TheSamba.com :: View topic - EMPI has there own cams are they china junk

Fri Dec 14, 2012 4:46 pm

update where i buy my vw parts started selling EMPI cams . out of 7 cams they had to send 3 cams back to EMPI because the side clearance was 10 thousands when you installed the cam in the thrust cam bearing .that was on two of the EMPI cams the 3rd EMPI cam the center cam bearing was ground with a 6 thousands taper that stopped middle ..where the cam bearing would be if you buy one make sure you look it over real good my self i am never going to buy a EMPI cam spencerfvee......... i see EMPI has come out with there own cams . are they china junk or are they good . ?? looks to me that there ground the same as engle cams . i see EMPI does not sell engle cams any more .i wonder why lol .. to me i want the real deal when i buy a cam not some china look a like cam . how do you guys feal real deal cam or a china cam ?? spencerfvee

Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:40 pm

I bet they are all made in China these days.

Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:52 pm

glenn if im not mistaken engle is owned and made by so cal imports, so cal bought the maching from engle

Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:03 pm

if im not mistaken I was told by engle they get thier cores from japan.

Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:05 pm

That should be illegal. I doubt anyone's buying those with Engles so readily available.

Sat Dec 15, 2012 7:27 am

If you have to ask the question, I would just look elsewhere.

Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:29 am

getting good stuff can be hard,Ive heard since crane closed down a lot of cores are not being produced in the usa any more,still a lot coming out of wisconsin from what I hear but with the roller cams in the oe cars now most are steel billet so making small spicific batches of cores isant a real money maker,comp cams does have a p55 cast core for thier cast roller cams. be nice if they would make a pile of them for us vw guys, it still needs nitriding to last but much cheeper than a billet steel cam,but the billet cam last a lot longer if all is good on the set up. or if you like just dish out the$$$ and get a tool steel camshaft.they are oh so sweet.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:18 pm

if your looking for a cam upgrade just go with engle there race proven street proven and not that pricey, i be leave i only spent like 80 something and thats with shipping, they give you the valve lash you should set with the cam, they give you the proper lube to break in the cam with and instructions on how to install, if you do upgrade your cam you might wanna think about changing your cam gear to straight cut gears but youll need access to a press unless you have a really strong grip lol but straight cut means no more thrust on your cam well greatly reduced thrust anyway lol. but thats just my two cents.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:46 pm

not just thrust on cam but what else is it thrusting agnist??THE CRANK.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:50 pm

are you crazy? The cam/lifters are the LAST thing you should be the guinea pig on. You can be a tester on a lot of different things, but it's crazy to try in on the cam/lifters with all the problems we've been having with them.

Don't be stupid.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:29 pm

[email protected] wrote: are you crazy? The cam/lifters are the LAST thing you should be the guinea pig on. You can be a tester on a lot of different things, but it's crazy to try in on the cam/lifters with all the problems we've been having with them.

Don't be stupid.

Well said John.
To add to that; Choose a Web product if you can.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:34 pm

dam john i was just asking what people thought . i dont buy empi junk . i buy engle cams for all my motors . in my own way i was pointing out that EMPI fu%ked engle cams by making there own china cams that are the same as engle cams . EMPI and wallmart are the little china and they both dont care who they hurt . spencerfvee [email protected] wrote: are you crazy? The cam/lifters are the LAST thing you should be the guinea pig on. You can be a tester on a lot of different things, but it's crazy to try in on the cam/lifters with all the problems we've been having with them.

Don't be stupid.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:42 pm

spencerfvee wrote: dam john i was just asking what people thought . i dont buy empi junk . i buy engle cams for all my motors . in my own way i was pointing out that EMPI fu%ked engle cams by making there own china cams that are the same as engle cams . EMPI and wallmart are the little china and they both dont care who they hurt . spencerfvee [email protected] wrote: are you crazy? The cam/lifters are the LAST thing you should be the guinea pig on. You can be a tester on a lot of different things, but it's crazy to try in on the cam/lifters with all the problems we've been having with them.

Don't be stupid. .

Not defending Empi, but are you sure they #$%$# them out of their cam grinds and are making them in China? Maybe they are buying their cams direct from So-Cal/Engle. I'm not going to test them, but until someone knows the facts, is this post really accomplishing anything. Until someone finds out correct information, this is all just more B.S. FYI My new cams are going to be Web from now on.

brad

Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:30 pm

how much is an Engle cam? SCAT?

if you are trying to do it on the cheap, these are the only 2 I'd consider. I don't care what the EMPI ones are made of, they are not proven. If the cam goes bad you are looking at close to $1k in parts replacement. Rings, cylinders, oil pump crank reground, all bearings, re-balancing, etc etc. MAJOR MAJOR HEADACHE.

There are a lot of places you can skimp, the cam is not one of them.

Just because EMPI says "same as Engle, only cheaper" doesn't mean you have to bite on that hook. Don't be a sucker.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:58 pm

no they are not made by so cal. i talked to them .all so cal said was they no longer sell engle cams to EMPI . and they sounded like they were not very happy with EMPI at all . the point of this post was that nothing any one makes. is safe from being remade in china. and sold at a cheaper price . because the USA lets anything come into the USA from china . spencerfvee slalombuggy wrote: spencerfvee wrote: dam john i was just asking what people thought . i dont buy empi junk . i buy engle cams for all my motors . in my own way i was pointing out that EMPI fu%ked engle cams by making there own china cams that are the same as engle cams . EMPI and wallmart are the little china and they both dont care who they hurt . spencerfvee [email protected] wrote: are you crazy? The cam/lifters are the LAST thing you should be the guinea pig on. You can be a tester on a lot of different things, but it's crazy to try in on the cam/lifters with all the problems we've been having with them.

Don't be stupid. .

Not defending Empi, but are you sure they #$%$# them out of their cam grinds and are making them in China? Maybe they are buying their cams direct from So-Cal/Engle. I'm not going to test them, but until someone knows the facts, is this post really accomplishing anything. Until someone finds out correct information, this is all just more B.S. FYI My new cams are going to be Web from now on.

brad

Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:32 pm

if EMPI did what they usually do, they just copied all of Engle's cams and lifters, and have them made in China now.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:46 pm

[email protected] wrote: Just because EMPI says "same as Engle, only cheaper" doesn't mean you have to bite on that hook. Don't be a sucker.

If more people would think like that...

Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:10 pm

john thats the point i was making . at one of the shops i buy my vw parts off of they have the new EMPI cams when i looked at the empi cam specks they were the same as engles cam specks . i only had time to check out the EMPI 110 cam specks they were real busy that day i was there . there for sure made in china john some guy posted on samba and said EMPI copied some guys wheels and the guy saw them at the SEMA show . and he was pissed off big time . i think the day has come to a end for any little guy to make some thing to sell and make a good living selling it .. because some jerk will come along and have china make it. and sell it cheap and theres nothing the little guy can do to stop it . spencerfvee [email protected] wrote: if EMPI did what they usually do, they just copied all of Engle's cams and lifters, and have them made in China now.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:18 pm

I just talked with Engle.

I haven't checked this, because I wouldn't sell an EMPI cam in the first place, but word is the EMPI cam advertised #s do not match the Engle equivalent, even though they are advertised with identical #s. I do not know how far they deviate from them, I really don't care (since we would never sell them anyways).

I think you are a chump if you know this stuff and choose the EMPI anyways.

Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:41 pm

hay john i am with you . i would never buy a EMPI cam . never.. i am done got to get my race car ready for next year... at this point i could care less about EMPI cams lol lol merry x mass to all and happy new year to all spencerfvee [email protected] wrote: I just talked with Engle.

I haven't checked this, because I wouldn't sell an EMPI cam in the first place, but word is the EMPI cam advertised #s do not match the Engle equivalent, even though they are advertised with identical #s. I do not know how far they deviate from them, I really don't care (since we would never sell them anyways).

I think you are a chump if you know this stuff and choose the EMPI anyways.