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MG TD TF 1500 - Roller Cam or Supercharger?

Over the years there's been many discussions on superchargers verses roller cams and combos of both. In all the investigating I've done, the roller cam matches the supercharger in performance on a long term bases, beats out the blowers in initial cost and literally no maintenance. To make a combo of both in a basic engine is really taking a stock engine to it's mechanical limits. Not bad on something that's available in every junk yard, but not good on our rare, very expensive little engines. Blowers always looked cool and roller cams are hidden. An extra 2000 bucks to look cool over a roller? The XPEG is becoming one of the rarest engines in the market place and has me thinking to be very cautious on,(Hopping it up). So, I've ruled out the blower. My rebuilt engine with it's new crane cam and lifters runs great, very snappy, but I might go for a roller later if I notice any difference in the valve train wear. PJ


Paul S Jennings

I basically agree Paul. No matter what you do with the engine, I would build it with as strong a set up as possible. For me it's a no brainer with an XPEG to upgrade the crank and the rods at minimum. The XPAG XPEG is a tappet eating design and there is no question that Len's set up is the way to go. With or with out the super charger. I've ridden in Alex's tricked out XPEG and it's a pretty even match for my blown XPAG. I think I'd most likley run away from him at higher altitude.

Len's roller rockers...maybe...A lot of roller rockers don't deliver all thats prommissed out of the box. No offence Len. Manleys header..good investment. Better pistons and rods...they are all out there for a cost..whether with or without the blower.
MG LaVerne

For me the performance improvement with the extractor, roller cam, and B&G window flywheel combined with the piece of mind of the sanez h beam rod fully floating wrist pin rods on custom mgb journal crank was the way to go. The fact that I have a numbers matching block 1500 car makes it pretty rare.

Also, as LaVerne says... The roller cam and the blower are pretty matched (excepting altitude changes). For me the tightness of the fit of a blower in a TF turns me off a bit. For all that extra jamming in there I would hope for more push from the hop up.

Alex
Alex Waugh

Paul:

Always being one for overkill, I opted for both Len's roller cam as well as a Judson at six pounds boost. This was strengthened by a forged crank, balanced Carrillo rods and +.040 pistons, a ceramic-coated 3-2-1 header, big valves on stellite seats, a line-boring, and a flowed head. After 7000 miles I'd say it's a winner. It comes on the cam right around 3000 and pulls to way over 6000. Did it make financial sense? Absolutely not. But it's about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

I had a VERY bad experience with a Crane/Moss cam, and I recommend Len's cam as a far better engineered product.

Dave
Dave Jorgensen

OK. I'll bite. What's a roller cam? And don't say look in the archive! Cheers.
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

See http://www.ttalk.info/FanelliKit.htm and
http://www.ttalk.info/Fanelli.htm Bud
Bud Krueger

Paul,

I have both.

Here's one factor you should dwell on considering you're pretty sure the new cam is running great-
you can install a blower without tearing the engine apart and removing the radiator.

Your comment "To make a combo of both in a basic engine is really taking a stock engine to it's mechanical limits." isn't necessarily the case. Len's street supercharged cam is very conservative with events and is ground for MORE EFFICIENT running with boost. The strong midrange power is what I wanted because we have the MGB 3.9:1 gearing for low RPM cruising and need need power in the 3000-4000 range, not at 5500rpm peak powe. I don't mind there's extra horsepower to spare, but it isn't important. Quality horsepower curve, not quantity. He also provides one for strong midrange unsupercharged.

Peter,
Roller lifters complement custom ground camshafts-
Rollers can react with cam lobes better than a flat tappet for improved breathing characteristics and the tappet & cam lobe wear problem is eliminated.

http://www.ttalk.info/FanelliKit.htm

JIM
JRN JIM

Peter please E mail me for any information & recommendations & photo's
Len
Len Fanelli

The obvious answer is both. My TD is supercharged, so I know what that feels like compared to when it wasn't. I have also driven Len's TD with one of his cams in it, without a supercharger.

This might be a bad analogy, but the blown car feels more like a V8 and the roller cam feels like a turbo charged 4 cyl. So I am guessing that's because they make the horsepower at difference RPM ranges.

I do have one of Len's cams in my toolbox and I am hoping for the best of both worlds... a turbo charged V8.

As far as taking the motor to the mechanical limits, I disagree... the roller lifters are less abusive on the cam lobes than flat tappets and the blower is less abusive on the crank.

Blair


Blair Weiss

This thread was discussed between 23/01/2014 and 24/01/2014

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