Mild performce engine

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fiat218
Posts: 5745
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 AS spider

Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

Is there any way to tell if there a mild cam in a engine p o says there one in this 79,I am just wondering if there some way I can tell other then strip it and check. How about rpms, could u tell by that in different gears. Or no
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
spiderrey
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Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:08 pm
Your car is a: 70 124 spider-74x19-03 ranger edge
Location: San Dimas, Ca

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by spiderrey »

Only way I know is to open it and look.
fiat218
Posts: 5745
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

[quote="spiderrey"]Only way I know is to open it and look.[/quot
that sucks
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
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maytag
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Your car is a: 1976 124 spider
Location: Rocky Mountains....UTAH! (Not Colorado)

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by maytag »

so... here's the alternative..... (you know how I like to stir :roll: )

if you can't tell.... why care?
I'm no Boy-Racer..... but if I can't take every on-ramp at TWICE the posted limit.... I'm a total failure!
fiat218
Posts: 5745
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 AS spider

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

maytag wrote:so... here's the alternative..... (you know how I like to stir :roll: )

if you can't tell.... why care?
cause i give a shit :) i WANT TO KNOW :shock:
stir away
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
spiderrey
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by spiderrey »

Personally I dont think a car having a stock or a mild cam should make or break a deal. it would be a nice plus. My thing is what condition is the body in/ Thats where your money is going to get eatin up.
fiat218
Posts: 5745
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 AS spider

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

spiderrey wrote:Personally I dont think a car having a stock or a mild cam should make or break a deal. it would be a nice plus. My thing is what condition is the body in/ Thats where your money is going to get eatin up.
I was just wondering because the p o said there was, I was just wondering if there was a way to check with out taking it apart, if u seen this car !U would hope the engine is good. Lol, Micky mouse put it together, I went for a drive and rev the hell out of it, all off a sudden the latch fell off the top. Lol, yes I put the top down then,but it revs up really high so I am guessing it not stock
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
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manoa matt
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Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by manoa matt »

All you need to do is take one or both of the cam housing covers off. Only two Allen head bolts. Some performance cams will be easily distinguishable, such as billet steel cams, as they look much different than stock cast iron cams. If you can get a set of calipers on the cam base circle you might be able to tell if it's been reduced from being re-ground.
fiat218
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Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 AS spider

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

manoa matt wrote:All you need to do is take one or both of the cam housing covers off. Only two Allen head bolts. Some performance cams will be easily distinguishable, such as billet steel cams, as they look much different than stock cast iron cams. If you can get a set of calipers on the cam base circle you might be able to tell if it's been reduced from being re-ground.
Image < this tell u anything
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
So Cal Mark

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by So Cal Mark »

only that the motor is pretty clean inside and the cam lobe pictured isn't flat
fiat218
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

So Cal Mark wrote:only that the motor is pretty clean inside and the cam lobe pictured isn't flat
That a good thing. Lol riteI will have my mechanic put a caliper on it
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
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manoa matt
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by manoa matt »

It "looks" like a stock camshaft. It's cast iron, and stock cams came with that yellow paint. However it still could have been re-ground. You would have to measure the base circle to tell. An alternate possibility would be it was a stock cam taken from another fiat,lancia etc, or the PO took it from a 1608cc and "thinks" it's a performance cam. There should be numbers cast into the camshaft somewhere.
fiat218
Posts: 5745
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 5:06 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 AS spider

Re: Mild performce engine

Post by fiat218 »

manoa matt wrote:It "looks" like a stock camshaft. It's cast iron, and stock cams came with that yellow paint. However it still could have been re-ground. You would have to measure the base circle to tell. An alternate possibility would be it was a stock cam taken from another fiat,lancia etc, or the PO took it from a 1608cc and "thinks" it's a performance cam. There should be numbers cast into the camshaft somewhere.
Ok well it don,t matter I thought it be nice to know what he said that was in this, there dual 40's on it I believe! I will get it figured out or just order a cam, thanks
Jim
East Grand Forks MN
1970 Fiat Spider BS1 ( FOR SALE
1969 124 AS Spider
2017 Abrath
2018 Alfa Romeo 4c Spider
BEEK
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by BEEK »

if you look at the lobe, the undercut area just outside the active ramp portion. that is an original cam that has not been reground.
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wmausbach
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Re: Mild performce engine

Post by wmausbach »

To do a quick check put an indicator on the cam lobe and check lift of the cam. Most mild cams go for lift first including some of the stock cams for the european engines. If it has stock lift more than likly it is a stock cam. The 124 engine likes to rev so that is not an indicator. The cam is the last thing you want to change . First go to an earlier exhaust manifold and intake manifold. Then use a bigger carb. The ' 79 was the worst combination due to smog restrictions. These changes really wake up the engine and are realively cheap modifications.
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Wayne in Houston
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