Cam wars

[redlined94]

I know this has been posted a crap load but I am wantin some help here guys. I am torn between the Hotcam 2 and HRC cam both are in my price range and I know I gotta get shims and the works. I ride local tracks and trails and I really just want a cam that will wake this beast up. I have a stock motor and Sparks exhaust. Webcam is out of my price range. Just let me know from your point of view which would be better. Sorry if your annoyed by the same post over and over. Also tell me how you guys managed on puttin it in, I am wantin to do it myself but I have been readin and all this valve adjusting before and after the instal has got me thinkin and the decompression assembly and what not. Just let me know!! Thanks!!

[nowukno]

I have the hotcams stage 2 and i love it. It gave a little gain on bottom , a good gain on top but the mid-range hit was awesome. The best mod that i have done to my quad so far. I used to beat my friend's stock yfz450 by 1 quad length in a drag with my pipe/no lid/jet kit/K&N and now i win by 3-4 lengths. I had the local honda shop install it since i was already getting my valves adjusted , they said they had to shim 2 valves. For the break-in i did a light trail ride for about 30-40 minutes and didn't let it idle and didn't hold the rpm's at the same spot for long , after that i changed the oil and let her rip. IMO it's one of the best mods you can do to the 450r since the stock cam holds so much back. The hrc cam is more of a top-end cam and might take a little bottom-end away but gives awesome gains also , but i got the hc stage 2 beacause i wanted gains all around and didn't want to lose power anywhere.

[redlined94]

Ya, I am wantin gains in everything. Thanks for the nice write up nowukno. I am hopin I can get on of my gearhead friends to help me put it in. I hate to buy a shim kit for 70 bucks when i am gonna only use a few of them. I might have my local honda shop drop one in but they would probably charge an ARSE load on labor. I wish these guys would let you do it but have them help you out lol.

[redlined94]

Wow thats odd. Only one person has a cam in there 450r. :huh
:devil:

well congrats Nowukno you are the only guy with a cam in there 450 lol.

really guys tell me your opinions

[400exBro]

what about the crf cam compared to the 2 listed above??

[K-Dub]

I have the HRC cam. In my opion it pulls hard from the mid range up. It doesnt have much on the bottom, if I lug the engine down it coughs and stalls. It feels almost riding a 2 stroke. I have a friend with the stage 2 cam, it seems to have a little more hit than mine but he has a yoshi pipe to my stock/HRC pipe. Bottom end feels the same on both bikes to me.

[redlined94]

I am really wantin that bottom end power as well so it sounds like the Hcam 2 is better for that.

[redlined94]

Also about the shims. Can you just figure out what you need and then go to like an Autozone or somethin and get them or do you have to get like honda or hotcam specific shims?

what about a web, they will give more ower than either of those

[redlined94]

I have looked at web cams and they confused me. Plus they are at least 70 bucks more than either of these two. How much better could they really be?

[cals400ex]

the crf cam will give more low end power than the hrc or the stage 2 hotcam. the stage 2 should provide a little more low end power than the hrc but the hrc might have a hair more up top. a pipe will help out a lot for low end power, even a full system. i went with the hrc cam kit and a full sparks pipe and i had WAY more low end power than a stock bike. don't get me wrong, i gained power everywhere not just low end. i think a full pipe and the stage 2 hotcam will be good for you. if you rather have a little more low end power, get a crf cam. watch out what year crf cam you get. they are not all the same.

[redlined94]

Thanks for the Reply cals400. I actually am putting a full sparks system on this week as a matter of fact. Did you install the kit yourself?

[cals400ex]

yes, i installed the kit myself. i would get the hotcam shim kit to save yourself a big hassle.

[redlined94]

Ya i wanna get the shim kit but I just see it as a waste of money to get a pack of like 150 shims when you are gonna only use like a few of them? Does a local parts store carry shims so i could just see what i need then go get them real quick or do i have to get the hotcam shim kit?

[redlined94]

Cals do you have msn messanger? PM me your email if you do so I can talk to you. You dont live but like 40 minutes from me.

[bbrad mulvey]

Shims have to be for the motor specific. I already tried that route. Now if you are looking mainly for low end then mabe you should get a higher compression piston. I installed a 14:1 in mine and it made a TON of low end and with my full yoshimura system I didnt loose anything up top. I prolly wouldnt go that high (14:1) but I dont mind replacing my top end 1 or 2 times a year. But research that and see what you come up with!
later

[cals400ex]

here is my opinion on the shims:

the kit cost me $70 shipped to my door.


you will more than likely (99% chance) need to change some of your shims after you change cams. i needed to change 3 on my bike. heck, the valves were not even adjusted right from the factory. you could measure what size shim you need and order just them. the problem with that is for one, you need to wait for the shims to come in. another problem with that is changing shims is not exact science. i did what i could to measure the shims and calculate what shims i needed to put in. after i got it back installed i realized i still was not perfect. a lot of times you will be one size off or so. thus, you would need to order more shims. since the shims cost $6 a piece from honda, that starts adding up quick. if you buy the kit, you will be fine the rest of your life. if you ever change cams, when you need to readjust your valves, etc. the shims is how you adjust the valves on this bike. it is not like the 400ex.

[redlined94]

OHHH alright, I understand ya now. That does make sense to get them. Dont the shims just sit on top of the valves in these motors?

[bbrad mulvey]

yes, on the exhaust they are just right on top of the valve and the intake they are under the buckets. i have small motor experience and this was EXTREMELY easeir than a car.

[cals400ex]

read this:

http://www.rockinhorseweb.com/trx450r_hrc_install.html

[plkmonster2]

USe the article that cals400ex posted. it is the most complete, and easiest to follow. And yes, getthe shim kit. They are a ton cheaper per shim, and you don't have to wait.

[redlined94]

I have studied that walkthrough for like 30 minutes. Looks like the hardest thing is adjustin those valves. So the shims dont attach to anything they just sit on top? How do you keep them from fallin of then? Is it by the tension the cam puts on it or what.

[370kingR]

Originally posted by cals400ex
read this:

http://www.rockinhorseweb.com/trx450r_hrc_install.html

You know something, i never read that article before. He even thanked me for helping him. That was mighty white of him! Great pics and thorough job of explaining how to swap a cam. 2 thumbs up on that one.

[cals400ex]

Originally posted by redlined94
I have studied that walkthrough for like 30 minutes. Looks like the hardest thing is adjustin those valves. So the shims dont attach to anything they just sit on top? How do you keep them from fallin of then? Is it by the tension the cam puts on it or what.


there is a little pocket the shims sit in on top of the valves. they can NOT come out of place with the proper valve clearance. you need to remove the cam tower to get them out. the cam / lifters(on the intake vavles) and the rocker arms (on the exhaust valves) will sit right above the shims so they can not come out of place. after you put new shims in, put the cam tower back on (make sure you torque the 4 bolts to 10ft-lbs because they snap easy!!!) check the valve clearance. it is near impossible to get perfect on all of the valve clearances. this is because the shims sizes go in increments of 5 in the hotcam kit. so one might be a hair loose and the next might be a hair tight. most always recommend going with a hair loose. after it is all said and done make sure you adjust the decompression assembly. remember with this, you need to to add your exhaust valve clearance plus the specification for the decompression assembly together to get the proper total clearance.

[cals400ex]

Originally posted by 370kingR
You know something, i never read that article before. He even thanked me for helping him. That was mighty white of him! Great pics and thorough job of explaining how to swap a cam. 2 thumbs up on that one.


you are right, this article is very helpful. i found it to be more helpful than my service manual. you both get a thumbs up from me! :muscle: