early99powerstroke
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I'm considering on doing a mild cam to my 7.3. Anyone know if there is an aftermarket cam available without having to get my pistons cut?
7.3 Performance Cam
- Thread starter early99powerstroke
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Dieselboy.
New member
Matt at Gearhead does a stage 1 and stage 2 cam. Neither require piston work.
97powerstroke
New member
Outlaw diesel has cams don't know how well the work but the stage one cam don't require valve reliefs cut in the pistons
dirtboy25
New member
Vader's Fury
Active member
The stage 2 cam DOES require valve reliefs to be cut into the pistons.
Matt's stage 1 cam would work, as would DI's cam. WOP also sells a cam but I am unsure about needing piston work with it or not.
strokin'_tatsch
Member
:badidea:
Powerstroked162
On Da Juice
The WOP cam requires reliefs. So does DI's, imo
Matt's stage 1 or a stock cam is your only option if you don't want valve to piston contact
Matt's stage 1 or a stock cam is your only option if you don't want valve to piston contact
Hotrodtractor
Moderator
Call and talk to Matt Robinson - and ask how the cams perform. Call and talk to DI and ask how the cams perform. Call and talk to WOP about how the cams perform, etc... there are plenty on the boards that run their stuff without issues.
Considering I have never heard of anyone actually running this Outlaw Diesel stuff (cams or anything else for that matter), why don't you call them, talk to them, and ask for a list of references that you might be able to call and talk to truck owners running their particular camshaft design. Make sure to ask quantitative questions about increase/decrease in boost/backpressure, before and after dyno graphs, track runs, egts pulling a trailer, etc... and then avoid the qualitative questions and answers like "It feels good when my ass is in the seat"
Last edited:
PowerstrokeJunkie
Active member
I am using stage one Gearhead cam in my truck. I changed a few things at the time and now im running a completely different turbo so i have no comparative answers people look for when deciding to do a cam. I went from stock heads and cam with a large turbine housing on a 4202r with 80% nozzles to ported heads and stage one cam with a .91 turbine on a s366 with same injectors and the truck runs circles around it's old self. It got horrible mileage with the laggy turbo, it was always under the turbo and the boost gauge would hardly move. Im not sure if it's the cam or the turbo or a combination of both but i absolutely love how it runs now, it is so much more responsive, doesnt fall on it's face at shifts, (damn near spin the tires into OD from a roll). I wish i had hard numbers and data to back up the benefits but it's just one of those things that feels good when my ass is in the seat 
I suggest you talk with your engine builder. I deal with a guy that designs CAMS for NASCAR and he has looked at a number of CAMS available. His comment was that the stock CAM is VERY good and little can be done to improve it. He said the only way to improve the CAM is to design custom push rods and valves to work with the new CAM profile.
This is why most have seen a loss in HP with CAMS.
Jody
This is why most have seen a loss in HP with CAMS.
Jody
Big Bore
New member
But is his comment based on his NA gasser experience? What experience does he have in the turbocharged diesel field?
And how would he change pushrods and valves? I'm trying to understand that part and it doesn't make any sense. I could understand lengthening a pushrod to compensate for a reground cam. However I think Matt has stated elsewhere that the lifters will pump up enough to compensate for the amount of lift he is able to get, and it's enough to require flycutting pistons in his stage I and II, which kind of leads into changing the valves. I'm assuming this means valve stem length in order to get more travel, if we can already get enough travel to require piston cutting, how much more is needed?
Hotrodtractor
Moderator
Travel is not the problem - or the reason that the pistons need valve reliefs. Valve reliefs are used when the piston is near TDC and the valves are open - this may be because of valve timing or ramp rates or both OR changing things such as valve recession/protrusion in the heads, piston to head clearance, etc....
DocBar
New member
I'm running the DI cam in my truck but I just had a mostly stock motor before that. Now I'm running a fully built engine, so I can't really tell you the performance improvements, if there are any. I don't notice much difference in idle sound or anything. No lope like a gasser. I'm on the fence about 7.3 cams because, imo, there isn't a lot of imperical data to base a judgement on. No one is doing just a cam swap. It's always a cam swap and other mods, so it's hard to get an idea of any actual gains from the cam alone.
Having said that, my truck runs like a spotted ass ape when I push the go pedal. I have some issues with performance, especially towing, but I may have other things going on with the truck. I'm out of the country ATM, so I haven't had a chance to investigate the other issues.
Having said that, my truck runs like a spotted ass ape when I push the go pedal. I have some issues with performance, especially towing, but I may have other things going on with the truck. I'm out of the country ATM, so I haven't had a chance to investigate the other issues.
This is from a guy that does nothing but race engines.
Never just install a radical CAM without modifying everything else. If someone tells you that you can then they have no idea what the CAM is changing.
The CAM changes everything. Make sure your engine builder understands this.
Jody
DocBar
New member
From what I can tell with the DI cam in my truck, the idle is just about exactly the same as stock. Therefore, all I can deduce is a SLIGHT lengthening of the duration for intake and exhaust. I've raced many, many sooped up gassers in the 11-12 second range and there is absolutely no comparison between the feel of the vehicles. All I need to run mid-low 12's with my truck is a bigger turbo. This leads me to believe that the only difference between a stock and aftermarket cam is slightly longer duration. Any extra lift and you're getting into fly cut pistons or shortened compression. I have crower rods and Mahle pistons in my truck, but they should be stock length and maybe slightly overbore. The crank is stock stroke. That leaves very little else to make any gains.
Maybe my cam will pull a FEW extra HP on the top end with a slightly longer duration on intake and exhaust. I'm not sure it's worth it except on pure competition motors.
Maybe my cam will pull a FEW extra HP on the top end with a slightly longer duration on intake and exhaust. I'm not sure it's worth it except on pure competition motors.
