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Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:31 pm

So I am always thinking of a different cam in my 2127cc stroker im building. Right now I have a W125 grind and was going to go with 1.25 rockers. I am looking at the FK series right now of course with 1.4 rockers. I was wondering if the fk-44 or fk-45 would be a better cam for my engine. I have a pair of Panchito heads with the 54cc chambers and I can run either 9.5 to 1 with spacers or 9.8 to 1 without. I am a little worried about the super high lift these cams make with little duration. Any thoughts on the Engle FK series? Are they noisy or hard on lifter bores?
Thanks in Advance

Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:56 pm

Fk-45 or 44 can be used with 1.25 rockers and will reduce valve lift a bit.

Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:09 pm

pondervwmike wrote: Any thoughts on the Engle FK series? Are they noisy or hard on lifter bores?

Yes and yes.
For a street engine with good high velocity heads I would not want to run a FK cam, just not much to gain.

Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:39 pm

For that motor I would go with one of Steve Longs cams. Probably the SLR xr296. Nice torque and go. Cam is along the lijnes of an Engle 120 but just a tad bigger. SLR cams are very quiet and easy on the valvetrain.

Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:44 pm

Web 86B on 105 LC, best all around cam for street 2+ liters engines, very quiet.

Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:12 am

vince1 wrote: Web 86B on 105 LC, best all around cam for street 2+ liters engines, very quiet.
X2 but I would keep it at 108 LC and advance it 2 degrees if more bottom end is needed, - which I doubt.
- The W125 is actually a very nice cam IMHO. With 1,25 rockers the set up will of course reduce life on the valve guides and springs somewhat, but it´ll make good power :D
T

Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:06 am

Alstrup wrote: vince1 wrote: Web 86B on 105 LC, best all around cam for street 2+ liters engines, very quiet.
X2 but I would keep it at 108 LC and advance it 2 degrees if more bottom end is needed, - which I doubt.
- The W125 is actually a very nice cam IMHO. With 1,25 rockers the set up will of course reduce life on the valve guides and springs somewhat, but it´ll make good power :D
T

T, what kind of reliability you can expect on the W125 and 1.1:1 rockers?

Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:13 am

Good. About what you would expect from most other "W" cams.

T

Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:25 am

I have a 2276 and have run FK44 and now an 86B both at 9.6:1 compression ratio with 42x37 hand ported 044s and 48 Dells and a Berg 1 5/8" merged header with a Dynomax Turbo 2 1/2" muffler.

The FK44 made crazy torque and would idle and pull just like a stocker-if you got into it all hell broke lose getting side ways etc-lots of fun. The downside it was hell on the valve train/valve guides which is typical of FK cams. I loved what it provided, but I rely on this car as a daily driver as well putting 12k miles per year on it so eventually I broke it down, r & r on the heads and changed the cam to an 86B.

The 86B is so much quieter on the valve train. I feel it will last for the long run as a daily as I accumulate miles. It is a fun driver as well!

I believe the W125 falls in the middle of these two. I had a friend in a bug that was in the 11s in the 1/4 with the 125 cam and 1.25 rockers, but it was with a lot of work, effort, and damn good hand ported heads!

Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:44 am

There are two groups of FK cams. The FK-4X group are higher lift and wear the valve assembly a little more then the other FK cams. For a 2100+ street/weekend warrior the FK-8 is an awesome cam comparable to the Web 86B. An FK-8 is not gonna cause any more wear on the valve train than a W-125.

I run the FK-8 in my 155 HP 2165cc street engine and the FK-44 in my 2276 street/strip 170 HP engines.

Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:11 am

Thanks guys I was really just looking for advice on the fk series. Seems maybe they are more for race than street.

Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:50 pm

FK 43, 44, 44 are harder on the valve train since the cams are rampy.

86B and FK8 are very similar to one another.

Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:37 pm

Anyone have input on what power band is for a fk8 in a 2276 as a daily driver ?

Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:04 pm

2276 fk8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F87XHaDsWso

Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:53 pm

did you decide on a cam yet?

Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:01 pm

Nah not really. Thinking of sticking with my 125 cam. Alstrup seems to like the combo. I dont know when I will get it all together so everything is up in the air right now. I was wondering if there was anything special about the fk4x series in specific.
Thanks

Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:15 pm

125 and 125s make power decently. I bought a FK45 amd 1.4s looking to step it up, but then got scared for the lifter bores with the reality that its getting driven everyday. I contacted CB and asked what cam would they suggest for a daily driver seeing lots of miles. Gave them my 2234 specs and they replied that Pat suggested 2292 and 1.3 rockers.

How much driving do you think you will be doing with it once its built?

Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:36 pm

Not much just a fair weather weekend toy. Maybe a few runs down the local 1/8th mile track. I heard that the 2292 was hard on the lifter bores as well. Dan Ruddock go on to me a few days ago for suggesting it in a thread here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8693349#8693349

Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:58 pm

pondervwmike wrote: Not much just a fair weather weekend toy. Maybe a few runs down the local 1/8th mile track. I heard that the 2292 was hard on the lifter bores as well. Dan Ruddock go on to me a few days ago for suggesting it in a thread here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8693349#8693349

No the 2292 would not be hard on the lifter bores, just hard on the ears and the valve job and valve stem grooves (hammer cam).

Once the valve is off the seat the cam is very similar to the web 86 and FK-65 to FK-10 and no longer like them when the valve is set back down on the seat(slammer cam).

Just the lash ramps are designed poorly for a solid lifter engine. As I have said before, it looks like a well designed hydraulic cam.

Dan

Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:14 pm

So its rough on opening and closing the valves. I think i get it now. I didnt understand what you meant when you said it was a hammer/slammer cam. Now it makes sense. Thanks Dan for your information it is very helpful.
Mike