We’ve all been in a circumstance when we wanted the engine to have more power. Squeezing out a little bit more is always beneficial, regardless of the displacement or power it currently produces.
Your decision to replace the camshaft was probably made after reading forum posts and watching YouTube videos. It’s a wise move since adding a performance camshaft has been shown to boost horsepower, but the key query is: by how much?
While it is true that camshafts enhance horsepower, the gain is often less than 10% and only 10–20 horsepower. The often touted 50–100 horsepower increase can only be achieved with additional Stage 1 and 2 upgrades.
This post will review how camshafts function, why switching to a high-performance model enhances power, and how to increase horsepower output. If you want to know more, keep reading!
What Is The Camshaft’s Mechanism?
A rod called the camshaft may be found at the top or, more often, the bottom of the engine. It is equipped with a series of highly machined cams that flawlessly time the opening and closing of the valves.
A pushrod cam system comprises the camshaft towards the bottom of the engine block. As the name suggests, the camshaft drives a series of rods that extend in the direction of the valves and open and close them.
If placed at the top, we refer to a camshaft as an overhead camshaft. You’ve probably heard of a dual overhead camshaft, a system with two camshafts, one of which manages the intake valve and the other the exhaust valve.
The phrase “16-valve four-cylinder engine” refers to an engine with 16 valves, each pair of four cams on the camshaft controlling two intake and two exhaust valves. On the other hand, a dual-cam design will have two camshafts with eight cams each.
Do Camshafts Affect Power?
Once correctly combined and pressured, the air-fuel combination ignites the engine to produce power. Modifying the camshaft may result in a richer oxygen combination and stronger ignition because the camshaft opens and shuts the intake valve.
The original camshaft has undergone meticulous engineering to guarantee durability, ideal power, and fuel efficiency. Since a high-performance camshaft does not impact how much gasoline is blasted into the cylinder, it increases horsepower by just 10 to 20.
The cycle of advancements to increase engine output never ends. The fuel injectors will become a bottleneck for the new camshaft. Better valves are required if you upgrade the fuel injectors. If you change them, you’ll want a better intake and exhaust manifold to bring in and let out all the air. Once you’ve completed all of that, you can obtain the 50–100 horsepower bump, albeit it’s time to consider if the whole update was worthwhile.
How To Replace The Camshaft
You’ve probably gained a lot of knowledge about do-it-yourself maintenance and repairs if you’ve been reading the instructions I’ve produced. You’ve also probably noticed that I don’t teach things I don’t know, or at the very least, I know how to explain them well.
One of those duties is replacing the camshaft, which is more difficult when a bespoke camshaft is involved. Find a reliable technician and ask them whether the camshaft you discovered would function well if you wanted to update the camshaft. You can see from this instruction how much effort and expertise it takes to replace the camshaft.
What Is The Price Of A New Camshaft?
The price of an aftermarket camshaft varies depending on the brand and kind of car; the average range is $200 to $600, but the greatest alternatives may easily push that price into the thousands. Along with the camshaft, kits that include all the exchangeable components are also available. Given the difficulty and length of the work, mechanics may charge $1000-$2000 an hour for their labor.
Should the camshaft be changed?
Replacing the camshaft is costly and ineffective only to boost performance, particularly if you have an older car.
The powertrain gradually loses power due to wear, sludge buildup, and carbon deposits. More power will be restored to the engine via manual system cleaning where possible and fuel additives than adding a new camshaft.
Nevertheless, if you must replace the camshaft, going with a high-performance aftermarket alternative rather than an expensive OEM option is a good idea.
Consider going out and changing multiple parts, from the intake to the exhaust, if you’ve focused on increasing the engine’s output. You may begin by removing the exhaust catalytic converter and installing a new exhaust manifold, according to what is permitted in your state.
Emission standards make it difficult for modern automobiles to operate; therefore, removing as much legally permitted will allow the engine to operate more efficiently and provide more power. Check out this post, where we go into great detail on the subject.
FAQs
How much horsepower are added by a Stage 2 camshaft?
Stage 1 must be finished before moving on to Stage 2, which entails updating the camshaft and the intake and exhaust systems and remapping the ECU. When both phases are finished, you may increase the engine’s output by 20–25%.
What is the HP increase with a Stage 3 cam?
Stage 3 will have up to 40% more power than the factory configuration, but to get there, you’ll need to finish Stages 1 and 2 and the somewhat large bore of the engine.
Does the horsepower of a camshaft increase?
Yes, a camshaft provides 10 to 20 horsepower, depending on the arrangement. Aside from the high-performance camshaft, you’ll also need to replace the air intake, exhaust manifold, injectors, and valve heads to use their performance potential fully.
Summary
Since it is difficult to replace the camshaft at home and there needs to be more improvement in power, it is highly costly. Because of this, wait to improve your camshaft until you need to swap out the standard one. While at it, you may change a few other components to obtain the desired power bump. A high-performance camshaft won’t enhance your power by more than 10%.