What are "Cams" and what do they do?

[mikester328]

I've read alot of talk about cams and such... what are they? What do they do? Putting in M3 cams can increase performance (on a 318i) how? Thanks...

[97alpineM3]

Go hear.... and type in "cam" "camshaft"... or just go a head and type in "gasoline engine".... you'll learn a lot... I still go back and read that stuff...
the web page is... www.howstuffworks.com

[97alpineM3]

pretty sure you couldnt put M3 cams in a 318i....

[e36_m3_Turbo]

Originally posted by 97alpineM3@Jun 25 2004, 06:48 PM
pretty sure you couldnt put M3 cams in a 318i....

yes that is correct, because of the 4 cylinder engine, but you could put m3 cams and crank in a 325.

[97alpineM3]

Well but of course... You know how it would play on the vanos system on a 325 or anything other than an M3?.... if it moved it 15degs. changing the cams position... what if the engine isnt meant to move that much ?? You could lose a vanos system very fast that way... who knows.... not me obviously

[007ben]

should drop in just fine from what I've read around.

some places sell a more agressive cam sometime m3 sometimes custom cams with custom software to futher gains.

[97alpineM3]

I've just always wondered how all that stuff worked.... oh well...thanks

[mikester328]

thanks for the info, I'll read up on it

[97alpineM3]

No problem...