Megacycle .450" cam ride report vs. web .390"

[jasonp]

I got to change the cam's out this weekend. I worked on the fourwheeler some more and I love it. Sure is fun to put your hard work in and get to ride it afterwards. I did install the .450" cam 5 degrees advanced on the cam timing. This helps with more bottom end power.
So I did the cam swap and going from the Web .390" to the Megacycle .450" was a pretty big difference that's for sure. I'll list off a couple good and bad points on both cams to help guide people to what they want.
I also set the valves a little tighter which is really not what you want for more bottom end. I set the intake up for .0035" and exhaust .005". They recomend both at .006". I think after I ride some more I'll go ahead and set them a little looser as that will help low end power as the duration and overlap a greatly effect by this. The less you have of both of them will yield you better bottom end power.
The Web has way more torque at all RPM's expect at about 8,000 rpm. It's very quick reving cam and has a great bottom end almost right off idle to a hard hitting mid range.. the top end falls off. Has good "pop."
The Megacycle has a soft bottom end and less torque. You have to be up in the RPM more then you would with the Web. The other thing is that this cam sounds different. Deeper exhaust and more intake noise. At I would say around 3500 rpm or a little less the cam comes on and she really pulls. Once you get the engine up in the RPM's you can really feel the power start to be laid down. The fourwheeler for sure is harder to drive because the power isn't really smooth and it's more abrupt and wants to spin the wheels. The other thing is that I have my rev limiter set at 9500 rpm. I'll have to change that as this cam loves to rev.
I think if I really had to do it all over again I would opt for a web .430 cam it's a little smaller then the Megacycle (duration and over lap) and I bet the bottom end wouldn't suffer so much. Either way I'm going to keep this cam in for now as I really like what it does after the engine get's into the cam. I just wish it didn't have such a soft bottom end.
I should say to that it does feel like the engine has a lot more power through the mid range and the top end with this cam.

 

[dave76]

Sounds good J, I wonder if my motor was a bit more responsive since I had it installed in a stock head. I know on the 446 this cam pulls from idle all the way up, but thats also assisted from a 10.5mm stroker.

 

[dave76]

A few things Iforgot to say, when I had the 366 motor and used to trail ride, I could leave the motor in either 3rd ot 4th gear, usually 3rd and power through obsicals down low and on flat straits nail it all the way for about 2000 ft and pick up some serious speed.

 

[jasonp]

The stroker crank I'm sure really helps it. I think to if I were to send you this Web .390 cam and have you try it and then go back to the Megacycle you would feel a big difference in the bottom end. Though the .450" makes up for that everywhere else for what it loose out the the .390" in bottom. Really a fun cam! I'll lightin up on the valve clearances a little bit and I think it will really make a big difference.
Both are great cams IMO. It's just where do you want the power.

 

[jasonp]

Don't get me wrong this .450" cam ******* moves when you push it, even from the bottom it's just that when comparing the two the .450" is softer in that spot of the RPM then the .390"

 

[dave76]

I think your gonna like it for trail riding, because you can pull this cam down or way up. My experience of course.

 

[jasonp]

Like you said to, the higher compression helps big time when trying to torque around.
You know to dave, one thing I felt or found is this cam with wider lob seration runs better at idle. So you can really lug it and the engine will not stall. When comparing it to the .390" it is alot easier to kill the engine and doesn't run near as smooth.

 

[97warriorrider]

so what are you doing with the .390? And with a .390 you need to get a spring kit too right?

 

[98warrior]

Jason I have the 430. web and honestly didn'nt notice a loss in low end power, I'm sure there was some loss but its not enough worry about. This cam pulls hard through the mid and good through the top, when my 20 in. tires arrive in a day or so I'm gona see how the cam pulls with a 15 tooth sprocket because I've always ran it on stock gearing. After getting the 430. I kinda wished I had got the 390. in a way because I love a lot of torqe/low end for the riding I do but I'm satisfied with the 430.

 

[jasonp]

See the thing here guys is that you won't notice a loss in low end when you put a larger cam like say the web .430 or mega .450" with the high compression piston. It still will feel about the same as stock or just a hair better. It's that the Web .390" is more of a low end grind cam so it's made for making power down low and when actually switching back and forth then you will feel the difference.
I'm keeping this cam for a while and really ride it around and see what I think. I can tell you it flys when you get it in the mid range to the upper end of the rpms. I know if I switched back the the .390" I would be dissapointed with the top end. So it's a trade off thats for sure.

 

[jasonp]

Jason I have the 430. web and honestly didn'nt notice a loss in low end power, I'm sure there was some loss but its not enough worry about. This cam pulls hard through the mid and good through the top, when my 20 in. tires arrive in a day or so I'm gona see how the cam pulls with a 15 tooth sprocket because I've always ran it on stock gearing. After getting the 430. I kinda wished I had got the 390. in a way because I love a lot of torqe/low end for the riding I do but I'm satisfied with the 430.

Stock gearing is pretty good but with the 15T you will be able to say in the power for longer and you'll should be able to feel it pull better.

 

[jasonp]

so what are you doing with the .390? And with a .390 you need to get a spring kit too right?

I'd sell it. You should use a spring kit as this cam does have more lift and duration then the stock one. Powroll claims that you can use stock springs but I wouldn't if the cam manufacture says not to.

 

[97warriorrider]

For how much?

 

[jasonp]

$95.00 shipped.

 

[dswwarrior350]

I have a web .430.... wanna trade haha? Ive always wanted to try a .450 lift cam just to see what topend i can pull. With the 12:1 compression this thing right now is slightly more responsive on the bottom than stock. But it does like to be in the upper rpms. It still has sort of like a powerband feel. However i still have enough power to lug it around the woods and stuff. But if you get it in the upper rpms and keep it there it wont die... Really great for climbing hills... people opt for torque in that situation, but me. I prefer to have more power up top as torque results in wheelies. With this cam.. as long as it stay above the powerband spot it will stay planted and keep pulling.

 

[jasonp]

I have a web .430.... wanna trade haha? Ive always wanted to try a .450 lift cam just to see what topend i can pull. With the 12:1 compression this thing right now is slightly more responsive on the bottom than stock. But it does like to be in the upper rpms. It still has sort of like a powerband feel. However i still have enough power to lug it around the woods and stuff. But if you get it in the upper rpms and keep it there it wont die... Really great for climbing hills... people opt for torque in that situation, but me. I prefer to have more power up top as torque results in wheelies. With this cam.. as long as it stay above the powerband spot it will stay planted and keep pulling.

Personally what I've found is that it's just the oppsite as you. With the web the power is controllable, smooth power and torque that makes this a great cam. The bike doesn't feel all that fast with it because of the way the power hit is. It just lays it down.
With the .450" cam it's got such a massive amount of power in the upper end and it's so abrupt that it tends to spin the wheels, making the wheeler harder to control going up hills and I'm talking in like 3 and 4th gears. I want that sense of being on the edge and it is a lot harder to ride fast this way but I like it.

 

[xj4m3]

i have the .450 duncan cam which i think was said to be the same as the megacycle and pretty much what jasonp has said has followed suit with me also. i havent noticed much power loss at idle but there is some. As mentioned it does open up about half throttle on up. I find my self running half throttle a lot of the time just bc if you open it up it really pulls hard. On steep hillclimbs once it starts bogging down though you had better downshift bc once it gets a ways down in the rpms it starts to lose power.

 

[boxhead]

I really like the .430 web, the power is fairly abrupt but still easy to ride the trails with on a six speed trans. I wouldn't run a similar setup in any other machine that's a five speed in the woods though, it just wouldn't work that well with further spaced gears. We have the luxury of very easily staying in a narrow band with that tranny, the heavy flywheel helps too. ;D