Wrong Cam ?

[softailroy]

Hello guys,
                I put the Crane 290 cam, SE super tuner with adjustable pushrods and Manley valve springs  in an '08 Ultra. I am also going in for a 103 " kit with forged pistons to go to a 10:5 compression ratio with SE ACR heads. Now I know many of you would not pick these heads, I did and am staying with them. My concern is I am uncertain the cam I picked is the right one. It has a >570 lift, and 248/248 duration. What I am after is low end and midrange Torque, Top end is not my concern. I work at a dealership and my discount comes into play as far as working heads vs bolting heads on. Any and all suggestions concerning cams would be greatly appreciated. My considerations are SE 255 or SE251, but not sold on them. 

[Tattoo]

There are a lot smarter guys here than me but in my opinion the SE255 cams would not be a good choice with that set up.

[sixxfoot]

I like the cam choice of the 290
might be happier at 9:8-10:2

[PanHeadRed]

 103 "....Crane 290 cam, ..... 10:5 compression...... low end and midrange Torque,

IMO you have the right cam, it's the compression ratio I would be concerned about.

[mayor]

I agree with RPH regarding compression ratio.  As for the cam choice, my guess is the Crane 290 and the SE251 would behave very similar in a 103".  The 251 will be slightly more forgiving with compression though since the intake closes 4 degrees latter. I wouldn't consider the SE255 in a 103", since it has an extremely early intake close and really short durations (intake and exhaust). 

I wouldn't base the static compression solely on what the SE catalog lists.  It' always best to calculate the compression based on head chamber volume, head gasket thickness, piston volume (valve pockets, and dish or dome), and engine particulars (bore, stroke, etc.). 

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Sounds like a candidate for the new Wood TW-408-44.

[Don D]

Why?
Just 2° different intake close will not make much difference in corrected compression ratio. A Woods TW5-6 would be what I would install if low end torque was the goal. Check the compression and report back with your findings. Advertised and actuals vary.

[RevFastEddy]

Woods 6 with out a doubt. You could go a 5 but I think you would be happier with a 6 since it does not run out of steam till it passes 6k.

[hotbo]

wouldn't the 6 be kinda out of range if it is a true 10.5 mill,im sure it wont be but it might be alittle ping or hard starting with the 6???im with scott on this one the new woods cam looks like it would be a good one for this build,good luck,travis

[Don D]

Most of the Woods cams are a little more forgiving of compression being a little over the norm. Any of them will work but as the intake close goes up so does the usable rpm band. Depends on what the owner wants. Compression can be tailored to the cam and rest of the build. The Crane 290 nothing wrong with that either. The heads, and pipe are not mentioned and important in this discussion. Want low end and midrange? You need ports and valves on the smaller side to get that to happen.

[softailroy]

Sorry,
             The pipes are SE slip ons, but have Vance & Hines Baffles, and the Air Breather is A Big Sucker. The Tuner is a SE Super Tuner. I am going 10:5 with a choice of pistons, as recommended by the SE catalogue.And The heads are the SE ACR's. I got to believe this will all work......yeah I could have gone with the woods,but  the original contact and build adviser suggested the Crane, and said the woods was noisy. (HUH )I sure appreciate all the input here. It is my first build and hope not to flop.

[se]

i like the 6 cam my self always is a solid performes. just make sure when you put the pkg together check al the clearences and do a ccp this way you know you are in the proper compression range. Some of the SE stuff is very forgiving.
i prefer Baisley or R&R heads or have some one you know do them this way its set right the first time and the dealer ship will never know those heads are   not stock unless they do the work for you...
you will also need a better pipe or modify the baffles a little.
Good luck

[RevFastEddy]

Hotbo.... A 6 would be fine.  Just remember compression releases. Pinging.. NOT... Dont try to ourguess a good ignition system by over advancing it and all willbe ok.   Woods cams, since they are short duration and moderate overlap keeps max peak cylinder pressure to a reasonable level. Plus the shorter the cam the less effect bad pipes have on a build. As a cam get longer the pipes have a greater effect on tuning.  If you drop the compression to go with out releases he will loose at least 10 if not 15 tq ... Anyway.. JMHO.. I am runing a 124 at 10/8/1 with a w408. My last 10.1/1 95" build used a Woods 6gh with great results.

[softailroy]

The ACR heads have automatic compression releases. I am not crazy about the performance I have without it being topped off with the 103 and heads. It certainly has not been properly tuned, but will wait 'till I get it finished.The cam pings a bit, but not as bad as others. We were able to get some of it out by adjusting the push rods.Thanks a bunch guys !!!!!!!!!javascript:void(0);
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