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Crane Cams Group Buy

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38K views 887 replies 60 participants last post by  focaljet-1  
M
#1 · (Edited)
With the blessing of Focaljet-1, I'm bringing this to the Duratec forum as a group buy. None of us want to see the Focus aftermaket get smaller, particularly for the newer Duratec powered cars which get less support anyway. We especially don't want to see parts that have been available to be discontinued due to lack of interest after just a year of availability.

There have been a few mentions from folks I've talked with over the phone about the availability of Crane Cams for the Duratec. Well, there is a situation with the cams that I didn't forsee, and perhaps no one could have, except Crane themselves. Crane is completely out of cores and they hav been for a while now. Crane is not in the process of making any more cores at this time. Crane will not make cores until they have an order or orders sufficient to show demand for more production.

I received the following email from my direct contact at Crane Cams:

Walter,
Manufacturing has me in a pickle. I was squeezing 24 pairs of core out of production. This causes them to do excessive set-ups. They are know demanding 100 pairs. Problem with this 100 minimum is the President, won't let manufacturing build 100 sets without orders sold.

Here's my proposal, could you commit to 30 pairs in advance. You could order in quantity of finished cams, IE 10-224-0010 + 10-224-0012, 5-224-0014 and 5-224-0016.

If I don't get someone to step up to the plate, I think I'll be out of the Duratec business. Let me know.
Regards,


Crane Cams, Inc.
530 Fentress Blvd.
Daytona Beach, Fl. 32114
Click to expand...
Although Crane offers five grinds, only Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be available as part of this group buy because only Stage 1 and 2 will work with stock pistons. An excellent discription of the characteristics of the cams is available on my website.

Crane Duratec Stage 1 or 2 Cams $319
ADD Cam Gears $175
ADD Valve Springs and Retainers $175
ADD Cam Adjustment Tool $50
ADD SCT XCal2 w/3 Tunes $429
ADD MM 2.0/2.3 Air Intake $170

Installs will be available by appointment. Cams and cams with gears $100, cams with valvesprings $200. Dyno tunes also available starting at $250.

The final word on this is that without a successful group buy at this time, there may never be enough demand to get these cams back into production. We need at least 20 people in on this, and I'll go out on a limb for the remaining sets to keep things going.

More than 20 people can participate if they want to, there is no actual limit set. Until the cams are ordered the cam pricing will remain the same. After the order is placed with Crane, I'll split the differences between the group buy prices and retail while the cam cores are baing produced.


Edit (6-4-06): There is no end date set at this time because of the importance that this happen. Also of important note is that from the time the order is placed, it will take about 60 days for Crane to make the cam cores, as they have none available. So the sooner we get a full commitment, the sooner the cams go back into production.

Edit (6-5-06) Added seanmc and MAT to list. Halfway there in a couple days. With this kind of support and enthusiasm, cams should be available before September.

Edit (6-10-06) Added torradan and netdragoon. Dwzx3fc is a maybe? Anyone on the list who is currently a maybe or may become a maybe needs to let me know their status so that the list can be as accurate as possible.

Edit (6-12-06) Added TheMailman666, stealth_focus, PhilUsher, and possibles eazyrider_tim, smokethebear, and Blazing. I should make it clear that the group buy is not limited to 20, so if we exceed that number, all the better.

Payment Information:
For the cams themselves, a 25% commitment will be due on the commitment date. For any other items purchased with the cams, payment in full will be required, as unlike the 2005 group buy, those items will be shipped out in advance of the cams, 10-15 days after the time you order. Each person participating in the group buy needs to contact me directly so that I can build a customer list with your correct information.

Delivery information:
Crane has quoted up to 60 days to produce the cam cores, and an additional 10-15 days to grind the cores as finished cams. Final delivery time will be an additional 10-15 days between truck freight and UPS. So assuming we can wrap this up in the next few days, we can get the order in before the end of June and have the cams before the end of September.

Edit (6-28-06): Congratulations everyone, as of June 28, the list is at 21. The following pople have provided the required info for the group buy. So now its time to make this official. Everyone will receive the call by Friday. The list follows:

seanmc
smokethebear
themailman666
blazing
netdragoon
gizmo88
Torradan
oreo
MAT
philusher
y2kpedo
gop114
NosThundeR
fiends911
ripped_06_st
pitchblack23
phongshader
e-diggity
Teddy
stealth_focus
focusZX505
 
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#4 ·
pitchblack23 said:
Will springs and retainers still be available after the group buy is over?
Click to expand...
Yes, but at the regular price.
 
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#6 ·
Walter, I'm in for Cams, & Springs. (Haven't decided on gears or tool yet.)
 
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#7 ·
fiends911 said:
walter anyway to get stage threes at the discount if i order pistons or plan to in the near future? about ready to get going on my build and really wanna use threes. if not sign me up for twos and springs.
Click to expand...
If you are interested in Stage 3 cams, pistons and rods, I'm sure I could work you a specific one off deal, and just put you down as part of the group buy. I'm somewhat flexible with this group buy if it keeps the cams available to the market.

Also, I haven't set a specific end date for this as it's most important that it simply happen, so for any one that wants in, the sooner you can commit, the sooner we get the ball rolling.
 
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#8 · (Edited)
EDIT: Walter, I purchased an Xcal2 from you last year. Will I be able to have you email me an updated tune file to go with my new cams?


Walter, I thought you might explain what you told me over the phone about the difference between the 3's & the 1's. I'll make an attempt to recap if I can:

Walter told me that on his old car he had stg 3 cams installed. Later he switched back to stg 1's. The stg 1's gave a minor decrease in top end power but vastly improved torque through out the lower & mid rev-band. In this conversation Walter gave STRONG reccomendation that Stg 1's were THE best grind for all but the most extreme builds. (Walter also explained that Stg 2's would be great IF you could degree them more agressively- which you can't on OEM pistons. Hence, the reccomendation for stg 1's.)

EDIT: (I remember more from that conversation with Walter) Walter's rule of thumb for which of stg 1 or 2 you should choose is if you intend to make over 200whp & use the cosworth intake manifold then go stg 2, prefferably with valve reliefs in pistons. Anything less & stg 1 is better. The idea is that since the head flows so well on our duratecs, we don't need huge cams to get the job done.
 
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#10 ·
After reading the website am I correct that you don't need cam gears, meaning that the stock cam gears are adjustable?

While we are on the subject it also appears that with stage 1 springs or a tune are not required if you keep the stock rev limit (which you can't do w/o a tune, right?).
 
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#12 ·
Matt, You don't need Walter's aftermarket cam gears for your cams to be adjustable. However you will need a way to consistently measure how you degree your cams. Walter's less expensive cam tool will do the job just fine, however his cam gears have some advantages.

You can run stg 1s without a tune or upgraded springs.
 
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#13 ·
In, but I'm not sure if stg.1 or 2 is best. Regardless - count me in for cams, springs & retainers, cam tool.

As for stg 1 vs 2: have a FS intake, stock intake mani (may someday buy the cossie bit, but not sure), will keep stock header, may change flex, have 2.25" FS exhaust (that stays until it falls off). What do you think?
 
M
#14 ·
I'll take a set of stg 1 and the tool.

So if a header doesn't require a tune by itself either how does it work with cams too? Some day I plan to do both. Thanks.
 
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#15 ·
seanmc said:
In, but I'm not sure if stg.1 or 2 is best. Regardless - count me in for cams, springs & retainers, cam tool.

As for stg 1 vs 2: have a FS intake, stock intake mani (may someday buy the cossie bit, but not sure), will keep stock header, may change flex, have 2.25" FS exhaust (that stays until it falls off). What do you think?
Click to expand...
running stage ones on my car now and it feels great. only thing different with mine is the header. lots of low end and real good top end but kinda dies out over 5500 but an overall good balance.
 
F
#16 ·
Just wanted to let all of you all doing the group buy from Walter is Fantastic idea..I was part of the first group buy in April 05 and since then I have had no problems with the cams.They work great and the rump rump sound from them at idle pepole love...I will also say that when you pull had on a honda or an integra it surprises the crap out of them that a focus jump spanked there butt...LOL...
 
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#19 ·
Oreo said:
EDIT: Walter, I purchased an Xcal2 from you last year. Will I be able to have you email me an updated tune file to go with my new cams?


Walter, I thought you might explain what you told me over the phone about the difference between the 3's & the 1's. I'll make an attempt to recap if I can:

Walter told me that on his old car he had stg 3 cams installed. Later he switched back to stg 1's. The stg 1's gave a minor decrease in top end power but vastly improved torque through out the lower & mid rev-band. In this conversation Walter gave STRONG reccomendation that Stg 1's were THE best grind for all but the most extreme builds. (Walter also explained that Stg 2's would be great IF you could degree them more agressively- which you can't on OEM pistons. Hence, the reccomendation for stg 1's.)

EDIT: (I remember more from that conversation with Walter) Walter's rule of thumb for which of stg 1 or 2 you should choose is if you intend to make over 200whp & use the cosworth intake manifold then go stg 2, prefferably with valve reliefs in pistons. Anything less & stg 1 is better. The idea is that since the head flows so well on our duratecs, we don't need huge cams to get the job done.
Click to expand...

If you already own an SCT XCalibrator 2, I will provide a new tune for your cams, or if you have a tune from someone else you would like to continue to use, I can provide a value file that can be added to your existing tune to fix idle speed and drivability.

What Oreo stated above is essentially correct. I would strongly recommend Stage 1 cams for most, as they offer great potential. Stage 2s are really suited well to cars with a Cosworth manifold, header, and perhaps compression. Stage 3 cams are really wild and wooly and we won't go beyond that for the sake of this discussion. At their wildest, Stage 1 cams can easily pass the 200whp power level with the package I ran last summer. Stage 2s will pass the 220whp mark as well. Now Stage 3s will make the horespower levels of the previous two and then some, but with each step up in camshaft, you will see a loss in low and mid range torque as a sacrifice to get bigger top end gains.
 
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#20 · (Edited)
MarcyMotorsport said:
If you already own an SCT XCalibrator 2, I will provide a new tune for your cams,
Click to expand...
That's good. I just need to find a few more "sensible" reasons to justify buying these. :D

Edit: Whoa! I forgot! I still have a $100 gift certificate for Marcy Motorsport. If I can use that toward these, you can count me in for some Stage Is. Possibly some springs and retainers, depending on when this happens.
 
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#21 ·
fiends911 said:
running stage ones on my car now and it feels great. only thing different with mine is the header. lots of low end and real good top end but kinda dies out over 5500 but an overall good balance.
Click to expand...
What were your cam settings for this review? How were they degreed?
 
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#24 ·
MarcyMotorsport said:
If you already own an SCT XCalibrator 2, I will provide a new tune for your cams, or if you have a tune from someone else you would like to continue to use, I can provide a value file that can be added to your existing tune to fix idle speed and drivability.
Click to expand...
Just noticed this. Does the offer hold for an XCal 1?

I've got a flash from McNew's that I'm happy with for the stock cams, but want to 'adjust' for new cams.
 
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