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camshaft question

R

rustyvolvo

New CEG'er
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
14
I'm a little confused. I did a search through the forums to find out if the pre '98 hydraulic lifter heads could use the Focus Mechanical lifter Cams. The answer was yes and no depending on the post. In looking around Crane has only one listing for cams to cover all the contour years whereas Burton power breaks it up. Also the aftermarket larger valves are listed as the same part numbers for all zetecs. Usually you try to keep a mechanical cam with a mechanical lifter, so is this a matter of replacing the lifters on the silver top head with Focus ones?
I've got two silver top engines that I was thinking of starting to modify.
 
I believe I read a while back that you can use the cams if you use spacers or dig our the bottom of where the lobes spin so the new cam has clearance. Anyone else remember if this is correct? I believe one of the cam websites mentions this for the pre-98's
 
And why do you care?

And why do you care?

The contours are getting pretty long in the tooth, why do you want to extract more horsepower, its going to cost alot of money and take alot of time. As my father said when I wanted to restore a 59 healy sprite (light wieght one at that, minnescrotum rust). Sell the damn thing and buy something that runs. Didn't listen to him and spent the winter taking the bus to school and work. Gave the rust bucket away and bought something that ran.

There are much cheaper ways to horsepower, usually involves buying a different car.
 
andreslobo said:
The contours are getting pretty long in the tooth, why do you want to extract more horsepower, its going to cost alot of money and take alot of time. As my father said when I wanted to restore a 59 healy sprite (light wieght one at that, minnescrotum rust). Sell the damn thing and buy something that runs. Didn't listen to him and spent the winter taking the bus to school and work. Gave the rust bucket away and bought something that ran.

There are much cheaper ways to horsepower, usually involves buying a different car.
Click to expand...

Tisk tisk, what a pessimist. :nonono:
 
Faster cheaper and more fun

Faster cheaper and more fun

If you really want to go faster, buy a 600cc crotch rocket. Amazingly fast right out of the box, few cars will even match its acceleration. Cheap, you bet and reliable. But kinda cold in the winter.

Of course that assumes one is drawn to two wheels.
 
andreslobo said:
If you really want to go faster, buy a 600cc crotch rocket. Amazingly fast right out of the box, few cars will even match its acceleration. Cheap, you bet and reliable. But kinda cold in the winter.

Of course that assumes one is drawn to two wheels.
Click to expand...

haha who isn't? Insurance for a 17 year old on a bike doesn't quite go my way though. :nonono:
 
As for upgrading a zetec tour, I did (slightly) and I will say this. Don't do it looking for cheap power. Do it because you love your tour and you want to have fun building it up. In the end you won't have as much power as many other cars are stock and you will be out a lot of money. Upgrade a zetec tour because it will be a FUN project and you don't mind being beat by many stock v6's. The idea of having a custom car by you should also be a pride part.

-That is why I modded mine.
 
Thanks for filling me in. I appreciate the constructive help. I have this problem, I can't leave anything stock for very long. Not looking to blow away a CSVT, just tinkering and trying to understand what is available and workable camshaft wise. One of the engines might even wind up in my old '83 Escort race car, a nice boost for that car.
If anyone remebers which cam site had the info on the pre-'98 stuff please post it. I'll keep looking.
 
One of the companys that made hydraulic lifter (AKA pre-98) compatible cams doesn't make them anymore...pretty sure both CompCams and Webcams made them at one point, but they probably never sold a set...however CompCams still lists them in their catalog, but you'll probably have to try across the pond to find silver top zetec cams.
 
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