We've put together a small sampling of various manufacturers' shelf camshafts that are bolt-on-ready for pushrod and modular engines. While a custom cam has its benefits, we think this assortment of popular, affordable, and proven camshafts will wake up a street 'Stang with increases in power and torque that will make you glad you performed the upgrade.
We're familiar with AFM's gun-drilled F-62 camshafts for blown Two-Valve '99-'04 modular 4.6s, as they handle valve operations on our supercharged '02 Mustang GT (a project that will be revisited shortly.). When coupled with 8-13 psi of boost and 3.73, 3.90, or 4.10 gears, F-62s (Hi-Rev valvesprings are recommended) promote 6,500-rpm shift points in New Edge 'Stangs without compromising drive ability on the low end. All of Anderson's modular cams are gun drilled for weight savings.
Anderson Ford MotorsportAFM's N-41 hydraulic-roller camshaft is a sure bet for waking up a mostly stock (pistons, crank), naturally aspirated, street-driven 5.0 Mustang with a five-speed transmission. According to Rick Anderson, the N-41 has great manners at rpm as low as 2,000; when a set of 3.73 gears is in the rearend, the cam will spin hard up to 6,200 rpm. We recently installed this camshaft in a 5.0-liter stocker with great results. (Details can be found in a future issue.)
If nitrous-snorting stroker engines are more your speed, you may want to try Anderson's N-71 Hi-Rev cam and valvesprings. Rick says 7,000-rpm rev limits aren't a problem with this one, and it also gives a surprisingly acceptable drive on the low side (2,300 rpm).
Comp CamsComp's roster of Xtreme Energy hydraulic-roller camshafts for standard EFI 5.0s and 302-based strokers is huge, but we think the following grinds stand out as shelf cams that will easily meet the needs of most street enthusiasts who run their 'Stangs on horsepower alone or with a power adder.
The 35-512-8 is for '86-'88 Speed Density Mustangs. This cam, with 0.480 inches of intake and exhaust lift and 206 (int)/212 (exh) degrees of duration at 0.050 inch, is compatible with a stock EEC-IV engine management and adds more horsepower and torque than the OEM camshafts for those particular years.
Setting cam timing with a Two-Valve mod motor sitting in 'Stang's engine compartment is a difficult procedure, but it's critical if you want your freshly cammed 4.6 to perform well. FRP's cam timing toolkit (PN M-6266-D46; 4.6 Two-Valve) includes a dial-indicator mount, a solid lifter, and modified rocker arm, which makes it a lot easier to check timing.
Offering a noticeable idle for stock '87-'93 5.0s, the 35-328-8 cam weighs in with 0.513 lift and just squeaks by with piston-to-valve clearance (1.6 rocker arms are required).
Comp's 35-518-8 gives more of a lopey idle, and similar to AFM's N-41, it offers a strong midrange and top-end pull in moderately modified, naturally aspirated, five-speed 'Stangs with 3.73 gears.
The 35-560-8 lopes hard. This cam is for nitrous nuts, but it can also be applied to supercharged engines in 'Stangs that are driven on the street and run hard on the dragstrip. Piston-to-valve clearance should be checked carefully when installing this cam.
Comp also offers an Xtreme Energy compilation of cams for the 4.6- and 5.4-liter Two-Valve engines found in New Edge 'Stangs. While the mod-motor cams are bolt-in ready, upgrading to the company's beehive valvesprings and steel retainers is recommended for each of these profiles, as they all carry lift figures above 0.550 inch.
The 102500s (top photo, at top) are torque monsters. These cams improve low-rpm and midrange grunt while providing a moderate power gain in Two-Valve mods still controlled by stock PCMs. Meanwhile, the 102600 camshafts work great in street-driven modulars with gears (3.55s), intake (manifold, or throttle body/plenum), and exhaust upgrades. Custom tuning is necessary. A dialed-in program will surely bring out a distinctive rumble from this grind, and the cams also work well with power adders.
Street/strip-capable bumpsticks, the 102700s (top photo, at bottom) are for Two-Valve bullets in 'Stangs that are similarly configured (intake, exhaust) to those that shine with the aforementioned 102600 camshafts. However, the increased lift in these cams requires using aftermarket pistons with deep valve reliefs, as well as custom tuning and 3.73 or 4.10 gears. A really aggressive idle is their signature, and they're definitely blower-, turbo-, and nitrous-compliant.
You didn't think Comp would leave Three-Valve 4.6s out of the mix, did you? There's no chance of that happening. The Xtreme Energy series continues all the way through S197 powerplants, with three stages of performance camshafts for trey valves that see daily street usage and hard-core racing abuse.