Opinions on Colt & Colt tri-flow Cam Regrinds

[mag_pbg]

I recently sent a email to Colt cams for info on their grinds for our cars and this is the repsonce I got back:

Thank-you, for contacting us.
Our most popular grinds for the 12V SOHC Honda's are known as the "TRI
FLOW".
The principal behind the design is to open the intake valves progressively.
We find opening both valves at the same time causes more bottom end loss
than necessary.
By opening one valve first allows the fuel to travel across the chamber at a
greater velocity and then helps pull in the second charge.
These profiles also help cut down on overlap and work great in Turbo's and
N.O.S.
applications.
STAGE 1 - PRIM INT 270° .384 LIFT
SEC INT 260° .384 LIFT
EX 274° .402 LIFT
Best all around wake up grind works with F.I. as well. No mods are
required.
Power band is 2800 - 6500 R.P.M. approximately.
The cost for this one is $175.00 Canadian or $ 131.25 US
Customer supplies cam core.
STAGE 2 - PRIM INT 280° .392 LIFT
SEC INT 268° .383 LIFT
EX 288° .394 LIFT
Carb. only. Strong mid range. No mods are required
Power band is 3500 - 7500 R.P.M.
The cost for this one is $225.00 Canadian or $168.75 US.
Customer supplies cam core.
STAGE 3 - PRIM INT 292° .413 LIFT
SEC. INT 272° .402 LIFT
EX. 302° .428 LIFT
Carb. only. Race Only.
The power band is from 4500 + R.P.M.
The cost for this one is $325.00 Canadian or $243.75 US.
Customer supplies cam core.
As soon as I got the money I plan on getting the Stage one grind.

[Sabz5150]

Most excellent :)

STAGE 3 - PRIM INT 292° .413 LIFT
SEC. INT 272° .402 LIFT
EX. 302° .428 LIFT
Carb. only. Race Only.

Good god that exhaust spec scares me!

[Justin86]

That would be one hell of a high reving cam!

[Sabz5150]

That would be one hell of a high reving cam!

Openloop's is 258° .420 lift on the intake and 270° .420 lift on the exhaust. Thats similar, not as much duration, but an overall meaner lift. I'd love to get dyno sheets on similar engines with each type of cam so that members could decide what they want to beef up when they drop for a camshaft.

[dXsquared]

its 130 at colt, or 60 at deltacam.com and they dont charge more for the bigger grinds

i dunno why anyone would buy from colt for those outrageous prices.. lol...thats like 200 bucks an hour...

Travis

[nswst8]

From both of you.
Phil :cheers:

[86LXItooFAST4me]

what is there web site?
:bong:

[dXsquared]

www.deltacam.com

www.coltcams.com

Travis

[1988starter]

I am all about colt cams I have the stage 1 triflow 2800-6500 I paid 135 + shipping I would have paid a lot more it is one of the best mods I have ever done. The grind numbers are very well recharched for our cars and they know a lot about the A20. Yes it is more but you pay for the larg amount of R&D they did to get the perfect grind.

By the way I have a extra cam I can sell you if you need it.

[Sean]

I am all about colt cams I have the stage 1 triflow 2800-6500 I paid 135 + shipping I would have paid a lot more it is one of the best mods I have ever done. The grind numbers are very well recharched for our cars and they know a lot about the A20. Yes it is more but you pay for the larg amount of R&D they did to get the perfect grind.

By the way I have a extra cam I can sell you if you need it.

well im not dissing jeof but his prices are really high. I cant vouch for the r&d thing either. all my flow bench testing shows that opening the valves at slightly different times simply upsets the port flow. cuasing huge eddy currents of airflow to become massiavely turbulen in the port divider area.

its bad to have 2 different air velocitys in the port at the same time. just bad bad bad.

I am working with a company here in MI that does nascar and prostock cams for alot of top teams. weve got some wicked grinds that jeof wont due. very agresive lift ramps etc. these guys have a spintron and 2 stock heads so im letting them go at it. oh and i had to destroy a block for testing but oh well.

[othick]

I'll be dyno testing colts cam in a week or two, I should be getting it back any day. He says if the dyno goes well and I'm willing to do more dyno's he will send me different grinds to try out.

[pip]

get colt! performance shops out here in ontario know of colt and recommend that place they all say they have good V-tec cams. i don't trust something thats 60 bucks especially when its a major component anyways...

performance isn't cheap and when u try to go cheap ur gonna run into problems...

[Sean]

im not saying the cams i have in the pipe line will be cheap. but youll be getting the best valve train technology and lobe dimensions money can buy. and thats worth a small fortune in itslef.

[funkytuqe]

I love my stage II Tri-Flow

[pip]

i dunno having a larger exhaust lift speeds up the cycle, so crank is turning a bit faster

[dXsquared]

phil, get on MSN

Travis

[mag_pbg]

I do get a cam regrind probably the stage 1 will I also have to get mods done to fuel system, or anything major.

[dXsquared]

not for a stage 1

Travis

[AccordNut]

i see some people have these and have nothing but great things to say about them, sorry if this has been posted a million times but id like to know how to obtain one? i dont know anything about cams except i know they lower/raise your valves. just got my tax money in and im lookin to get some more punch into the a20a3 :) thanks

[86LXItooFAST4me]

the main thing about colt cams is that they stagger the intake valves instead of the stock cam opening them both at the same time. the colt cam opens one just before the other for more torque on the low end (i believe). the best thing to do would be to visit thier site and call Jeff and he will tell you everything.

[HostileJava]

Just got this email from Geoff:

To James,

Thank-you, for contacting us.
Our most popular grinds for the 12V SOHC Honda's are known as the "TRI FLOW".
The principal behind the design is to open the intake valves progressively.
We find opening both valves at the same time causes more bottom end loss than necessary.
By opening one valve first allows the fuel to travel across the chamber at a greater velocity and then helps pull in the second charge.
These profiles also help cut down on overlap and work great in Turbo's and N.O.S.
applications.
STAGE 1 - PRIM INT 270° .384 LIFT
SEC INT 260° .384 LIFT
EX 274° .402 LIFT
Best all around wake up grind works with F.I. as well. No mods are required.
Power band is 2800 - 6500 R.P.M. approximately.
The cost for this one is $175.00 Canadian or $ 131.25 US
Customer supplies cam core.
STAGE 2 - PRIM INT 280° .392 LIFT
SEC INT 268° .383 LIFT
EX 288° .394 LIFT
Carb. only. Strong mid range. No mods are required
Power band is 3500 - 7500 R.P.M.
The cost for this one is $225.00 Canadian or $168.75 US.
Customer supplies cam core.
STAGE 3 - PRIM INT 292° .413 LIFT
SEC. INT 272° .402 LIFT
EX. 302° .428 LIFT
Carb. only. Race Only.
The power band is from 4500 + R.P.M.
The cost for this one is $325.00 Canadian or $243.75 US.
Customer supplies cam core.
PLEASE NOTE : US DESTINATIONS PLEASE ADD AN ADDITIONAL $25.00 US FOR RETURN SHIPPING. WE WILL SHIP FREIGHT COLLECT RETURN FOR CANADA
If you are interested please let us know a convenient time to reach you or give us a call at your convenience.
Thank-you,
Geoff Bardal
FOR OUR U.S. CUSTOMERS REGARDING SHIPPING
When sending in your cams, via any courier service or the post office.
Please put as the value of the cams to be under $10.00.
This falls under NAFTA and no duty charges will be inflicted on you.
Please put on the waybill as well as on the package.
"Damaged Camshaft for Repair and Return"
PAYMENT
We only accept International Money Orders in US funds made out to Colt Cams Inc.
COLT CAMS INC.
#54 - 3347 262 nd Street
Langley, BC
V4W 3V9
TEL: (604) 856-3571
FAX: (604) 856-3572
www.coltcams.com
[email protected]

[Underdog]

How come you can only get a Fuel Injected cam in Stage 1. You'd think you should be able to get a more wild cam for the FI too. Any ideas why?

[danronian]

Are these cams emissions legal? I looked on one of the cam maker's website and found nothing, but I'm not sure if Colt is the one I checked out. I would like to get one for my car but mine MUST pass the stupid PA emissions test.

[BlueBead]

heheheh.. those guys are close to me!

[Oldblueaccord]

How come you can only get a Fuel Injected cam in Stage 1. You'd think you should be able to get a more wild cam for the FI too. Any ideas why?


MAP sensor wont like the vacuum pulses. The vacuum is also considerable less on performance cams. Thats that lumpy sounding idle you here in your rednecks neighbors Camaro.

Anyone dyno that tri power deal I wonder if it works.



wp

[HostilesHoney]

Are these cams emissions legal? I looked on one of the cam maker's website and found nothing, but I'm not sure if Colt is the one I checked out. I would like to get one for my car but mine MUST pass the stupid PA emissions test.

What emmisions? All I have hear is a visual inspection. how will they ever know what cam your running?

Edit: Sorry Posted under the wifes name.

[danronian]

What emmisions? All I have hear is a visual inspection. how will they ever know what cam your running?

Edit: Sorry Posted under the wifes name.

I have to pass a test where they test what comes out of the car's exhaust and I figure this cam might give off more emissions at idle possibly. It was just a visual in Berks county until this year, montgomery ( the other county I can claim where I live since I am literally on a border area) has had a smog test for years now.

[AccordNut]

one more question, how will this affect gas mileage? id like to stay above 30 if i can :)

[HostileJava]

one more question, how will this affect gas mileage? id like to stay above 30 if i can :)

If you're getting more then 30mpg now you might be running lean, I know I get around there now with my mods if I drive moderately, but stock I think they were rated at somthing like 27 Highway and 24 City or somthing like that.

[AccordNut]

what do you mean running lean?

[86LXItooFAST4me]

lean= air fuel ration is not getting enough fuel (dangerous for detonation)
Rich= to much fuel, fouling out plugs, gas hog

[AccordNut]

well the car used to get around 28 mpg stock, when i added the intake/header i shot up to around 32 mpg. my best ever was 36 mpg on a road trip...i ALMOST reached 500 miles on one tank, i had enough left but i wasnt sure where the next gas station would be. anyway i still want to know if the colt cam would damage my gas mileage?

[YK86]

I got BETTER gas mileage after getting the triflow grind. With intake, header, bored TB, 2.25 cat back already installed before the cam, I noticed roughly a 10%-15% increase in fuel economy after adding the new cam on it's own. Coincidentally, he told me I should see a 10-15% increase in HP as well. I guess a more efficient motor meant less gas useage. But it did use more initally but only because I couldn't resist reving it into the higher rpms.

I can still get discounts from him if you like. I used to put together all the group buys for him. I don't have the time to organize another one right now but if someone wants to arrange some sort of mini group buy, I can ask for a bigger discount. Anyways, if you just want to get yours done regardless, feel free to PM me.

[danronian]

If I don't beat my car real bad I usually get from 28-32mpg when driving back-roads with little highway driving. THat was last summer when I was keeping track and the only mod I had then was a SR intake.

Did anyone get their car to pass emissions after installing a colt cam? I might get one this ummer but emissions is a must, sure since it gets better fuel efficiency it should but I know of some cams that claim that and they are not emissions legal.

[YK86]

We've got fairly strict emmissions here in BC but I passed with flying colors even with the cam. Readings obviously change day to day but doing a comparision from the readings the year before to the one after getting the cam, I saw little to no difference.

[2drSE-i]

lucky for me, they stopped inspections completely here in oklahoma, they used to check EVERYTHING

[PortugalFocus]

I have to pass a test where they test what comes out of the car's exhaust and I figure this cam might give off more emissions at idle possibly. It was just a visual in Berks county until this year, montgomery ( the other county I can claim where I live since I am literally on a border area) has had a smog test for years now.


*Ding* *Ding*

EMI testing si A Dyno from 1975-1995 in Montgomery County, in Berks it's still just a visual.

Thanks Berks You Rock!

[danronian]

*Ding* *Ding*

EMI testing si A Dyno from 1975-1995 in Montgomery County, in Berks it's still just a visual.

Thanks Berks You Rock!

I just talked to my mechanic, who does berks inspections daily, and he said now it includes Berks for dyno emissions tests, I also read it in the paper when PA reacted to that federal mandate about overly high emissions in our state, and my dad just got his truck inspected two weeks ago, and it is registered for Berks, and he had to get emissions tested.

[Not like a rock]

Hey folks. I found a thread where YK86 said he got a decent MPG improvement after installing a colt cam. Just wanted to check if anyone else can say the same. I'll be replacing my camshaft oil seals soon, so I may pop in a new cam.

[keruhas184]

Heh, when does a performance cam increase gas milage? Its either one or the other.

[86LXItooFAST4me]

i have a colt cam up for grabs too. 250+shipping, no core charge. never been used

[FyreDaug]

What stage?

[86LXItooFAST4me]

Stage I for FI has the staggered intake valves

[Slipknotcraig133]

I got worse gas milage from my cam. But mine was a delta grind. With the stuff that i have done i got like 15 or so with a new air filter and fuel filter and i ran some injector cleaner when i got the cam.

[w00tw00t111]

Why you or I guess the better question is how would you get better gas mileage when you're burning more gas? I mean how else are you gonna gain hp if you don't increase the air&fuel amounts. I mean come on is it even possible? I doubt it

[Not like a rock]

I thought it was unlikely.

[shepherd79]

when ever you change the OEM motor with aftermarket part, you should always expect somekind of change.
In this case, if you change camshaft you will see the HP gain and gas mileage drop. it may be not much but it will drop.
I had Delta 272 cam, i used to get 36 in the city and 39-40 on highway. droped the cam in and it droped to 32 in the city. and 35 on highway.

[A20A1]

I don't have a gas gauge or odometer so I dunno my miles per gallon.
The gains well offset the impact on gas milage though, but I dunno, gas prices have gone up. Lucky I have my corolla.

[Versanick]

my race cams seem to provide me plenty of low-end power (high lift, other mods)...

I shift at 1800rpm driving around town and take it easy on the highway and get over 30mpg everywhere (now that I'm not running rich)... and these def. aren't only stage 1. mileage won't like divide in half, but you'll lose 5 or 8% or so. Not ridiculous.

[w00tw00t111]

Wait a sec!!!!!! You shift at 1800?? Is that pretty average? I always shift at 3000 on street driving. And if I'm racing it's 5500.

[Not like a rock]

I drive 700-1000km every week... so a 5-10% change in fuel economy either way would be significant.

[2drSE-i]

the higher the rpm, the more gas u use, so shifting low saves gas

[FyreDaug]

If you shift at 1800, tats putting you below 1400 in your next gear, I bet that would use more gas to use like 80% throttle to speed up as opposed to shifting higher and using less throttle. Theres a medium, and thats too low. If you shift a little higher (say 2500) you should get better milage. I'm all for efficiency with my carb and I drive it alot, so I try to figure out the best way to drive to get the best milage, And Ive got it shifting a little above 3000 using quite a bit of throttle. I figure the more gas you burn for less time is better than less gas over a longer time. If that makes sence.

[2drSE-i]

that theory is a good one, but its slightly flawed. if u floor it, 0-60 in 11ish seconds on these cars, then maintain with little to no throttle, u would use just as much gas as if u were to use half throttle and get 0-60 in 22 seconds. its all relative gentlemen

[2old_honda]

I have a colt 274, dual DCOE's, and P&P head. I still get 27-30 mpg mix of city/hwy. I drive pretty agressivly too (love the sound of DCOE's at WOT, hehe).

[bobafett]

lol i didnt lose much mpg's with my delta 272 grind. i still get 37 freeway if i keep my foot out of it (which i cant really do, so i see 35mpg usually)

[paso100]

OK, I've read thru the posts on cam regrinds and I really like the idea of Colt's Tri-flow regrind. It seems to offer the best of low rpm drivability, idle, high rpm power gains AND some increased gas mileage. ????

My question is for those of you who have the Tri-flow regrind: Have you seen/felt all these gains?

I have a CAI and will be installing Pacesetter headers and an adj. cam gear.

Any comments/reviews appreciated.:wave:

[JFreddy]

I put in a cam just recently a Delta 272 Tri flow cam and I noticed a strong pull in higher rpm, I got I/H/E and some ignition pieces and yea I found it a nice pull and worth my money. I am just trying to tune it now to see how fast I can tune it to.

[A20A1]

I have the non-triflow stage 2 cam... I you want the low rpm then the tri-flow is better. :) I was really happy with my can though.

I paid like $200, I live in Hawaii... anyways it was worth every penny.

[keruhas184]

I've had the tri-flow stage 1 cam in my car for a litte while. On my carbed engine with only an intake and catback it would start to really pull around 3400 and strong to redline. I actually have this cam for sale now -- my car's been totaled so I have no use for it.

[AccordEpicenter]

Id say if you want midrange and low end power get a triflow, if you want big top end you should probably go non-triflow. Depends on what you want, i cant conclusively say which would be faster, but i think there are compromises

[A20A1]

NATURALLY ASPIRATED GRIND

STAGE 1 - COLT TRIFLOW
INT A: 270° .384 LIFT / INT B: 260° .384 LIFT
EXH 274° .402 LIFT
2,800 - 6,500 RPM
The cost for this one is $175.00 Canadian or $ 140.00 US
Customer supplies cam core.

STAGE 2 - COLT NON-TRIFLOW
INT: 280° .392 LIFT
EXH: 288° .394 LIFT
4,000 - 7,500 RPM

STAGE 2 - COLT TRIFLOW
INT A: 280° .392 LIFT / INT B: 268° .383 LIFT
EXH: 288° .394 LIFT
3,500 - 7,500 RPM
The cost for this one is $225.00 Canadian or $180.00 US.

STAGE 3 - COLT TRIFLOW
INT A: 292° .413 LIFT / INT B: 272° .402 LIFT
EX. 302° .428 LIFT
4,500 + RPM.
(Carbureted only / Race Only)
The cost for this one is $325.00 Canadian or $260.00 US.


TURBO GRIND

TURBO STAGE 1 - COLT TRIFLOW
INT A: 270° .384 LIFT / INT B: 260° .384 Lift
EXH: 274° .402 LIFT
(2° Wider lobe seperation)

TURBO STAGE 2 - COLT TRIFLOW
INT A: 280° .392 LIFT / INT B: 268° .383 Lift
EXH: 288° .394 LIFT (Advanced x°)
3,500 - 7,500 RPM


PLEASE NOTE : US DESTINATIONS PLEASE ADD AN ADDITIONAL $25.00 US FOR RETURN SHIPPING. WE WILL SHIP FREIGHT COLLECT RETURN FOR CANADA
If you are interested please let us know a convenient time to reach you or give us a call at your convenience.
Thank-you,
Geoff Bardal
FOR OUR U.S. CUSTOMERS REGARDING SHIPPING
When sending in your cams, via any courier service or the post office.
Please put as the value of the cams to be under $10.00.
This falls under NAFTA and no duty charges will be inflicted on you.
Please put on the waybill as well as on the package.
"Damaged Camshaft for Repair and Return"
PAYMENT
We only accept International Money Orders in US funds made out to Colt Cams Inc.
COLT CAMS INC.
#54 - 3347 262 nd Street
Langley, BC
Canada
V4W 3V9
TEL: (604) 856-3571
FAX: (604) 856-3572
www.coltcams.com
[email protected]




hey,
I went from a stock cam to a COLT CAMS 280/288 split duratio .390 lift cam and dropped a second off my quarter mile on a stock motor.
I have now added dual 40mm webers, msd ignition, bigger fuel pump, 2.0L over bore (used to be 1.8L), 3 angle valve job, decked head and block... and a bunch of other stuff.
With the 280/288 duration my car hauls ass and is easily a daily driver capable of 14 second passes.
As I type Geoff at COLT CAMS is grinding me up a 308/312 split duration .392 lift. His extreme grind. I will let you know how it runs.
When I pulled out my 280 cam he did for me, it looked like the day I got it from him. His regrinds are more durable than the stock cam.
Matt

[sinisterfuzzy]

I've had the tri-flow stage 1 cam in my car for a litte while. On my carbed engine with only an intake and catback it would start to really pull around 3400 and strong to redline. I actually have this cam for sale now -- my car's been totaled so I have no use for it.

do you still have the cam, if so how much for it? if not, where'd you get it?

[A20A1]

You might want to PM keruhas184.

Colt Cams is based in Canada.
http://www.coltcams.com/

I suggest if you're looking for a regrind that you get a spare cam.
That way you can still drive your car while you are waiting for your cam to be reground.

I added the Stage 1 Triflow Specs to my post up top.

It says it adds power @ 2,800 RPM, lower then the 3400 RPM keruhas184 had felt
But I think that the 3400 RPM is due to the carb tuning and type of carb on the car.

[Whistler225]

forgive me....I'm not very experienced with adding performance stuff....I can do basic mechanics, and that's about it.

Can you add a better cam without messing with the rest of the motor? Would it be benificial to do that? How difficult are they to swap out?

[b8er]

to whistler, they take a bit of experience to do it

first you have to removbe the valve over and rocker assembly, aslo the cam gear and belt, you really dont wanna mess with the belt unless you know what your doing cause it can mess stuff up big time. also after the cam is instaled you will have to check valve lash, and not doing that proberly can result in either to light of a valve lash or just the opposite and have a noisy ass motor

[bakedboarder34]

I've had the tri-flow stage 1 cam in my car for a litte while. On my carbed engine with only an intake and catback it would start to really pull around 3400 and strong to redline. I actually have this cam for sale now -- my car's been totaled so I have no use for it.
hey you said you had an intake system on your accord carb'd? i was wondering would you be willing to sell the intake system? and if so how much would u sell it for?

[Whistler225]

b8er: thanks. I think I'll wait awhile on that anyway....I have to work out a few minor kinks in the motor first, and will be doing body work/paint pretty soon....When I get into the performance stuff I might have the difficult items installed by a shop, if I can find one that does a good job and won't screw me.

[A20A1]

Key thing is to keep tension on the timing belt... that way the timing belt doesn't drop and unhook from the crank gear. Also when removing the rocker arm assembly be careful not to fully remove the bolts from the ends of the assembly or the peices (Under spring tension) can slide around and may fall off.
Also marking th positon/rotation of the distibutor before unbolting it from the head is a good idea. Little things like this if overlooked can make your job 10x harder.

[Whistler225]

that makes sense....I hate to say it, because I've swapped out trannies, but I think putting in a new cam might be a tad over my head....so I'll prbably let a professional do it when I get to that point...Besides, I have to be careful about what I do to this car. I bought it to be a good reliable daily commuter, so if I do any performance mods, I want to make sure they won't have any adverse effects on my reliability, and I'll probably want to keep it fairly simple.

[accord upset]

I have the non-triflow stage 2 cam... I you want the low rpm then the tri-flow is better. :) I was really happy with my can though.

I paid like $200, I live in Hawaii... anyways it was worth every penny.

does it idle ok with the stage 2 or would u have to drop to the stage 1 to get it to idle at lights and stop signs?

[A20A1]

It idles okay at stage two. But I'm not too picky.