How To Identify What Cam I Might Have

[pampoen]

So some of you might have remembered that a while ago I took my bakkie to carb spares and sales in Paarden Island to have the carburetor rebuilt. It never was 100 percent right so I brought it back today to them to take a look at. After a CO test and a test drive it was discovered that the bakkie had a cam in it. The guy I bought the bakkie from didn't say anything either so my question is, not knowing where the cam came from and wanting to set the tappets properly Is there a way for me to measure and check what clearances are required for my tappets?
Thanks in advance.....

[The Legend]

Not sure which engine you have in your vehicle .If it is an 4y there no tappets to adjust. It has hydraulic lifters which are self adjusted.

Your questing regarding the cam makes me confused , because all vehicles have cams in.

[Mud Dog]

I assume you have a 22R motor (2.4 petrol). I also seem to think that it's been fairly more common for the guys in the Cape to have fitted longer duration cams to the 4Y and 22R motors so that they can squeeze out a bit more power in the higher rev range to chase dunes at Atlantis.

All fine and well but there is a downside. The idle becomes lumpy and there is significant power loss in the lower rev range. I bought my SFA from the Cape with such a cam in and have lived with it till now recently when we put a standard cam back in. Obstacles that I had to do in 1st gear (L4) I can now do in 2nd gear (L4) and it idles up hills. The difference is like chalk and cheese.

The duration values of the cam should be stamped or engraved into the rear end face on the cam - very awkward to read without removing the cam, one has to use a mirror and also get some lighting in there. If there is nothing engraved / stamped into it, then it's likely to be standard.

[pampoen]

My apologies, It is a 22r. Thanks Mud Dog, just the info I needed. Yes the lower end doesn't feel like the old 4y I used to drive. It hits its power peak at about 3500 RPM. Mud Dog, did your cam have a slight miss while idling?

[Mud Dog]

Yep, mine was the same, lazy up to 120kmph but there after it takes off and you're sitting at 160 before you realize it. A short jab of the pedal and the motor revs to over 6000rpm. But here's the thing, it's not supposed to be a performance track vehicle.

The only thing I'm going to miss with the std cam back in, is overtaking capability on the open road. Town driving on the other hand is so much better, purring along at low revs without having a heavy foot.

That lumpy idle (missing) is characteristic of a long duration cam. you'll find that if you tweak the idle up to 1000rpm, most of it will have gone.