help with cams

trey johnson

New member
Okay guys, will someone take me to cam school I'm trying to build a mod animal for a back yard track nothing serious. I'm running in the open class. I bought an animal not knowing anything about it all I knew was it's a stout and has a date of 6-14 so I'm guessing it just got freshened up since the season is over for the year and I been running again mod animals it's time to build one just so I can keep up until I get one professionally built. I tore the motor down and it's completely stock so I'm trying to figure out what cams can I run. Been looking at comps but I don't know enough about the lobe lifts and etc. To know which one I can get and be safe and not worry about kissing my piston. This is what i have in mind, roller rockers 1.3, cut port and polished head, billet flywheel, and possibly a new exhaust, then whatever cam yall say I can run and be safe
 
For anyone to adequately answer your questions they would need to know what you are running against and what, if any, rules you are subject to. If it is indeed a totally open class the animal block is probably not the best place to start.
 
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The only rule for my class I'm in is I must weight 325lbs other than that nothing bc I have asked and there reply was I can do anything I want to it
 
I'd use a .310" lift cam and 1.25 : 1 roller rockers.
If you go bigger than that you will get into coil bind issues.
I'd also go with big valves, big carb, billet rod, after market piston, Stroker kit and Methanol.
 
for a back yard track nothing serious

Define "serious" for us.
Jimbo laid out a pretty "serious" build - especially for the backyard circuit.

What has been done to your engine already? Bone stock, right?

How about Tillotson carb? Head milled more than a WKA engine? WKA cam or slightly bigger than stock cam?
DO you wish to start this engine with a pull rope or the use of a handheld electric starter with gear reduction?
You want to use 1.3:1 rockers but don't have a cam in mind yet?
The an-mod1 cam (310 lift) will work, sure, but it's not plug and play.


LOTS of options -- most of which are not for the shade tree builder.

Give me a call if I can help - or Jim, or Chip -- lots of good folks around who can get you up and going.

-----
Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cuts
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Celebrating 25 years of service to the karting industry
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Yes the engine is bone stock and as for as building a stroker that's what I'm going to get built professionally since I'm sure machine work would be a must.. I use an electric starter to crank the engine already. I am currently running methanol. Since I don't know much well really anything about building an animal, I was more along the line of bolt on performance. I talk with a guy that talks highly of Jim. I understand there is a thousand combinations I can go with but I'm just trying to go a route that's required to do any machine work since I don't have the tools for the job and there isn't a machine shop around here I can go to that's why I'm going to get an head that's already cut port and polished.
 
Numbers on top of piston
936974
LC 1012
216236 std
Numbers inside piston
A6B
83000B

The rod as the briggs symbol and almost chrome looking (really shiny)
 
Sounds like a Briggs Billet World Formula rod and a standard Briggs piston.
It's a stock briggs cam blank but we can't tell if it has been welded and reground from your info.
You would need to measure the cam lift and profile with a dial indicator and degree wheel to know more.
 
I'm sorry but that's the only way to tell what you have other than calling the previous owner or the person that freshened it up last time.
If there is a decal from the shop that did it you could call them and maybe they would have a record or what it is.
You could send the cam to someone to have it measured.
You could measure the base circle of the cam with a micrometer or digital caliper and subtract that number from the dimension from the base circle to the tip of the lobe. That will tell you the lift but not the duration.
You could post a picture or send one to me and i could take a guess.
 
I have some pictures but that's all I got since I'm off working right now but I'm not able to figure out how to post pictures here I could send them to you
 
trey.. You have some good folks here helping you out. Both Brian and Jimbo have answered some questions for me about builds and I've had great success with their help. Give them as much info as you can and they will get you in the right direction for sure. SOme of the most stand up gentlemen on this board as well as others.
Matt
 
Well I thought I had pictures of the cam but I don't... I'll send you some pictures of the piston and rod tomorrow after I get off work jimbo and see what you think
 
I run the .310 lift cam with the 1.25 roller rockers like Jim mentioned above. Pulls from bottom end to 9000 rpm great! Currently running one of Jim's big valve heads and his roller rockers on my animal. Switching over to his billet head this winter so I can run alittle more lift.
 
I still been doing some research on engines since I'm buy a new falcon g2 chassis I'm going to want a new enging and just rebuild the one I got and keep for back... jimbo I was looking at you Web site and seen you have a blueprint animal and you dyno it as well.. Is there any way we could change some parts like the head to you billet head, cam, and possibly put your roller rockers?
 
I can't tell you the exact size but I'll get you an idea we can get 3 wide all the way around straights are approximately my guess around 40 yards long
 
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