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Unit 5302 · 02-19-2002, 08:52 PM

The XE series is very unimpressive as far as I'm concerned. If you don't want a cam, don't cam it. The XE series is extremely high lift, robbing horsepower because of the poor efficiency of lifting valvetrain to the moon under high powered valve springs that are built for very high lifts. Due to it's poor duration properties the top end will suffer as well. The XE cams are advertised to make more power than other cams with the same duration. No duh. They have very short durations (like stock or very mild choices) so it's not saying much. Also, with the XE series, say an XE266HR, you'll be running .544/.555 lift, and I don't know if the flow chart will show any improvement flowing at .550 vs .500. Personally, I don't think it will. I also have extreme doubts the ridiculous amount of exhaust favoritism on the XE line w

Bottom line, the XE series sacrifices horsepower vs other cams in order to provide a broad, lower rpm powerband. It tries to compensate for the horsepower loss by the inefficient way of increasing lift to a monsterous height. I'm not familiar enough with the 85's pistons to tell you whether or not you'll be flycutting them to fit a cam in.

I would stay to a more conventional cam, like the proven E cam: good N/A, good with blowers, broad powerband. The B303 with 1.7's is an F cam, basically. The Crane 2030 was the old miracle cam of the day, the Steeda #19 and TFS#1 are popular as well. I just don't know what you can run on the 85.

02-19-2002, 08:52 PM	#3
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	The XE series is very unimpressive as far as I'm concerned. If you don't want a cam, don't cam it. The XE series is extremely high lift, robbing horsepower because of the poor efficiency of lifting valvetrain to the moon under high powered valve springs that are built for very high lifts. Due to it's poor duration properties the top end will suffer as well. The XE cams are advertised to make more power than other cams with the same duration. No duh. They have very short durations (like stock or very mild choices) so it's not saying much. Also, with the XE series, say an XE266HR, you'll be running .544/.555 lift, and I don't know if the flow chart will show any improvement flowing at .550 vs .500. Personally, I don't think it will. I also have extreme doubts the ridiculous amount of exhaust favoritism on the XE line w Bottom line, the XE series sacrifices horsepower vs other cams in order to provide a broad, lower rpm powerband. It tries to compensate for the horsepower loss by the inefficient way of increasing lift to a monsterous height. I'm not familiar enough with the 85's pistons to tell you whether or not you'll be flycutting them to fit a cam in. I would stay to a more conventional cam, like the proven E cam: good N/A, good with blowers, broad powerband. The B303 with 1.7's is an F cam, basically. The Crane 2030 was the old miracle cam of the day, the Steeda #19 and TFS#1 are popular as well. I just don't know what you can run on the 85.