How to identify a Type IV camshaft / camshaft types

[SGKent]

based up a lot of time wasted trying to get the correct camshaft, thought i would shared the experience. Here is a simple way to id an OG Type IV camshaft. I also spoke with Web Cam and they follow this as well in general.

At Center Camshaft Journal

no rings = hydraulic lifters w/ manual transmission

2 rings = (1 each side of journal)- hydraulic lifters w/automatic transmission

1/2 ring = solid lifters(72-74 carb engine)

1 ring = solid lifters(75> Fuel Injected engine)

Example below: has 2 rings so is from an automatic w/ hydraulic lifters):

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George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[mnskmobi]

[regis101]

This would be a great sticky, IMO. But I'll bookmark it just the same.

Thanks for the info.
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Peace, ~R

[SGKent]

[HunchyHillBilly]

Thanks for that informtion, it helps to explain why I'm currently rebuilding my 76 2.0 litre which failed with a flat cam lobe and destroyed lifter.

The PPO's mechanic did a top end rebuild and replaced the hydro lifters with solids but left the old hydro cam in place

Good luck with your build, hope you get many trouble free miles from it.

Cheers.

[MoKap]

I just looked at the old cam from my solid lifter, manual trans, 1974 dual carb engine. It has two solid rings. I also remembered having an old HVWs mag article on the type 4 engine (July 1990). I pulled it out of the file and it said:

"...there are three different stock cam grinds; two for use with mechanical lifters and one hydraulic grind. Of the two solid lifter models, one has a high lift and duration for a manual transmission while the other is a little tamer for the automatic. To identify these cams from each other you have to look closely at the casting for two raised rings located on both sides of the center bearing journal The hydraulic cam is void of any rings, while the solid grinds will have two rings at both sides of the bearing surface - and they don't have to be complete rings either. Many casting rings extend only 180 degrees around the shaft. To determine whether a solid cam is the larger of the two requires either a visual inspeciton with a sharp eye , or dialing it in using a degree wheel and a dial indicator."

So, that kind of answers what a half ring might look like. Also indicates that solid lifter cams can have two full rings (which I can visually concur with).
_________________
1974 Transporter AW 1.8L with stock Solexes

[SGKent]

I think what I have learned from this is that if you have manual trans with solid lifters you are ALWAYS looking for a 1/2 or 1 band camshaft.

If you have an automatic you must have a two band camshaft. If you send it to be reground it will likely be reground with a hydraulic grind unless you say otherwise and you had better check when it comes back.

If you have a manual and late hydraulic (GE for example) you want no bands.
_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[SGKent]

3/12/2011 update. Please read below.

Every once in a while a NOS T4 camshaft pops up and the questions are almost always the same - "What is it for?" I have read many such threads in researching this and after a year of research there are so many different explantions it may be impossible to determine what the camshaft really is. In fact I am somewhat stumped with facts being more muddied than they were when this thread began.

One of the posts in this thread indicated from a reliable source "The hydraulic cam is void of any rings" - Bentley agrees on page 59 of engine and also indicates that two bands means an automatic trans. If we believed this then it would look like:

Two bands is automatic (but this may be incorrect based on several other people's experiences)
1/2 to 1 band is a solid lifter manual trans
no bands is hydraulic lifter cam

An aluminum riveted gear (ending in C) indicates it is a late camshaft so the grind is probably tamer than the early solid. All this said, when you read articles you will suddenly find one engine that completely throws this off - like VW just stuffed whatever they had that day into the engine - or maybe VW just lost control of this process.

Here is something written in a thread on factory cams, it indicates Bentley may be wrong and in fact it also agrees with other posts I have read where someone pulled apart a known original engine:

Scott wrote:

[Loftus]

quote="SGKent"]

[busdaddy]

That's wear.
I wouldn't use that one.
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[SGKent]

the wear comes from the edges of the lifters where they overlap on case halves. As the center of the lifter wears down, the edges of the lifter begin to touch the lobe and wear it.
_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[oscarsnapkin]

Glad this came up. I have a T4 cam I was going to place in the classifieds, as I am trying to clean my garage out and pay for some projects. I bought it probably around ‘05 or ‘06 from a Samba user who advertised it as an NOS hydraulic cam. From what I see in this picture it appears to have one band, which would indicate solid lifters/FI engine. Is that correct? This is an old crappy photo. I could dig the cam out for a better shot if need be. Thanks.

_________________
- 1977 CEI Sunroof Bus 2.0L F.I. Hydraulic Lifters
- 1973 Thing

"It’s so easy to laugh, it’s so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind."

[Wasted youth]

1700cc Type 4 camshaft for automatic transmissions