More and more car owners, especially starters, are interested in camming their cars. But can you cam a v6? Or can you put a cam in a V6?
Camming is involved in the modification of a car’s camshaft. Though it sounds very complicated, the process aims to enhance your car’s engine performance.
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Dig in with me now, and I will walk through the meaning of camming a car before unveiling whether you can do it on a V6.
What Does “Cam A Car” Mean?
Camming a car means increasing the timing and duration of the car’s valve openings. Some automotive experts called this method increasing the timing and the lift.
Valve lift, or lift, measures the distance that the valves can be opened by the cam. A standard camshaft consists of lobes that take responsibility for forcing these valves open.
When the camshaft rotates continuously, it retracts these lobes, and then they close the valves.
A crankshaft runs side by side with the camshaft. Each rotation of the camshaft is equivalent to 2 rotations of the crankshaft.
This indicates that the crankshaft has a 2:1 rotating ratio to the camshaft.
The crankshaft rotations are finished thanks to either a timing belt or a timing chain, depending on the car’s make and model. For example, the Toyota Sienna features a timing chain.
In addition, the bigger the timing and lift, the more fuel-air mixture goes into the car’s cylinder. This is how to cammed a car to increase the vehicle’s additional power output.
Still, camming a vehicle is one of the unpopular methods, and there is a wide range of other common ways to boost a vehicle’s performance.
The most popular probably is to install either a squealing supercharger or a turbocharger. You can also witness an increase in engine performance by reducing weight and setting up performance.
Can You Cam A V6?
Yes. For many owners, if you are not willing to run your budget for a V8, the V6 engine is the best option to cam.
However, camming a V6 might bring some problems to your car, like the expensive cost.
In the case of V6 OHV, there is a camshaft inside the car’s cylinder block, operating via the rockers and push rods to open valves. Meanwhile, some V6 DOHC engines come with 2 camshafts.
So, it’s totally possible to cam a V6, but some problems might arise.
For beginners, you might not know that doing so is attempting to get more horsepower (HP) from a motor that has been overbuilt already.
Take my 3.6 L V6 Camaro, for example. It already generates 335HP, and I don’t see any room left for improvement.
Also, there is a bigger issue in this design: you need to have four camshafts to cam the V6, and each comes at a whopping $500.
This means they can cost approximately $1000, which is 4 times as high as the price of a 3.5 cam.
In addition, you need to pay more for a gasket, retainer, single valve spring, or any problems that might arise related to machine work or new heads.
When I asked a mechanic for a camshaft upgrade for my V6, he said that I almost had to rebuild the whole engine since its upper half would be torn apart if I wanted to do so.
That is not to mention aftermarket parts to cam for V6 Camaro are not available yet, so you need to prepare a large budget.
How To Cam a V6
How to cammed a car? There are various aftermarket services for other cams, especially V8. Yet, as we mentioned earlier, V6s’ aftermarket parts don’t exist yet.
To cam a V6 (or cam swap), like the 3.6L V6 Camaro, you have to purchase an aftermarket exhaust install.
In addition, many experienced mechanics suggest using the 2.0T variant, then proceeding with larger downpipes and turbos.
If you are inexperienced with this field, you should contact some setup service, such as Texas Speed, to confirm whether they offer a tailored grind or get a Camaro V6 cammed.
Otherwise, you can consider other modifications like full-bolt-on.
How Much To ‘Cam’ Or Get New Cams In A V6?
As we shared before, a standard cam can cost you at least $ 500; how high the price depends on some other equipment in the current market.
Furthermore, you have to pay for some necessary parts to set up a new cam. You might run your budget more for some aftermarket camshaft support to cam a V6.
In general, camming a V6 or getting new cams in a V6 will cost you a fortune.
FAQs
Does Camming Trucks Make It Better or Faster?
Yes, it does. In most situations, the better or faster performance depends on which specific camshaft you have.
There is a truth that cams with good aftermarket supports are built for high-quality performance (amazing performance gains), so there is no exaggeration when you can expect to get faster speeds after you cam a truck.
Why Does a Camshaft Break?
Camshafts normally fail or have issues due to malfunction somewhere in the car’s motor. Connecting rods or other engine components might come loose and then strike its shaft.
In addition, they can break because of failure in producing, for instance, microfractures. And in case this error happens, malfunction normally occurs relatively quickly.
How Much Does It Cost To Cam Your Car?
On average, camming a standard camshaft ranging from 7500 Php to 25000 Php, you can pay at least $500 plus a labor fee.
Supposing you want to have a new camshaft for your truck, most stores might charge you from $600-$1000, regardless of the engine.
Final Thoughts
Can you cam a V6? Although it can offer better performance, camming a car isn’t the best option for everyone. Generally, your car will work best by utilizing the manufacturer’s camshaft.
However, don’t forget that camming a car is not economical, especially for lorries.
Once you decide to cam your car, if you are not professional on this, ask for help from an experienced mechanic to make sure this process is carried out properly.
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