What kind of difference would i expect to see if put in a k-grind cam in my b20E. Also what cam makes the best upgrade in horsepwer for that engine, volvo and ipd grinds.

You guys got way off base. According to an old ('98) ipd parts flyer, the K grind for the pushrod engines was stock on the '74-'75 B20F's, and was a "smog" cam. It says it is like the D grind, but with less torque. The D grind was stock on B20's with carbs and the earlier fuel injected versions. There is also the C grind that was stock on the B18B cars. It doesn't sound like the B20 K grind is any good for performance. I'd stick with one of ipd's performance cams, and yes the VV71 is made by Isky.

I have heard that the K-grind is about the same as the IPD 7001

or the Iskenderian VV71 (which are the same, I think, since the

last IPD 7001 cam I bought came in an Iskenderian box and

had paperwork with it identifying it as a VV71).

I don't know what the numbers are and I have not (yet)

put one in a B20E but on a B20E running carbs and on a B30A

the 7001 makes a BIG difference, especially over about 3000 rpm.

Idling is OK. Lugging torque is somewhat impaired at very low

speed but not badly. That means that if you don't keep your

car speed up, like turning a corner and then climbing a hill,

you need to downshift a little quicker, but when you do it

really takes off.

I would assume that the K cam would be pretty similar.

Interesting. So the cams from an overhead cam engine B21-on, are identical to and interchangeable with the B20 and earlier engine cams or are we just talking K-type grind on different cams?

I didn't think I made any mention of cams from B21 and later

engines; in fact I am mostly unaware of them other than to

be pretty sure they turn in the opposite direction to B20

cams and mount the timing gear differently (among other things).

My comments were strictly related to B18, B20, and where

applicable, B30 engines. Although all 3 of my daughters

drive 240s I have never owned or even driven a B21

powered car, and done mighty little work on them.

I did not intend to state or imply any knowledge of cams

for late model engines such as the B21. If they make a

k-grind cam for them, I don't know if it is the same as or

different from the B20 and B30 K cams.

Sorry for any confusion I might have sown. I shall certainly

reap what I sow!

No, we were asking the question to learn. To Michael and me, the K brings to mind the famous cam from the powerful B23E and we were unaware of the earlier K. Now one look at the older K grind and we know is is not the same as reinforced by Don. Therefore I guess the "K" must strictly apply to some combination of lift and duration. So is the K grind universally understood by a cam shop as a specific lift and duration? Is it used in non-Volvo applications?

I saw a B20 K cam for sale in an IPD clearance many years ago

and asked about it at that time because the price was reasonable.

I think it was Scott who told me that while it had fairly good

duration that it was a smog cam and thus not quite the best for

performance. I have never been in a position to compare actual

specs between the K and the 7001 street perf cam. If any of you

have specs for the K I think I have the spec sheet that came

with my 7001 so maybe we can compare them.

I would guess that "K" is NOT an industry standard and am a little

surprised to find it is used on "modren" engines like the B21 and

following. (Actually I was impressed when the B18 was replaced

by the B20 and then the unbelievable B30, which at the time were

a great compromise between traditional ruggedness and pretty

good performance [able to beat Oldsmobiles in drag races].)

Next time you go to Joe Cox's Grinding Works in Tulsa or whatever

other shop you go to, maybe you should ask what they know about

the "K" grind. I am nearly caught up on cams these days so am

not frequenting those places. Haven't needed a crank ground since

about 1967. (S'pose I've been living right?)

I'd guess—and it really IS a guess—that "K" is a Volvo designation (as with the "R" cam, the "A" cam, and so on). IPD's close approximation (which until recently I thought was identical) was their "71" or "7001" cam.

They were close enough that most people would consider them the same, but they had very slight differences in lift, duration, overlap, or whatever. I used a "K" cam in a modified B20F in my '75 245. The car felt like it had a good solid 6-cylinder engine.

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Hi folks --

There have been more than one K grind cam; Volvo and ipd have each produced (at least) one. The ipd K cam hasn't been around for about 20 years.

I hope this is still accurate -- the spec sheet I have indicates:

Volvo K: 277 degrees' duration/.420" gross lift.

ipd K: 259/.429"

Volvo's cams didn't really follow anything too logical; that is, they didn't always get wilder as the letters proceeded 'up' the alphabet. Well, sort of, but not completely. For example, there was a G cam that offered 308 degrees and .457" gross lift; more radical than a K.

In case this i still interesting:

Isky's VV71: 268/.441"

Isky's VV61: 256/.425"

... and their Z309 (108): 314/.538" !! Yeee-HAW!

Isky does follow an alpha-numeric logic, from their VV61 up to the VV111, then makes a break and switches over to Z prefixes. Delong made cams that went from reasonably tame to well beyond anything reasonable in terms of duration and lift (312/.520"), as did Crane (300/.540").

There are companies out there who never stopped developing and improving on cams for the pushrod Volvos and there's a whole lot more useful and really cool stuff available now than there was in years past. Just boils down to 'how fast can you afford to go?'

Anyway, hope this is of interest.

So is the B20 K and B21/23 K an identical grind at least aside from the mounting differences, I wonder.

"...identical grind at least aside from the mounting differences, I wonder..."

I wonder, too. I'd bet not. I suspect Volvo used a very pragmatic scheme: Start with the very mild, call it "A", and move on up toward the hotter and more radical cams. The "K" was a good street grind, and the "R" was a definite sport grind—lopey, rough idle, and didn't really come on 'til around 3500-4000.

We have no reason to expect the same progression in the OHC engines such that "K" means the same thing. Furthermore, the different geometries of valve trains and combustion chambers would lead to entirely different breathing and performance.

I think the A cam was a single-carb cam for a B18 used only on Sundays. I used three of 'em on various rebuilds—mom, dad, and wife—and they all were smooth, quiet, easy-starting, 60 mph cams. I kept the K for myself. And I even have a new K cam and a new R cam in my parts pile.

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

"So the cams from an overhead cam engine B21-on, are identical to and interchangeable with the B20 and earlier engine cams..."

Not even slightly.

The pushrod cam has three bearing surfaces, the OHC style has five.

The pushrod cam has a drive gear for the oil pump 'n distributor, the OHC style does not.

The pushrod cam was driven by a big mutha gear, secured by a big mutha nut, the OHC style is driven by a sprocket, secured by a bolt.

On the other hand, they both have eight lobes......

Oh, wait — you're joking, right?

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

I was wondering the same thing. There's a K-grind cam on ebay, but the description only mentions older engines, and the seller couldn't tell me if it was the same kind that came in the b23e.

Anyone know if this cam will work in a B230F engine: Item #505294443

No, that is not going to work as a B21-230 K cam. The OHC cam has 5 journals and certainly no gear in the middle. I do however, recommend getting a K cam for a B21 and I would consider another one for a tryout in a B230 if I get the chance.

I just installed a k-cam in a friend's b21f. It has serious flat spots at low rpms and doesn't kick in until around 3k. However, there is some serious power all though the upper band i'd say from 3000-6500. This is a good cam for those high rev-ers out there. I don't know if the b18/b20 k-cam is different....i'd like to hear from someone with some early k-cam experience.

"...i'd like to hear from someone with some early k-cam experience..."

Made my '75 B20F move right along. It was bored to 2.1 (+.060), with Mahle pistons, Deves rings, IPD lifters 'n pushrods, dual springs, bronze guides, alloy retainers, Teflon seals, lightened flywheel, hi-pressure oil pump, CD ignition, IPD headers. Fully balanced, damper to clutch. Head cc'd, ported, polished, ports matched to manifold, 10.8:1 cr.

Though it wound easily to 7500, I'd say it rolled off around 6500. 'Course, I'm working from memory—I sold the car around '88.

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

you may want to also try the H grind cam,in the B23E the k grind has 136 hp stock while the H grind gave 140 hp stock.the a grind cam as used in the 83 canadian b23e engine has 115hp stock.I have a 83 glt with b23e with a grind cam,works well with 2 1/4 inch exhaust and adjustable cam pulley but will try K or h grind in the future.My other 82 glt has b23e with K grind and is noticeably quicker.There is a source for used cams in Ontario Canada .Hamiltons Garage just out side of Guelph Ontario,but leave one cam for me please.e mail me if you want the phone #.