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Performance Tundra camshafts are finally here and ready for testing!

79K views 204 replies 26 participants last post by  ViktorG 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, this has been in the pipeline for a couple of months now, but I did not want to get ahead of myself and start posting stuff before I had something tangible in my hands.
A while ago, I have contacted a well-known camshaft manufacturing/regrinding company regarding creating some high performance cams for the Toyota 5.7
These guys generally deal with domestic cars and trucks, and haven't done much with the import market, but after hearing from me about the impossibility of finding any cams for this engine, they decided to take on the challenge of designing something that would work for this platform.
I had an opportunity to discuss the nuances of this engine with their cam profile designer who has over 30 years experience designing custom cams.
I have sent them all the factory tech info I could get my hands on regarding the vvt-i system operation, the valvetrain setup, as well as a set of cams, rocker arms and lash adjusters.
The goal was to design a profile that would work well with NA as well S/C motors, have stable idle and give a good amount of mid range and top end power increase while keeping the bottom end losses to a minimum.
After they inspected the cams I provided and upon some discussion we agreed on what will be called a Stage 1 grind - moderately aggressive, but not too crazy.
Now, the cams are in my hands and ready to be first tested in a set of heads on the bench, and then in the truck.
Even though we think these will work fine, we still have to see if the stock lash adjuster will be able to take up the extra clearance without shimming, that there is no valve float and that the valves don't touch pistons under any and all vvt-i operating conditions and engine speeds.
Additionally, I have to make sure the fuel system can handle the extra fuel requirements at high RPM.
These will be installed in a bone stock motor and a before and after dyno will be done in the next month or two.
The profile designer said that based on all of his experience, he is expecting conservatively a 10-15% power increase in mid-high RPM.
I don't want to get too excited just yet, but IF everything works out as planned, this would be an extra 40-60 HP on a stock engine!
I have discussed setting up a distribution deal with them and at this point, if the grind works well, I should be able to make these available for order by November.
These will be regrinds of clean used cams that will be inspected and measured for journal size and runout before being sent out for regrind.
Price wise, it would be around $1000 - $1100 for a set of 4, plus a refundable $400 core charge.

Let me know what you guys think and I will keep you posted once they are installed and dynoed.
I should have some hard data (or a set of matching round holes in my pistons) in the next 6-8 weeks.
 

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#18 ·
The install guide will be a copy of the relevant portion of the Toyota repair manual.
You would have to be pretty handy to do this as a DIY mod though.
Book time is ~13 hrs.
 
#3 ·
Webcam has been making cams for the 5.7L since 2012 at least. They do regrinds and hard weld cams. A friend of mine in Qatar got a set and they're a bit more aggressive than the ones you got. Stock ECU won't like it one bit but according to his butt dyno there is a very decent increase in power even without a tune. A mild cam like yours might not be a big issue but you would still need a tune somehow.

Only reason I haven't gotten a set is due to clearance and I don't want to pay twice to assemble an engine. But so far even with a high lift cam there is enough clearance to the pistons. Good luck and keep us posted!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
A friend of mine in Qatar got a set and they're a bit more aggressive than the ones you got
But so far even with a high lift cam there is enough clearance to the pistons.
Is he using stock pistons?

A mild cam like yours might not be a big issue but you would still need a tune somehow.
I believe the stock ECU can accommodate a 10-15% HP increase without any problem. We will see soon.

Only reason I haven't gotten a set is due to clearance and I don't want to pay twice to assemble an engine.
That's why I will be taking the risk and doing all the testing for you guys to make sure there are no clearance issues on these cams :)
 
#6 ·
I would not install these on a supercharged engine without some forged parts and tuning.
I don't disagree with you. However, based on my recent unfortunate experiences, I would take that a step further and say that I personally would not even install a supercharger on this engine without some forged parts :(
 
#16 ·
I agree. You already know how thick of a shim to use based on the amount of material removed from the base circle. If they reduced the base circle by .030" in diameter, you'd need a .015" shim to get you back to the same place in the lash adjuster. Sounds like a good idea to me.
 
#15 ·
As far as I know, the aggressive cams from webcam didn't require any shimming. Bolted right in.

Also regarding valve float, one guy has a rear mount turbo setup and he said his valve springs gave out at about 16 psi at +6000 rpm. He then upgraded to custom Ferrea springs which I bought a set from him and installed in my current build.

His shop also offers Tomei camshafts for the 3UR, I'm not sure if he had those installed when valve float occurred but he definitely had clearance/installation issues with those, that I'm pretty sure off. Damaged a couple of engines testing them until they finally found away to make them work somehow.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
#20 ·
I will admit I was thinking backwards at first, too... Backwards meaning a thinner shim. What is really needed is .030 added to both the lifter and the shim at the valve. The lifter can be shimmed in the bore, or allowed to pump up the extra... The stock valve lash caps are 2.00mm, Toyota makes them up to 2.8mm... Almost perfect... A 2.76mm (.76 = .030) would be perfect, and Toyota makes it, part # 13753-22830.
 
#21 ·
Last night as I was going to bed, I was actually thinking the same thing, about shimming both sides the same amount by using lash caps out of the 2UR and a shim under the lash adjuster.
That way the geometry would stay the same.
I wonder if the hydraulic adjuster can pump up by an extra 30 thou, that would eliminate the shim on one side.
Thanks Brian.
 
#25 ·
I know nothing about these shims but it should be simple for a machine shop to make them. $250 for 8 (I'm assuming) shims is a lot of money foe what I'm picturing is a very precisely sized washer.
The ones that go on top of the valve tip are little bucket style shims. They are $250 for 32 of them.
The washer style ones that would go under the lash adjusters are $20 for 100 of them.
That's why I would love to be able to just shim the adjuster more rather than shimming the valves and the adjusters.
 
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#26 · (Edited)
So, the total amount of adjustment available in the lash adjuster is approximately 0.107"
Now I need to figure out how far it is pushed in/preloaded from factory with a stock camshaft to figure out how much more clearance it can take up.
... or I guess I can just put the modified cam in and see if there is any clearance in the valve train.
I have some heads sitting around at home, will try to get to it in the next few days.
 
#27 ·
Subb'd for the outcome.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Are you absolutely certain? I don't mess with regrinds, but I assumed that measuring the base circle was across the entire section that makes up the base circle... and when measuring it, the caliper measures the complete diameter. I just wanna make sure nobody spends $250 on the wrong size shims. I thought the regrind took the entire base circle down and also affected the ramp of the cam lobe...removing material from 180 degrees around the circle / 90degrees before and 90 degrees after the opposite side of the tip of the lobe.

 

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#34 · (Edited)
I think I'm right on this, guys. I found an image from Piper Cams that shows a reduction in the base circle is measured across the entire diameter of the base circle. Removing .030" from the base circle means .015 is removed form each side where the caliper or micrometer rests. Material isn't just removed from a small area opposite the lobe...the entire base circle is reduced.

 

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#36 · (Edited)
#37 ·
Just pulled out a stock cam and measured it against the regrind to clear up any confusion.
There is 0.031" of metal removed from around the entire base circle, making the base circle diameter smaller by 0.062"
I think the issue was with the wording of my post that said "They took 0.030" off the base circle, should still be good for hardness."
What I meant was that the depth of material removed was 30 thou, not the circle diameter was reduced by 30 thou.
Sorry
 
#38 ·
So basically the cam base is smaller, so you shim back to specs, and the actual cam lobe height remains the same. So you actually gain lift from properly re-shimming in this case.
 
#39 · (Edited)
This might be a stupid question, but do hard weld cams have a smaller diameter base circle like the regrinds? Might explain why the ones I mentioned earlier didn't require any shimming...
 
#40 ·
hard weld has no influence on base diameter.hard weld usually is done on problem camshafts that wear out,heavy valve spring pressures,to save a rare cam etc.
otherwise,the idea behind hard welding is to conserve or restore the original base cam diameter while increasing lift and/or duration.so no,usually hard weld cams do not have a smaller base diameter as it's not desirable to reduce it.
 
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