanks for the replies folks, I am afraid mad hat mans last post went right over the top of my head.The car has a stainless steel exhaust with tubular headers no cats and I
have a mega jolt to fit,I rebuilt the transfer box and altered the gearing to 1.14.

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

wot i said was get it bored and stroked to 4.3 litres and fit in a DW268 cam from real steel.

 

[boycie]

Thank you that I understand.

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

with a Edelbrock manifold and a 390 Holley carb - can give you 286ftlb @3500 & 228BHP

 

[boycie]

I have a spare 3.9 engine which I intend to rebuild next year when I retire and put in this car, for the moment I would like just to change the cam as the car has done 109.000 miles and I have only part service history, I am told these engines wear out cams at about 90,0000 miles .

 

[Snifflebag]

I am told these engines wear out cams at about 90,0000 miles .

Oh fook, mines done 198K and never been sorted as far as I know...