Cams Upgrade
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Novice
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 23
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From: Melbourne Australia
Cams Upgrade
I've searched the forums and have seen a lot of recommendations and good feedback about Andrews Cams. I'd like to move forward with this upgrade, but am unsure which specific Cam to choose. On the Andrews website there's like 20 different models. I've seen people recommend the 37's and 54's but truthfully i have no idea what the difference is.
I'm riding a 2007 Dyna Low Rider FXDL. SE Air Intake, SERT EFI, D&D Fat Cats 2-1, Ohlins Rears, Progressive Fronts. I spend most of my time city riding as I ride to work 3-4 times a week. Spend a lot of time in 1-4 gear, so I'm thinking go for low end torque. Dyna is a light bike, but I'm a less than light guy at 210lbs.
Specific Recommendations appreciated.
-Oct
I'm riding a 2007 Dyna Low Rider FXDL. SE Air Intake, SERT EFI, D&D Fat Cats 2-1, Ohlins Rears, Progressive Fronts. I spend most of my time city riding as I ride to work 3-4 times a week. Spend a lot of time in 1-4 gear, so I'm thinking go for low end torque. Dyna is a light bike, but I'm a less than light guy at 210lbs.
Specific Recommendations appreciated.
-Oct
Well, I know they aren't Andrews, but if you want low end, in short bursts..... Look at the Woods 777 cams. Sound AWESOME, they seem like they will fit the way you ride.
http://www.woodcarbs.com/06-12cams.htm
http://www.woodcarbs.com/06-12cams.htm
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 979
Likes: 350
From: Wisconsin
If you aren't doing any other changes besides the cams and stage 1 the Andrews 48H is a good choice. I put one in a few months ago and have been happy with it. Can't give you any comparison to other cams, the 48H is the only cam I have experience with other than the stock cams.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
Likes: 23
From: Seattle, WA
There are several key camshaft characteristics that affect the expected performance ...
Valve Opening (Intake and Exhaust)
Valve Closing (Intake and Exhaust)
These will yield the lobe separation angle (LSA) and overlap
The other key bit of information is the lift ... how far open the cam pushes the valve ...
The amount of time the intake valve stays open (valve closing minus valve opening) dictatas how much air and fuel get drawn into the cylinder and then compressed into the combustion chamber ... the exhaust valve opening (valve closing minus valve opening) is typically a little less than the intake since the piston is pushing the exhaust gas out of the cylinder ...
The higher the lift, the greater the opening during the event described above ...
When these things occur in the cycle of the engine's operation also affects performance ...
There is a really good tutorial that delves into these subjects here ... http://www.harley-riders-guide.com/h...dson-cams.html
I did a spreadsheet quite a while ago that set out the statistics on a bunch of popular cams at the time ... you could compare the stats on any cams of interest with these and evaluate them based on the criteria in the tutorial ...
If you're not planning on doing any additional work with the motor, the Andrews 26 or the 21, even, might be good options ...
You should resist the urge to 'over cam' the motor or you may end up not having the power/torque in a part of the curve where you use it on a daily basis ... also, you may not even get the most out of some of the more agressive cam profiles if your motor does not have adequate compression or flow characteristics ...
Good luck with your decision ...
R/
'Chop
Valve Opening (Intake and Exhaust)
Valve Closing (Intake and Exhaust)
These will yield the lobe separation angle (LSA) and overlap
The other key bit of information is the lift ... how far open the cam pushes the valve ...
The amount of time the intake valve stays open (valve closing minus valve opening) dictatas how much air and fuel get drawn into the cylinder and then compressed into the combustion chamber ... the exhaust valve opening (valve closing minus valve opening) is typically a little less than the intake since the piston is pushing the exhaust gas out of the cylinder ...
The higher the lift, the greater the opening during the event described above ...
When these things occur in the cycle of the engine's operation also affects performance ...
There is a really good tutorial that delves into these subjects here ... http://www.harley-riders-guide.com/h...dson-cams.html
I did a spreadsheet quite a while ago that set out the statistics on a bunch of popular cams at the time ... you could compare the stats on any cams of interest with these and evaluate them based on the criteria in the tutorial ...
If you're not planning on doing any additional work with the motor, the Andrews 26 or the 21, even, might be good options ...
You should resist the urge to 'over cam' the motor or you may end up not having the power/torque in a part of the curve where you use it on a daily basis ... also, you may not even get the most out of some of the more agressive cam profiles if your motor does not have adequate compression or flow characteristics ...
Good luck with your decision ...
R/
'Chop
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 836
Likes: 230
From: Deep South
here are some choices for the stock 96" .....the s/e 255's ok ,but run out of pull very quickly at highway speeds , ....the andrew's 54h ....which is a very good tq cam and will pull to 5800 ....or the woods tw-7h ....very good tq/mid range cam ....do your self a favor ....while you have the cams out , pull the heads , replace the head gasket w/ a .030 mls gasket , have manual c/r's put in heads ....then install the .555 woods .....now you got some increase tq for the bottom w/ the increase in compression ,and lottttttttts of mid range w/ the cam ....make all shifts about 4 thousand rpm ....and hang on !!! 
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,016
Likes: 3
From: West New york, NJ
I bet you're more confused know that you asked, huh? The 21, 26 and 37 are all good choices for different rpm ranges in the 88" engines. I think there are much better choices for 96" engines. The 48 is going to give you the best low to mid range power. Similar to what a 21 or 26 does for the 88", but better suited to the 96"+ engines. They have a new 57 cam that is supposed to be same specs as the 37, but it has more lift. That is more of a mid-upper cam on a stock engine and wants some more compression. If your not doing head work or anything to aid compression, the 48 would be best. The 54 mentioned above will feel too soft down low and the SE 255 will run out of steam sooner than the 48. Post over in the engine mod and performance section and you will get some professional help.