lift on Cam

[dreamer410]

Does anyone out there know the lift on a stock 1.9L cam? I have gotten a cam with hyd. lifters and am trying to figure out if it is stock or reground. How does one tell if the cam uses hyd. or solid lifters?
Thanks

[GTJIM]

3 bearing cam => solid lifters
4 bearing cam => hydraulic lifters
For Standard cams - If the cam is a regrind all bets are off as either type could have either number of bearings, depending upon the original blank used.
I will check measure a couple of my standard cams for actual lobe height rather than listed lift specification - have both solid and hydraulic lifter stock cams new .... off to my workshop now anyway!

[GTJIM]

That was an interesting exercise! I measured several "standard" new cams with my digital calipers. One measurement heel to nose of the lobe and the other at right angles to that.
Here are the results:

Solid lifter Cam (FAI) - 40.39 mm heel to nose & 33.65mm across the flanks

#1 Hydraulic (TRW) - 40.51mm heel to nose & 34.51 across the flanks

#2 Hydraulic (FAI) - 40.91 heel to nose & 34.51 across the flanks

The TRW is a direct GT replacement, the solid FAI is a 1.9L and the hydraulic FAI a later model 2.0 Manta cam from the UK. Obviously there are several "standards" !!

Anyway, here is a picture of some of the used cams I have that illustrate the differences between cams.

Top one is a 4-bearing hydraulic - see the groove right around the front journal.

Next is a late model 1984 Manta (UK) solid lifter 3-bearing cam - see the "hydraulic" type groove around the front journal

Down again to another 4-bearing late model 1985 Manta (UK) hydraulic cam - see that the front journal is not grooved as the head on this motor had the oil groove around the outside of the front Cam bearing in the head casting.

Bottom cam is a 3-bearing, solid lifter cam from a 1968 1.5L head - note the partial groove on the front journal which is typical of early solid lifter cams.

The used cams are too worn to allow meaningful lobe dimension comparisons.

Well ..... that has just added to the confussion. Simple and straightforward .... it ain't!

[dreamer410]

Thanks for the information. I converted your measurements to inches which gave the lift of .2363 - .2519. the cam I have in question measures a lift of .265 (this is measured between centers on a lathe). The cam does have 4 bearings with a groove around the front bearing surface. Thanks again for the information.

[GTJIM]

Running a dial gauge around the lobe while rotating the cam in a lathe gives far more accurate numbers than my 'rough & ready' caliper measurements.
I need to sort out which of my "standard" new, hydraulic cams gives the best lift so will check them out in my lathe with a dial indicator and record some more accurate numbers - maybe this weekend.
The higher lift you recorded tends to suggest you have a reground cam there - the proof will be in the 'real' numbers I get.
There has been considerable discussion on how to definitively sort out if a cam is a hydraulic or solid grind - when the specs from the grinder are lost.
No one has been able to definitely answer that question as there are so many variables.

[GTJIM]

Got those cams up between centres in the lathe today. TIRs as follow:
Solid lifter cam 0.260"
TRW hydraulic 0.240"
FAI hydraulic 0.280"

So I guess that is the lift at the lobe - just under .400" at the valve, taking into consideration the rocker ratio. A variation of nearly .060" valve lift between hydraulic cams, though ...

I now know which hydraulic cam that will be used - the higher lift FAI replacement!

[jvandyke]

Last time I had the rocker cover off I found these numbers on the cam. Just wondering if they mean anything as I'm not sure of the history on this thing.
10 (towards front) R90 090 587 GM (delta triangle)

[GTJIM]

Probably GM casting numbers - rather than cam identification - as Opel stamped the cam lobe ID on the rear end of the camshaft (stamped numbers/letters rather than cast ones). See pic below.

With "GM" cast on the cam I think it is a later model 2.0L camshaft as earlier 1.9L cams actually had "OPEL" and/or an Opel 'Blitz' cast on them.

[jvandyke]

So could be the original cam but could also still be reground. I was told it had a "hot" cam but the PO doesn't really know much about this car. Just curious. Thanks.

[GTJIM]

If the valve lift is under .400" it is probably standard if somewhat more than that it is definitely a regrind. Most cam grinders mark the cams they grind with some sort of identification - usually with an electric pencil - either on a cleaned up area between the lobes or on the face the cam sprocket bolts on to.
The Norris grind I have has a machined flat between the lobes with "Norris" and the cam grind on it and the Isky grind has a turned area between lobes with "Iskenderian" and the cam grind number.