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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Kent Cams and tappets?

Looking for real world experience with these.

Well, looked at this Spitfire cam, and it is S-crap.
Thought it felt lazy, at least one lobe is mostly round and about the texture of a concrete block. Hard to evaluate car when the exhaust is hard against the frame in front and bolted solid to the body in back! (Hokey accident repair)
Kent I put in about 1996. est 12,000 little old lady miles.
Hottest one TRF sold, KETH5/4CB
Turns out was OE? Triumph tappets, as there were mo Kent ones avail. at the time.
Kent springs.
1300 with cam bearings.
Probably never had more than 500 miles on any oil & filter.

Any ideas on sources for something decent?
Customer is impoverished - getting moreso!

FRM
FR Millmore

I won't buy Kent cams, having had several bad experiences with them.

I had better luck with Piper, but haven't bought one recently.
Dave O'Neill2

What bad experiences Dave. I've got a Kent 276 and it seems good, however I've got nothing to compare it to. Is it a wear issue?
frogeye Gary

I bought a reprofiled 649 and when I compared it with the one I was taking out of the engine, it looked different. When I checked it, the lobe centre angles were 10 degrees out.

I took it back to my supplier and we looked at another that he had in stock and that was the same.

I then ordered a 649 billet cam. I thought that by paying three times the price, I might get the real deal. I was dissapointed with the performance and when I measured it, it was nearly 20 degrees short on duration.

After that, I only fitted Piper cams and was pleased with the results.
Dave O'Neill2

Since you're in the USA: www.aptfast.com - grind their own cams for Triumphs and A-series. Very pleased with the cam and profile I have in my Sprite.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Give swift tune a look

They make the kent cams as well

And serious saving if you buy from nick in the uk and not stateside

Im using the SW 05 - 07 swiftune cam


Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop
Swiftune have their cams ground by kent iirc!
They do not grind for kent which is a big company making cams for more than A series alone.

I have a billet piper ready for my engine..
Onno K

DO NOT TOUCH Kent cams for the Triumph 4 pot!

They are not case hardened after the regrind and fail PDQ - Kent will then tell you that you have fitted the cam incorrectly and deny all responsibility! I had a customer's engine fail 3 years ago at less than 500 miles as a result of Kent crap which put me a LOT out of pocket as a result.

Additionally the tappets Kent are selling for the Triumph are from a faulty batch and are not correctly radiused.

FRM, have a look at Bastuck cams from Germany. These are chilled iron cams and can be produced to whatever timing figures you want. They are what I use for my customers' fast road Triumph engines (Race engines go down the billet route).

For a 1300 have a look at the TH5 or TH6 profiles and get some decent lifters with the oil drain holes.

Another problem is the Kent springs - I make my own spring bases up if using them because the stock bases throw the seat pressures all over the place (let alone fitted length) and I am loathe to fit them without bases (as Kent suggest) because I have seen too many heads buggered up by the springs chattering.


Note: The TH profiles, while sold by Kent are not a Kent profile originally. Not all the THs work well neither - if you want the history behind them PM me.
Deborah Evans

Deb-
Hast thee received mine missive?

FRM
FR Millmore

This thread was discussed between 21/07/2012 and 24/07/2012

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