Slippin' a WC-1 Cam Into an NE Engine:

[Zomby Builder]

WC1 cam

I have a WC1 camshaft in perfect condition. Who wants it???? I took it out of Screetch when I replaced it with Q's early high lift. And for your info 5-7 that dealer in TX will charge you FULL PRICE so bend over....

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Quenton:

HEY Q.G.

Using 2 screwdrivers, I popped off that gritty bearing on the WC-1 camshaft you sent me, and will replace it with the bearing on my stock cam. I assume it's just a simple interference (force) fit, so I'll just use a hammer and a block of wood...OK?

Would you want the gritty bearing sent back to you?

HAL

(Gave Oscar another 10-mile neighborhood ride today...he now has 140 miles...people still stare and comment as I "whiz" by!)

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal,

Yes you can use a piece of wood and tap it back onto the camshaft.

Send back when you get time. It is under warranty so I can have it replaced. Send in a padded envelope and mail [cheap], and I will send a replacement.

Have fun,
Quenton

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

I have a WC1 camshaft in perfect condition. Who wants it???? I took it out of Screetch when I replaced it with Q's early high lift. And for your info 5-7 that dealer in TX will charge you FULL PRICE so bend over....

Okay, Dave. MotorBikeMike just pm'd me so I'll work with him.

And thanks for the cam.

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Quenton:

I shouldn't have removeed that "gritty" bearing from my WC-1 camshaft...the grittiness has disappeared!

I'll give Oscar one more ride to warm up the oil, then I'll drain it and perform a camectomy!

HAL

 

[RdKryton]

Hey Hal
How did you make out on the cam swap?
Jim

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Jim:

I haven't proceeded on the cam swap yet...I wanted to put another 10 miles on Oscar so I'd have 150 miles on him, then I'll drain the warm oil and perform the "camectomy"!

It's been too cold to ride lately.

HAL

 

[Hal the Elder]

QUESTION for QUENTON:

HEY MR. Q:

I was just about ready to install that WC-1 cam you sent me, when out of curiosity I decided to measure its lobe height above the shaft and compare it to my stock NE cam.

My stock cam has a lobe height of 0.240" above the shaft, but the WC-1 lobes are only 0.190" high. This means that my valve lift will be 0.050" LESS with the WC-1 cam than with my stock cam!

I don't see how this can give me better low-end performance when the valve lift is restricted to .050" less than before.

This amounts to "strangling" ol' Oscar!

Hal

 

[Kep1a]

Hal,
It is all about duration, cam lobe lift and advancement. You also need to check the lift based on center line and not lobe size but it is based on overall circumference. Cam lobe design is more of a black magic than a proven science and as such you or I will find it hard to evaluate with common measuring tools what type of performance you can expect.

Seat of the pants or a dyno is the only way you or I can evaluate otherwise comparable profiles for the same engine. I know it is always a sacrifice in one area to improve another area. The only way to have the best of all worlds is to have an electronic camshaft comprising of solenoids that electronically control duration and lift for optimal performance at any RPM.

Bottom line... If Quenton says it will improve the bottom end torque it will! How much is up to you to evaluate.

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal,

To determine the lift you subtract the side to side measurement from the height of the lobe. I can save you the trouble and tell you the lift is .150". The average lift on the NE camshaft [not all are the same] is .185" ~ .186". In other words the NE lift is approx. .035" ~ .036" higher than the WC-1 camshaft. Is the lift the most important factor concerning low in torque? No it isn't, in fact the low end torque is more controlled by the opening and closing numbers of the intake and exhaust valves, and the "lobe centers". The camshaft profile also effects the torque curve and RPM level. An example is a camshaft profile called "box car". The "box car" profile has steep lobes [open valve quickly], goes flat on the top of the lobe and then travels down the opossite steep lobe [closes the valve quickly]. The "box car" is noted for a higher torque curve, and is a strong racing camshaft for 4 stroke single motors.
So as you can see lift is often the smallest factor when looking for more bottom end. The vintage "H", "J", "300", "500", "600", & "700" had far more torque than the NE motor. For the record the WC-1 is almost identical to the "vintage" camshafts.

Hope this information is helpful,

Have fun,