Hot cam stage 3

[cthomps07]

Is this a drop in cam? I will only have to adjust the valves with this right? I see its a top end cam so anyone know how much bottom end I will lose over a stock cam?

[chad502ex]

i personally do not think this cam is a good selection for stock bores.... i've seen plenty of stock bore dynos too... this cam has little overlap needed for top end scavenging, which is why they fall flat on stock bores.... not every build suggest this,... there are a couple i've seen that has done ok with it in stock bore when these stock bore builds are pulling a lot of compression,... personally i dont like it much for stock bores. jmho.

[cthomps07]

Ok thanks Chad I was hopeing you would respond. Looks like I will just stick with the Stage 2.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by chad502ex
i personally do not think this cam is a good selection for stock bores.... i've seen plenty of stock bore dynos too... this cam has little overlap needed for top end scavenging, which is why they fall flat on stock bores.... not every build suggest this,... there are a couple i've seen that has done ok with it in stock bore when these stock bore builds are pulling a lot of compression,... personally i dont like it much for stock bores. jmho.

Even if its matched with a high compression piston, and a ported head?

[Rulz]

I switched from a stage II to a III and love it, yes, stock bore!! My compression is around 16:1 with a ported head. Everyone else I've heard of that moved from a II to a III also liked the cam better.
Of course that depends on what you ride, my application is MX mostly.

[chad502ex]

well, the seat of the pant and the dyno evidence say that the cam pull is good up until about 8500, where even with high compression stock bore and ported head it could fall flat between 8k -11k due to its low overlap...


most ppl like the way the cam feels on its ramp up until the higher revs where the difference is hard to feel unless your being times...

this is just my opinion guys,... i think there are better cams out there.. Its not a bad cam just not the best imho.

to each their own.

[Rulz]

What "drop in" cams would you recommend for MX if you are looking for mid-high performance? I know there are better performing cams, but many require additional head work for clearance or are very hard on the valve train. It's hard to beat the HotCams at $130 a pop!

[chad502ex]

Originally posted by Rulz
What "drop in" cams would you recommend for MX if you are looking for mid-high performance? I know there are better performing cams, but many require additional head work for clearance or are very hard on the valve train. It's hard to beat the HotCams at $130 a pop!

yea, no denying $130 is appealing

,... but slightly more $ the 05crf or hrc cams are drop in cams and out perform the hcs3 mid-to-top

[cthomps07]

I am running stock bore and compression in my 08. What do you think will the HC2 do what I want or should I look at something different? I only want a drop in cam. I am looking to gain some mid to top end without losing too much bottom end.

[chad502ex]

Originally posted by cthomps07
I am running stock bore and compression in my 08. What do you think will the HC2 do what I want or should I look at something different? I only want a drop in cam. I am looking to gain some mid to top end without losing too much bottom end.

your problem is that your machine is an 08 with a different cam design from the previous year... you'll have to wait until they start making the 08 cams,,,, unless they have already....

i'd go with the hrc or the stage 2 if i were you.

[wppracing]

Here is an example of the STG3 compared to a WEB 493/729 on my quad

[chad502ex]

yes Brian, thanks for your support agreeing that the S3 kinda lays down on top end.... your dyno testing validates this.... I've got plenty of others that do, along with my own.. ;)

thanks.

[cthomps07]

Originally posted by chad502ex
your problem is that your machine is an 08 with a different cam design from the previous year... you'll have to wait until they start making the 08 cams,,,, unless they have already....

i'd go with the hrc or the stage 2 if i were you.

Yeah the decompressor was changed but I read it was the same as the 07 crf cam. I talked to hot cams about a week ago and they said they would have the 08 cams hopefully by november. I never thought to ask if the crf cam would fit. I imagine it would?

[Rulz]

Originally posted by chad502ex
yea, no denying $130 is appealing

,... but slightly more $ the 05crf or hrc cams are drop in cams and out perform the hcs3 mid-to-top

I always heard the "best" CRF cam was from the '02 bike, but you are saying from the '05, what is the main difference between all the different CRF years?

[Rulz]

Originally posted by wppracing
Here is an example of the STG3 compared to a WEB 493/729 on my quad

The Web is not a drop in cam, you are not comparing apples to apples. Like I said previously, there are many cams out there that can outperform these drop in cams like the Hot cams, but at a much higher cost with additional machine work with shortened valve guides, heavier springs, etc.

[chad502ex]

Originally posted by Rulz
I always heard the "best" CRF cam was from the '02 bike, but you are saying from the '05, what is the main difference between all the different CRF years?

you can check my camshaft sticky to get a sense of the differences, but overall the 02 is more of a low to mid where the 05 is more mid to top...


true the 493 requires the valve guides to be sunk... i sink valves for free when i port to open up the cam options a bit for the owner... other than that the 493 could be considered a drop in and the best camshaft available for mid to top imho!

[patrickj75]

i put a HC3 in my 04 for TT racing. it was flat on the bottom. i didn't notice more top than my HRC. i have a stock bore/stock piston/unported head. in hindsight i should've stayed with the HRC. the $125 price was very appealing for the HC3 though, lesson learned...

[Elduner]

Intresting...


I removed my HRC to install a HC3 and I will say that on my build it pulls like a freight train... All the way to say 9800 RPM's .....

HC3 likes compression thats for sure. But this is only my findings ... Only thing I would remove this HC3 for is a DASA grind cam.

[patrickj75]

Chad at DRG recommended a high comp. piston for this cam. thats why mine felt flat.

[Elduner]

I run it with 14.5:1 and a dasa ported head.

No flat spots.

[chad502ex]

a little of this and a lot of this VVVVVVVVVV is the only real way to get that cam working well in a stock bore on over-rev...

I'm not suggesting this is what is the only thing that has worked for the ppl using the HCS3.... :cool:

hehe

:D

[wolfpack13]

Originally posted by cthomps07
Is this a drop in cam? I will only have to adjust the valves with this right? I see its a top end cam so anyone know how much bottom end I will lose over a stock cam?

Wih you bike being an 08 you'll have to wait for the new HRC kit or the New HC2. Either one of thse will be a huge difference over a stock cam. Sucks that they changed the decompression system, or you'd be in business.

[wolfpack13]

I wouldn't go with a radical cam profile, they are harder on the valvetrain. Stick with the Hot Cams or HRC cams.

[cals400ex]

in my 05 i have ran the HRC and the stage 3. the stage 3 definatly had more down low. i could not feel a difference at all from mid-top end. i am running a little higher compression along with a ported head. i am not saying this has anything to do with it but i like the stage 3 better. i have only tested this on the butt-o-meter. i have only seen one dyno comparing the hrc and the stage 3. it actually showed exactly what i felt....a gain in the lower to midrange and the top end was damn near a mirror image of the hrc. every build is different though. this was on a stock bore 04/05 450r. i have not tried any of the crf cams so i don't know how they compare.

[DB 450R]

I run a 06 480 with a 04 crf cam and have just purchased a stage 3 and the crf cam does such a good job it hard to think the stage 3 is better...do you think the stage 3 is better for the bigger cc?