Which alphabet cam? b303, e303, d303, f303 or x303??

dreadly · 03-04-2009, 08:02 PM

Hey guys, i decided im gonna go with ford racing.... for a cam swap- cam, lifters, valve springs.
Now which one should i choose, im leaning towards the e303, or maybe the f303 or x303?
Has anyone used an alphabet cam before thoughts, suggestions, recommendations?
It's going in an au 2 xr8 ute with 1.72's and 70mm T/B, also will be fitting a new old stock herrod motorsport 20% harmonic balancer/under drive pulley.
And custom tuned by injection perfection in sydney.

Has anyone used injection perfection in sydney? thoughts on em.
No one up the coast can tune au's with flash boxes. So im after a tuner and a mate recommended them.

Thanks for any help, suggestions or input.

**CAT600** · 03-04-2009, 09:00 PM

I remember when the Z303 was released a few years after the F303........... Ford Motorsport (SVO) called it "CAMZILLA"

Never used one of the Motorsport cams, always used the 2020/2030/2031 Crane split pattern cams, either with or without the 1.7:1 rockers with good success. Now that you can raise base idle speed with a flash tune, the lumpier sounding cams are more streetable with a stock converter so the "F" and the "Z" are a good option.

IMHO opinion however, the XE Comp cams have been the pick of the litter for a good while now.

Daniel

CRAIGAU3220 · 03-04-2009, 09:26 PM

Unless your using after market pistons or going to fly cut your stock ones you wont have enough piston to valve clearance for the X303 and the Z303 that CAT600 was talking about.

If you use 1.6 rockers the F303 would work, Get some expert advice before you make your cam purchase.

svo347 · 03-04-2009, 09:55 PM

Ive gone from e303 to F303. The midrange to top end pull is awesome but its at the cost of my lower rpm range

**CAT600** · 03-04-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAIGAU3220

Unless your using after market pistons or going to fly cut your stock ones you wont have enough piston to valve clearance for the X303 and the Z303 that CAT600 was talking about.

Is the flycutting a confirmed fact or a cautious assumption by Ford Motorsport? because I remember reading about a car over east a few years back that was running an X303 and if I remember rightly, the bottom end was completely untouched.

Daniel

dreadly · 03-04-2009, 10:44 PM

Which one did you find better, idle wise, performance, everyday drivablity the e303 or f303?? cheers Peter

svo347 · 03-04-2009, 10:49 PM

Idlewise,everyday drivability the E303 but for performance the F303. I did find however with the F303 if i upped my idle to 950-1000rpm it was abit better

dreadly · 03-04-2009, 11:10 PM

Whats better for my 5L, with 1.72's 70mm, 20% underdrive pulley& manual trans. The e303 or f303? How much difference is there between the two?

Also whats a fair price for cam, lifters and valve springs?
Thanks hey Peter

svo347 · 03-04-2009, 11:20 PM

Cant give you an estimate bud. I bought both cams thru ford motorsport, right out of the catalogue was around $500 ages ago. Lifter, probably be cheaper to go aftermarket like crane. Valve springs go Isky with locks and retainers, cant really comment on anyone else sorry bud

CRAIGAU3220 · 03-04-2009, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAT600

Is the flycutting a confirmed fact or a cautious assumption by Ford Motorsport? because I remember reading about a car over east a few years back that was running an X303 and if I remember rightly, the bottom end was completely untouched.

Daniel

Ha ha, assumption by me and Ford Motorsport.

Got a stanga magazine that says .544 lift is all you'll be able to get away with on a bone stock 5.0 engine. But are they the same motor as ours, I don't know.

Cheer's, Craig.

**CAT600** · 04-04-2009, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAIGAU3220

Ha ha, assumption by me and Ford Motorsport.

Got a stanga magazine that says .544 lift is all you'll be able to get away with on a bone stock 5.0 engine. But are they the same motor as ours, I don't know.

Cheer's, Craig.

Fair enough, those bigger Motorsport cams were limited on stock engines not so much because of valve lift, rather valve to piston "running clearances" as the inlet was beginning to open and also when the exhaust was closing when the piston was around top centre........ Bigger duration cams had the valve further open at these points and that is where the risk is.

For example, I ran a stock AU 185 engine with the Crane 2020 AND the 1.7:1 rockers, giving over 0.560 lift on both valves with heaps of room on PTV measurements. This bump in lift also brought the effective 0.050" duration up from 208/216, to more like 210-212 on the inlet and 218-220 on the exhaust as the valve reached the .050 marker earlier and was above that point for longer. That was a great combo on the stock GT40P heads and Explorer manifold and was 28 lbft better than the 2031 in the midrange with only a 8 rwhp deficit at 5500rpm (peak on the 2031) and a crapload better idle quality.

BTW, the 0.544 lift is probably spot on for an inlet valve, but the exhaust rotators would restrict exhaust lift by almost 0.100 of that considering their thickness.
Daniel

CRAIGAU3220 · 04-04-2009, 01:47 AM

Well I'll be, The article in the mag i have is a bump stick swap on a stock 93 GT and the cam is the the one you used Daniel, Crane Powermax 2020. Now they bought it in kit form also came with new timing gear set, roller lifters, push rods and 1.7 ratio rockers but they shy'd away from the 1.7 rockers because lift would have been exactly as you said 0.560 so they settled for the 1.6 rockers which gave them 0.530 lift and a fair bit of a safety margin... CHICKENS !!!

dreadly · 04-04-2009, 02:29 AM

So then if rockers will add more lift, then its definatly looking like the e303 cam then, injection perfection said 1k for the cam, valve springs, and lifters
seems ok ish? hope the ford valve springs include retainers.....maybe aswell find out a price for a timing gear aswell..... though im gonna check with my ford/fpv dealer and see if they can get them in aswell- will get a good discount on parts and labour then. ;)

BOTTLEDUP · 04-04-2009, 12:41 PM

I wouldn't bother trying to get Ford Racing components through your Ford Dealer... Last time I looked they were fiendishly expensive.

Is there any reason you want the Ford Racing cam and not the Crane? Considering they have exactly the same specifications and purchasing the Crane cam is in likelyhood going to be cheaper?

Crane 2040/ Ford Racing E303 would be my choice for a 5.0L manual which is getting an ECU remap. I'd also suggest some better cylinder heads.

STOJMONT · 26-08-2009, 11:54 PM

do crane to a f303 equivilent and what is the rev range on the the f303