4 cams or 2?

[Brett]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but since I don't have a ZR-1 to dissect, this is something I have always wondered and have never been able to set right.

On the LT-5 engine, it says "4 Cam". But the engine is listed as a DOHC.

So then what does the "4 Cam" on the engine mean? Four camshafts seems awfully strange...

Brett

[Wegone]

You will find all the info. here..http://www.zr1.net/

and it does have 4 cams...

[Rob]

Originally posted by Brett
I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but since I don't have a ZR-1 to dissect, this is something I have always wondered and have never been able to set right.

On the LT-5 engine, it says "4 Cam". But the engine is listed as a DOHC.

So then what does the "4 Cam" on the engine mean? Four camshafts seems awfully strange...

Brett

Brett, it has 4 cams:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/zr1/index.html

[Brett]

The engine blow-up clearly shows the four chamshafts. Thank you!

So why is it always listed and often referred to as a DOHC engine?



Brett

[Wegone]

I’m not sure ..unless they think of it as DOHC on each bank

[Rob]

Originally posted by Wegone
I’m not sure ..unless they think of it as DOHC on each bank

Actually, that's probably how they are looking at it. It's kind of a misnomer. "Quad-Cam" would be more accurate I guess.

[Vettelt193]

Well... they use the term DOHC in the same way they use OHV... you don't really need to know exactly how many, just the basics... knowing you have a DOHC V-8 gives you everything you need to tell the basic makeup of the engine

[Jeffvette]

DOHC, double overhead cam

You have two heads, so you get 4 cams.

Originally posted by Jeffvette
DOHC, double overhead cam

You have two heads, so you get 4 cams.

Correct-o-mundo (Say in Samuel L. Jackson Voice)

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

The LT5 is a DOHC is a 4 cam motor, one for the intake valves one for the exhaust valves. My 99 GT is a SOHC 2 cams, one per head.

[95ZR1#418]

Yes- It's dual overhead cams on each head or bank X2 = 4

[Brett]

Ok, a follow up question: What does it mean when a car says Twin Cam? Is that just a misleading, "cooler" way to make an SOHC engine sound like a 4 cam engine to a layperson?



Brett

[Bakinblk]

You have to know what type of engine it is (in-line or Vee) to be able to apply the "nicknames" (OHV,SOHC,DOHC) to give you "how many camshafts?"As stated above, it depends on how many heads.

OHV anything=1 cam
SOHC=1 cam per head(1 cam on in-lines, 2 cams on Vees)
DOHC=2 cams per head(2 cams on in-lines, 4 cams on Vees)

In referance to "Twin Cam"(as in Saturns or old Cosworth Vegas?)
I think they mean per head also, and as these are in-lines their correct on both counts, 2 per head & 2 total ei. "Twin".

This should hold true unless some guy sticks one of those Saturn badges on a late model Mustang V8

Just kidding