In a message dated 31/08/00 3:29:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
owner-mgs-digest@autox.team.net writes:
> The mechanic in charge told me that I had to find out
> the correct valve clearances for the cam (which I did) and also told me
> that these mild cam upgrades tend to reduce the engines low end power at
> 1st and 2nd gear and are designed for speed on the track rather than fast
> acceleration. I find this hard to believe since acceleration at the race
> track is always important. Is he bull shitting me?
Any performance cam change is directed at increasing top end power. This will
indeed have the effect, often, of reducing low end torque, unless you also
perform some offsetting modifications such as an increase in compression.
It was for exactly this reason that the MGA tuning book used to recommend the
use of the more conservatively timed Riley 1.5 camshaft to enhance bottom end
torque for street use, at the small expense of sacrificing a bit of power at
redline (where most street engines spend little time anyway).
Acceleration at wide open throttle will not necessarily be sacrificed, but
you have to remember that race engines are always running within a couple of
thousand rpm of redline (except at initial takeoff).
So the mechanic did not (as you so daintily phrased it) 'bullshit' you.
Bill S.
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