Hi Guys,hoping you can advise me. I am rebuilding my 1275GT engine at present. I am at engine/cam timing stage. Just watched the mini -mania youtube on how to do.Basic engine timing seems not too complex, the cam timing seems a little more exacting ! ( need to get a disc protractor and dial gauge first). My slight dilemma ,or maybe not, is that when I bought the engine it came with a fast road cam in but no clue as to which maker of cam it is. My question to you experts is can I do all the procedure of cam timing without knowing the cam makers spec ? Or does the timing procedure indicate this ? Hope this makes sense. I can always whip the cam back out but there are no obvious (to me) clues on it. Thanks Ferg
Hi the Cam is normally marked on the oil pump end if not it may have ridges a pic would be useful. A cam degree wheel is pretty essential. Also fairly sure there are some you can download,
Thanks, so do I need to know the cam type before I can set up the timing ?? Ferg
Ideally the cam should be timed in to the manufacturers recommendations.
However, the BMC/BLMC/Rover Mini cams time at 110 degrees ATDC, whilst the Kent cams are at 106 degs ATDC. If you don’t know what make of cam you have you could set it accurately to 108 degrees and it should work fine. It is doubtful you would ever notice any difference.
Thanks for your comments. Fool that I am , I have just whipped out the camshaft again and had another look and found the marks on the oil pump end, it’s a Kent cam 286 ,has a letter ‘G’ on t too ,not sure what that is. So I now know the timing criteria just wondering if it is too lumpy a cam for me, I heard that it is lumpy on tickover and in traffic. Are they really that unmanageable before 2500rpm? I really want something that will give a sharper acceleration rather than top speed,would this work well or should I look for something else? Don’t mind it lumpy on idle or in traffic as it is only going to be used as a summer/week-end car. Engine is 1275gt bored to 1310. Ferg
I used to have a 1275GT with a 1330 engine with a 286 cam and it was an absolute bar steward in traffic. The engine only really came alive above 4000rpm so it’s not ideal for everyday use. You really had to rev it to get the best out of it - it all depends what the car’s going to be used for.
By the sound of it you might want to get a cam with a decent torque spread such as a Kent 266, Swiftune SW5, Mini Spares Evo 001 or have a word with AC Dodd on here as he has some excellent profiles available.
I agree with Mr. Bounce, the 286 really is too lumpy for the road, though some guys use them. Fine above 3000 RPM, but overall gave disappointing results.
I’d suggest a Piper 255.
To make a 286 cam work as designed it needs to be revved to around 6800 rpm in the gears. Max power is at 6400 rpm and the power band is narrow so a SC CR gear set is necessary together with a low (like 3.76:1 or 3.9:1) FDR. It will run outside these criteria, but will be slower than with a 266 or MG Metro cam as it won’t stay in the best torque/power band.
I had a mini which came with a 286 in a 1293 with a 3.1 diff. It was horrible. Sure, some people will say that their 286 is fine in the traffic. It’s true that they are but try pulling away and nipping around like you expect to! I swapped mine for a minispares evo1 which was so much nicer. Power where you need it, ie pretty much from idle through the Rev range. Other options I considered were a 266, mg metro, sw5, ac Dodd RT or RS which I’m sure would have delivered very similar results.
If your 286 is is in good nick you’ll be able to sell it and buy an evo1 (or 2) or poss on of AC’s cams.
BTW, AC produces some cracking notes about his cams. Pm him on here and he’ll send them to you.
Driving a car with a long duration cam is not that difficult, I use to drive mine around town without issue, 296 scatter, 1330 with a GT helical g/box and 3.4 final drive..
Below 3500 it was like driving a 998 very tame and usable, and there should be no need to go above 3500 rpm in town anyway…
Thanks for your comments guys, looks like I will use a different cam to the 286. So I have a brand new Kent 286 if anyone is interested ? Ferg
