When picking out a new set of cams, what do you guys look for in specs? I'm having a hard time debating through CTR, Toda Spec A, and Skunk2 Stage 1. Toda has the most lift on both cams out of all of them, skunk2 stage 1 has more duration, and CTR is slightly smaller than the rest and have less duration as well. What benefits do having more lift/duration do?

 

yeah i'm shaky on this subj too.

from what i know, lift determines the amount of air let in and out, and the duration determines amount of overlap between intake/exhaust...

i guess the amount of lift&duration u want depends on application

 

You figure duration on similar cams can be adjusted with cam gears, so I'd look at lift mostly.

 

I don't think that the durations on the three cams is all that similar that simply using cam gears to +/- several degrees to compensate will factor out duration completely as being insignificant.

I would put duration ahead of lift b/c the cams only spend a small fraction of the time at max lift, leaving the valve open interval to rely mostly on the duration of the cam to bring in air. If the cams truly were of similar durations, then yes...lift would be the deciding factor.

Is this incorrect & misassuming? It makes sense to me, but I might not know something the other gearheads do.