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Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:36 pm

I realize this may seem like a dumb question, but I want to be sure before I purchase. I have a dished cam that I want to replace due to a couple of nicked up gears. The cam I am looking at on Chirco shows it for other type 1's but not a bus. was there any difference in the bus cam? I going all stock and its a 71 westy. Have a look

http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=109_110_272&products_id=1541

Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:43 pm

each camshaft gear has a number on it that specifies how tight it is against the crank gear. You want a dished camshaft with the same number gear. Look at your old one and see what the number is. Typically they are -3 to +3 but can go higher. The numbers are -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3 etc.

Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:03 pm

Interesting and confusing topic. First off, a bus isn't listed because U.S. buses in that '72-'79 year range didn't have the upright engines. Yours is a '71 and would be listed the same as up to '71 bugs. Next question is flat 3 bolt (rivet) or dished 4 rivet. Evidently it has to do with larger oil pumps. But I don't see why your engine had a 4 rivet dished cam gear. I have a stock bug/bus 3 rivet flat cam in my bug with the larger 26mm oil pump. And an Engle W100 bus cam with a flat 3 bolt-on gear in my bus along with a big 30mm pump. One engine is a '71 AE case and the other is a '73 factory replacement case for the '71 AE. As far as I know the gear type just has to do with the compatable pump. At one point on another engine the oil pump we bought had the shaft extending out too far (evidently for a dished cam) so we pressed it further into the gear so it would fit a flat cam. The pump body cleared the flat gear real well. It was just an issue with the shaft of the pump gear.
Have you considered an Engle bus cam? Very mild but some improved low end and mid range torque.
Anyway, I don't really think that particular cam is the one you want.

EDIT
Just noticed this at Chirco- http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=117
I can't view it on my PC so if it resolves the question please post a summary.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:17 am

Desertbusman wrote:
Have you considered an Engle bus cam? Very mild but some improved low end and mid range torque.

Good advice. I won't tell it's not "stock". 8)

Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:20 am

I went with that cam from chirco. Bus is a really late 71, could be reason for dished cam.