What cam?

[Jota69]

I'm looking to get a cam for my aircooled and was looking to get one of these profile cams:
278- time 278* - cam lift 6,8 mm - valve lift 10,2 mm
284- time 284* - cam lift 6,3 mm - valve lift 9,5 mm
290- time 290* - cam lift 7,4 mm - valve lift 11,1 mm

Wich one you guys recommend me? My mods will be:                                                       Bigger valves, skimmed head, dellorto 40 dhla carb, and upgraded pistons and cylinders (700cc)                                                                                                 

[MaLi]

Hi,

If I were you I would go for one with high valve lift but as it has 290deg you will need high compresion ratio as well. In the end it all depends what do you want to use your car for - this one might be bit extreme for some  **-

[Darrell]

I wonder what the standard cam did?

[Pete126]

Fiat 126*600cc       Duration=262  Valve lift=6.200mm
Fiat 126*650cc       Duration=262  Valve lift=9.325mm
Fiat 126*704cc       Duration=256  Valve lift=5.868mm

The longer the duration (valves open) moves the power/torque further up the rev band.

[Rusty's Uncle]

  Can you spot the difference with this cam 

[Rusty's Uncle]

  No response eh 
Well I was only teasing as I just got this cam from eBay. I came across it by accident when I was looking at valves. It was just listed as "595 Abarth Camshaft" for £10 start. It is original and never been fitted or used and the seller said he used to race a Fiat 500 back in the '60s. I have since found out that it is a fast road / rally spec so not bad for £16 plus postage  There was only one other bidder !

[1973/126]

 Wow what a find, and what a bargain! I think I`ll have to spend more time on eBay...

[Darrell]

mmmmm envy....

[DC]

would you need to change anything else if you put a highlift cam in?

[Rusty's Uncle]

Hi DC , I am no expert at this sort of thing but I think that upping the cam spec would normally go hand in hand with other mods to get the benefit ie induction , head , cam & exhaust.
Finding that cam was a bit like picking up a gold nugget from a mountain stream 
I had to wait a few weeks before it arrived and dared not mention it until I had it in my hands.
I showed it to another club member this morning , his eyes glazed over & he kept on saying  "My Precious" then tried to run off with it ! Bought him down with a tackle though and let him get away with the shiny valve caps that he won in the charity auction so he is still the "Lord of the Blings"  </4 </4 </4

[michaelodonnell500]

my precious!!!!

[Alfons1972]

I think, this cam is a 40/80 - 80/40 cam, because you tell that it fits a 595...

even if you do not chance anything else, you have to chance the jetting of the carb if mounting that cam... Probably you need a little bigger main jet.

[Pete126]

Done a little detective work on the 500. 595 camshaft Abarth profile should be 35/75=290' original equipment.

[Alfons1972]

oh yes. the early 595 had 290 degree... that is the cam you mentioned...
but the 595 esseesse had 300 degree... that is the cam I mentioned... 

look here: http://digilander.libero.it/jurikiara/ANNO%202007%20-%20Cincento%20Aba/30%20-%20fasaturaalberiacammes/index.htm?t=3798994

[Rusty's Uncle]

The Cam I know most about is the river that runs through Cambridge. I swallowed a lot of it when I entertained the public by falling off the back of a punt on a summer Sunday afternoon right by the Bridge of Sighs. My pole got stuck , nothing to do with the pub lunch 
Anyway as I told Doctor Pete the Abarth cam I have was dated at 1969/70 . The 500 & 594 cams I have all look much the same but I can only measure the lift. Still have not got my hands on a late 652 cam. It will be interesting when I pull the Alquati 795 cam out from the engine as from the tiny amount of info I have found on the internet it would appear that Camillo Alquati was something of a camshaft specialist & the guy I got the engine from said that the cam was one of the most expensive single items in a £1,000 + 126 engine rebuild in the mid 80's. Come on Dr Pete can you do more research  [-/