replacing engine

[weldvair]

I have located a overhauled 1600DP engine with a eagle 1 cam. What driving changes would
the cam make?

Don

[Marc]

Eagle camshaft grinds are identified by a 4-digit number (typically starting with "22") and there are dozens of choices, running the gamut from nearly stock to radical race-only profiles. Without complimentary changes in compression ratio, carburetion, etc. all but the mildest of grinds can make for an engine that's hard to live with (especially in stop-and-go driving). Excessive duration is the major culprit - although it allows better cylinder filling and hence more power at higher RPMs (given adequate carburetion) there's a tradeoff - loss of low-end response. 95% of day-to-day driving takes place at 2500-3500 RPM and that's where a stock camshaft is designed to work. Some aftermarket grinds keep the duration near stock and increase the lift, which can boost low-end torque (the trade-off is increased wear on the valvetrain). Eagle cams are typically ground on a 107° lobe center, 1° tighter than stock, which theoretically enhances the peak torque (and shifts its RPM down a little). Potentially, fuel economy suffers - but the effects are slight from a mere 1° change.
One would hope that anyone building a stock-displacement engine with unmodified cylinder heads would've selected one of the "smaller" grinds for the project, but if there's no record the only way to know is to remove the oil pump and see what's stamped into the end of the camshaft.

Engle camshafts offer many grinds for VWs as well; their W-110 (commonly just called "110") has been considered one of the best all-around cams (for street use, anyway) for decades, and almost every competitor offers a grind that's very similar. Engle's mildest grind is the W-100; that would be OK for a near-stock engine, even one with a stock carburetor.

[weldvair]

Thanks Mark....don