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Which cam is the right cam (for me)

leadermoose

leadermoose

Active member
Joined
Oct 14, 2022
Location
Hillsboro, OR
In the very near future I am going to have a 530 head rebuilt for my b230. Which means I need to decide on what cam to run so that the head can be properly shimmed to that cam. For a while now I've been set on an A or B cam, but I figured I might as well ask for recommendations from people that know a lot more than me about cam performance. This car will almost certainly stay my daily for a long time, so I don't want or need something with huge performance, and I certainly don't want a cam with a lot of chop. I do plan on turboing the car at some point, and if possible I'd like a cam that is good in my current NA, but won't need to be swapped when I do eventually +t. Currently the car is an automatic, but I have damn near everything to manual swap it, which will hopefully happen this summer, if not next. I know the T cam is recommended over the M for a bit of an upgrade in auto cars especially (why mainly auto cars?), and I would be fine with running a T cam if that's what the final recommendation comes down to. I can spend hours staring at the cam data charts, or watching dyno runs of different cams, but that will never compare to people with actual experience running different setups.

To sum it up if you don't want to read my essay:
  • This is my daily, and will be my daily
  • I do not want a choppy cam, the closer to stock idle, the better
  • Currently car is automatic, but will be manual swapped within a year
  • Car is NA, and probably will be for a while, but the eventual plan is +t
  • Cam will be installed with freshly rebuilt, shimmed, and almost certainly shaved head
  • Just wanting advice from people with more experience than I have
 
Depends on what you want. T builds nearly instant boost on a stock turbo engine, but I'd guess it's nearly as sluggish as M on a NA engine.
V was nice in a manual B230F. Pulled good from 2500 up, a bit weaker than stock M under 2000rpm. Idle was ok with warm engine, not always perfect when cold (winter).
V is decent in FT+. Again, pulls good from 2500 and up, but the low "grunt" is clearly worse than with stock T. No idle problems, but the car is only used during summer. Low end in FT+ got a bit worse already when going from a 13c with 6 hotside to 19t with 7 hotside. 19t with 6 hotside and A cam seemed to pull better than V at lower revs. No experience with NA engine and the A cam.
 
I've used M, A, V, VX, and T, in that order, in my '91 245 over the last 13 or 14 years. Maybe the B also, I don't remember. It's always had the head milled at least 1mm (currently 1.5mm) and somewhere just south of 10:1. Like Acke says above, it depends on what you want.

I like the T as a stock replacement for the M. The additional intake duration helps the rpm band, but they both close at the same point so the difference isn't as dramatic as 16 degrees might imply. In my application it idles with 21" of vacuum and gets me about 29mpg highway and maybe 22 or 23 city (25 suburban) in the Summer. Take off 3 or 4 mpg in Winter. M47, 3.31s.

The best all around Volvo cam I've used is the V, hands down. Idles well, decent fuel economy (down maybe 1 from the above). Good power and torque throughout the rpm range. Most aggressive used by Volvo when coupled with LH2.4. If you're looking to stick with a factory cam, get this one. However:

IPD Turbo (or similar. V15T for example) is probably your best choice. Best combination of lift to duration, intake closing point, and overlap.

In general, for comparative purposes:

-more intake duration at the same valve lift figure (normally 0.050")=power curve shifted higher
-later intake valve closing point=power curve shifted higher
-wider lobe separation=smoother idle, better economy, improved (lower) emissions, less torque below the peak value, lower maximum power and torque numbers BUT broader power curve (more rpm between peak torque and peak power)
-obviously, opposite numbers net the opposite results.

The disclaimer is that it's more nuanced than this and is totally dependent on your overall combination, and you being really honest with yourself about what you want and expect. Good head and small cam beats bad head and big cam every time, don't let anyone ever tell you differently.
 
leadermoose said:
  • This is my daily, and will be my daily
  • I do not want a choppy cam, the closer to stock idle, the better
  • Currently car is automatic, but will be manual swapped within a year
  • Car is NA, and probably will be for a while, but the eventual plan is +t
Click to expand...
based on this info: T-cam.
 
If you are manual swapping the car. You will want the full powerband the cam can give. Get the IPD turbo cam and use that N/A till you turbo. Or as mentioned above it's more nuanced if you buy the Enem V15T cam which is ground with the lobe angle I prefer over the IPD cam. Both cams will give you a 2k rpm to 6k rpm power band which is great for a daily driver in my experience.
 
Ok, a little more info.
  • The car is lh2.2 and will probably stay that way for a long time. I'm hoping to switch to 2.4 with the turbo swap so I can get rid of the chrysler ignition computer.
  • My daily driving activities include a lot of stop and go at stop lights, so lower end power is preferred to me. I do floor it a lot, occasionally hitting about 4k, but after installing the head, I'm hoping I won't need to do that just to keep up with or pass traffic.
  • I do highway and "fun" roads too, but I'm not really looking for high power at highway speeds.
  • I will also be installing an sts adjustable cam gear with the head/cam, so if a usually lower performance cam is better when adjusted, you can keep that in mind.
Based off the responses so far, I'm thinking I might just go T since it should be pretty easy to find and I also already have experience with the T in my dad’s 242. If not the T, it sounds like either the V or IPD Turbo is most recommended. You have definitely deterred me from the A/B though, which was kind of what I was expecting/hoping for.
OVERDRIVE said:
A will idle worse but I personally like them.
Click to expand...
Yeah I don't like the idle with A or B much
shoestring said:
I've used M, A, V, VX, and T, in that order, in my '91 245 over the last 13 or 14 years.
Click to expand...
Exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. Your essay probably helped me the most.
240 240 said:
based on this info: T-cam.
Click to expand...
Seems like either this or V, or maybe IPD turbo.
 
No use swapping to a manual if you aren't going to explore rpms above 4k rpm. You won't experience the joy of a red block winding out to 5k or even 6k rpms. Passing at will even in top gear. But yeah, A T will probably suit you well from your description of driving.
 
I ran an A for a couple years in a 940 turbo from long ago. I liked it.
 
when the transmission on my 245 broke I bought all the parts to put m46 in it. That was 2015. The car still has the broken bw35 in it
 
The shift points are so lazy and emissions biased on the AW70/3.73 axle w/stock (especially wagon) sized tires that anything beyond a T in traffic seems counterproductive, but I’m thinking usable power & economy / maximally lazy w/o modifying the car much (if at all?).

Good on Volvo to figure out how to make those ‘85+ B230Fs squeak under 55mph steady state cruise NOX emissions on a budget (cheaper cast crank than previous bofors B23F cranks / having to bid against the us military for the ‘85 Bofors gun boondoggle) w/slightly lower compression (but also less reciprocating weight?), keep the engine spinning slowly / plastic oil trap box that sludges up pulling against the always slipping low stall speed torque converter w/3.73 gears (uses more fuel and heats the transmission oil more under load tho?) w/o adding cost and complexity of horrific air pumps and EGR or reducing engine compression and economy unduly?

Not real inspiring to drive, but they did what they could / for the time it was probably logical for a conservative smaller automaker?

The D is basically same as a K in a 2.0 or 2.1; it’s nice if you got 3:1 1st, ~10:1 E engine compression & 4.10s in your stock 140 or Amazon / similar w/o needing upgraded valve springs and the like & ~1968 traffic & ambient temps?

Maybe if you’ve got the slightly higher stall / less lazy AW71L & 4.10s. Canadian 940Turbos got &/or AW72L & 4.10s 16Vs got more cam would make sense for a fuel efficient driver, but it doesn’t make any sense to me otherwise?
Why burn more fuel & make the car less comfortable or more difficult to drive or maintain?

‘88(only or dealer update box + harness for earlier mopar ignition cars ) final revision mopar box and harness are fine / work pretty no-fuss?

I kinda prefer the LH2.2 / those beater ‘86-‘88 stripper 240s & 740s (give them an engine harness if necessary / pre ‘87-‘88) just kinda ran and ran for me with less electrical. :e-shrug:

Not as well rust proofed, but I don’t necessarily see the 2.4 (nor airbags and electric windows) as a ‘value add’ on a eurotrash car where the electrical is more ‘art class’ than engineering and fuss-free functional / you might have to kill yourself if you designed it wrong on any car in the last 15-20 years peak Toyota denso Japanese bubble economy years?

@ least you can repair it piece-at-a-time on the 240 volvo with an overlay harness added every year since 1968 …if that’s what you want to be doing w/your time (if that’s worth anything?)?

Maybe if you live somewhere zero traffic & have a closer ratio transmission and aren’t stuck with ‘87 octane emissions / ethanol gas / can increase compression, > T makes sense?

But running the a/c and trying to save fuel / just get where you’re going in 1 piece with the drivetrain, gearing, gas, traffic & climate in our urban planning disasters of USA cities built on disgusting swamps &/or deserts; just the T, probably? :lol:
 
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I’m partial the IPD turbo or B cam for most “OEM+” type manual setups. I’ve never driven an auto 240 for longer than an hour. No clue how they handle compression and cams.
 
VB242 said:
I have an A cam with STS adjustable gear advanced 2.5 degrees on my 2.4 auto wagon, it idles fine and pulls all the way until it shifts.
Click to expand...
Nearly on topic.... what is your A cam vacuum at idle? Has your head been cut the TB mandatory 1mm?
 
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