Combinations for New Power in Ford 3 Valve and GM LS Engines
For many high performance enthusiasts, there is an obsession that no engine should remain stock. A stock engine for many power enthusiasts is simply a lump of coal with a diamond inside that must be released. That’s true especially for the GM LS and Ford 3-valve engine lovers who covet the kind of power they know is sheltered inside the stock platform. These enthusiasts salivate at the idea of unlocking the horsepower that lurks inside.
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Modular 3V Ford (Part #5449) |
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GM Gen IV kit (Part #5456) |
There are a number of ways for this kind of power devotee to unearth the concealed power from stock engines, but among the most fundamental, is to change out the camshaft. However, doing so creates the issue of making sure that adding a camshaft into an electronically controlled timing environment, like that found in the
Ford 3-valve and
GM LS engines, will produce “safe” power.
That is exactly what the COMP Cams® Cam Phaser Limiter was created to do. With it, the challenge of getting safe horsepower is solved because the Phaser Limiter is designed to restrict the range of cam degree change so that a potential valve to piston train wreck is eliminated.
Billy Godbold has oversight of valve train development at
COMP Cams®, and he is at the heart of the R&D effort that resulted in the development of the Cam Phaser Limiter. To understand more about it, Godbold provided an explanation of the Phaser Limiter in simple terms.
The 40,000 Foot View
“Looking at the 40,000-foot view from someone like me who was born in 1970,” Godbold said, “it’s easy to understand that new technology is scary to some. I’ve been through a couple of learning curves as new automotive technology was born, specifically with the early engine electronic technology that was somewhat scary to me then.
“For instance, when I was a kid first learning about and working on cars, all the car manufacturers were just starting to come out with electronic ignition (HEI). Every one of my buddies pulled the HEI out, and threw it in the garbage can, because they didn’t understand it, and put points back in. It was just because it was new; it scared us and we didn’t really understand it. But the thing is, there was nothing really all that scary about electronic ignition. It was way better than the points. What we were throwing in the garbage was much better than what we were putting back in the motor. We just didn’t understand it.
“Some people are throwing technology away by ‘locking’ the phaser so it will not move. But all of us at COMP® are trying to say we’ve done this before and let’s not do it again. With the cam phaser, the OEs have given us something really good to play with. They’ve given us a great toy, and they have done all the hard stuff for us. All we have to figure out, is how to make it work for us to unlock power from the engine safely.
“We know that stock engines, like the
3-valve and LS engines, equipped with phaser limiters make good horsepower. We know a stock Ford engine makes about 300 horsepower and a stock LS engine makes about 400 horsepower.
“We know that an LS engine with a good sized camshaft in it will make 500 horsepower as easy as falling off a log. We also know Ford 3-valve or 4-valve engines will easily make 400 horsepower with the right cam.
“What we also know, is that if you stick the right cam in the engine without thinking, and don’t use a Phaser Limiter, you will ram the pistons into the valves. So the first approach from enthusiasts is likely to be, ‘damn it, I want my power. So let’s throw out this hokey Cam Phaser Limiter stuff, put a big camshaft in and I can make the big power number.’
“What we are saying here at COMP® is HOLD ON! TIME OUT! Just like the guy that threw out the HEI he didn’t understand and put points back in, sure they got what they wanted, but they lost a lot of other things. They lost a lot of drivability and power curve.
“That’s what we are saying about the Phaser Limiter. Don’t trash the idea; it’s a good thing. All it takes is just a little understanding to realize that this new step in technology has huge benefits. A lot of horsepower can be gained and it can be done without crashing the pistons and valves.
“That’s not to say the Phaser Limiter is for everyone. For someone who is only running in a 1000 RPM window, say 5500 to 6400 RPM, the Phaser Limiter is not going to offer anything. If the window is 3,000 RPM, there may be some advantage but not much.
“However, if you are running in a window that is 2,000-7,000 RPM, it’s going to make a huge difference.
“Running a phaser provides a lot of advantages. It broadens out the power band because it allows you to advance the cam where it needs advancing and retard the cam where it needs to be retarded – automatically. A COMP Cams® Phaser Limiter lets you safely install the size cam you need to the reach the power level you want and get the sound you desire.
“The effectiveness of changing out a cam and using the Phaser Limiter is shown in the example of the performance difference between a Stock L92 engine and that of the L92 equipped with a COMP Cams ®
156-403-13 275PHR14 camshaft and
Phaser Limiter.
“Check out the numbers in the dyno sheets below – the advantage for performance and safety will be clear. You’ll also understand that this technology is nothing to fear, and it can provide the advantages of power and safety that no other camshaft and Phaser Limiter combination can provide.”
This dyno graphic shows the advantage of higher lift of the
Comp Cams® camshaft over the stock camshaft. It also demonstrates the safety feature of the Phaser Limiter shift reduction. Note that the maximum cam phase is 62 degrees with the stock phaser. The COMP® Phaser Limiter restricts the phase to 20 degrees, which provides a safety factor to eliminate valve to piston train wrecks.
These numbers show the dramatic difference in power and torque between a stock cam in the LS92 engine and a COMP Cams® 156-403-13 275PHR14 camshaft. The maximum torque has been increased 23 + ft-lb over the stock cam, and the horsepower is over 70 horsepower more than stock.
For more information on the COMP Cams® Phaser Limiter and other products and services, go to
www.compcams.com or call 800-999-0853.
COMP Cams®
3406 Democrat Road
Memphis, TN 38118
www.compcams.com
800-999-0853
Camshaft Power and Phaser Limiter Safety 
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