Hello everyone, So later this month I'm going to get some slp long tube headers for my mustang. The other day I was reading in an article of how beneficial cams are when you have all the supporting mods. Something like 20rwhp or somewhere around there but anyways from what i understand about cams there is 3 stages right? stage I stage II and stage III. I know the stage III's are a bit extreme so i'm told, so i was looking somewhere along the lines of stage I or II. So my question to you guys is whats the difference between stage I and II. If I was to get just stage ones would I notice significant power gains, and would i need gears to deal with the lose of torque if there is any. I know they require a tune which is no big deal but since they are internal mods do I have to take it to get dyno tuned or will just the hand held tune take car of everything?

So many questions but any help would be appreciated, I'd like to learn all i can about these before I make any kind of purchase. Thanks everyone

 

Ok, first off stage 1 2 3 are import tuner nonsense I have no idea how it made its way into American cars. Cams are measured by lift, duration and lobe separation, if you want the best cam for your application the best thing to do would be for example if you're interested in Comp Cams call them, tell them you mods and your requirements like daily driver, emissions legal, you're going to supercharge eventually or stay N/A etc.... they will then recommend the cam specs that best fit your needs. If they have a cam in production that will work for you then you can shop around for who sells that set at lowest price, or they can make a custom set for you so you can get the max power. Cams are the heart of your engine, buy the wrong ones and you'll lose power and waste money.

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me, really don't know a lot about them so i'll have to keep researching. Custom cam sounds pretty sweet lol. But anyways thanks again.

 

Custom cams are the way to go IF you know someone who can design them (spec them out) such that, as mentioned, is best for your usage and needs. No single cam is best for all applications. And think ahead, if you'll be adding a blower one day or not, and make that a big part of your decision, since you only want to do it once, doing it right the first time.

Another 'factor' will be VSR or NSR, regarding if stiffer valve springs are required instead of using the stock springs. A more aggressive cam will work more safely with aftermarket valve springs because the springs will be stiffer, and make sure the valves close more quickly under higher rpms, reducing the possibility of piston-valve contact.
Some cams also require (or recommend using) VCT limiters or lockouts, to prevent wide variations in timing ranges such as available with the stock cams, again to prevent piston-valve contact.