Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

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Wiz_kid53
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Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by Wiz_kid53 »

Well the title asks the question but I’ll explain a bit further. I was reading a small bit from the head porting and flow testing book recently because I would like to build a small scale flow bench that’s just for kicks and won’t need to be dead accurate. But while looking for other books I came across the camshaft/valvetrain book and thought it would be a worthwhile read since cams are probably my weakest point as far as theory, but I understand all the physical aspects. Then I noticed the book was published in 1992, cam technology has changed A LOT since then, so again I ask, is it still relevant in today’s world of street cars with commas in the hp/tq numbers?
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by Dave Koehler »

I wouldn't put much emphasis on the published date. Anything he has written has relevance to some degree or the other.
Cams always seem be to the black art thing at times so you can really go down the rabbit hole on that subject.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by PackardV8 »

Anything he has written has relevance to some degree or the other.
Cams always seem be to the black art thing at times so you can really go down the rabbit hole on that subject.
And even when DV is specific, such as his rule for camming a 350" SBC with 10.5 C.R. and a single plane 4-bbl, we've got some here who will go off on bunny trails about how that's not the best cam for completely different builds and completely different applications.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by skinny z »

PackardV8 wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 11:54 am ... we've got some here who will go off on bunny trails about how that's not the best cam for completely different builds and completely different applications.
That has always driven me to distraction. The 128 rule you've referred to is very specific yet folks will throw 4V heads and F1 engines into the mix.
I'm an avid DV fan and as far as the good old SBC is concerned, whether 1992 or today, it's still the same engine. As far as how the technology has changed, I don't think it's had an impact on the specs per se. Just how we go about getting there.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by Geoff2 »

He has many more recent books, such as the SBC book, 2009.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by pdq67 »

Funny, but several years ago I said something on the Boards and Mr. V got hold of me.

We chatted for quite a while.

I forget about what though, its been that long.

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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by BradH »

Dave Koehler wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:52 am I wouldn't put much emphasis on the published date. Anything he has written has relevance to some degree or the other.
Cams always seem be to the black art thing at times so you can really go down the rabbit hole on that subject.
I have a number of DV books dating back to the early '90s, including his cam & valve train book. Yes, some of the technology has moved on, but the cam book has stood the test of time very well because it covers the basics in detail and has a lot of dyno testing showing the effects of changing LSA, ICL, duration, duration splits, etc.

If anything, it's probably the one older book of his I have that's still relevant "as is", especially for someone who wants some "cause & effect" data to go along w/ the theory.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by Dan Timberlake »

30362760637.jpg

I wonder what would survive from the 1973 edition if DV were to revise it today.

It seems to me Rick Stetson had a copy of TaPoCHM and applied it to fine effect( along with thoughtful development and tuning skills) on his Honda "750" drag bikes back in the last millenium.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by SchmidtMotorWorks »

skinny z wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 2:52 pm
PackardV8 wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 11:54 am ... we've got some here who will go off on bunny trails about how that's not the best cam for completely different builds and completely different applications.
That has always driven me to distraction. The 128 rule you've referred to is very specific yet folks will throw 4V heads and F1 engines into the mix.
I'm an avid DV fan and as far as the good old SBC is concerned, whether 1992 or today, it's still the same engine. As far as how the technology has changed, I don't think it's had an impact on the specs per se. Just how we go about getting there.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by skinny z »

Seeing as I was was notified about this post perhaps it's so that I would reply.
I'll reply in the form of a question and direct it at both the title of this thread and the post above.

Relevant?
Let's put it in context: Gen 1 SBC, 350 with 10.5:1 CR. Venture outside of that envelope and I've nothing to say as my experience doesn't warrant any relevant contribution.
As I stated earlier, isn't the architecture the same and having been beaten nearly to death, the best and worst of what can be achieved already accomplished? I'll say that DV's books covered the subject about as well as could ever have been expected and that information still applies today. Keep in mind too that prior to those books, a lot of what was explained wasn't something the enthusiast had access to. The professionals had an advantage over the rest of us and still do today because there's no substitute for experience.
That said, advancements in technology may have demonstrated improvements in the approach. As an example, we've got computational fluid dynamics to examine port flow in it's entirety (well at least the OEMs do). This wasn't available to "common man" nearly as much as it is today. Just like working in CAD. in 1990 I had no such option. Today I can download a free program.
So the relevance I think is still there but the approach and refinements have moved along.

As for the 128 rule. Back to context. Gen 1 SBC, 350 with 10.5:1 CR.
What's difficult to accept? That particular engine spec is hardly in the realm of something extraordinary or sophisticated. As such, it seems to me that the application of a simple set of guidelines would pay dividends to the average guy building the average engine. Prior to this, I had 10 different contributors offering 10 different cam specs for the same engine and application. Now I have 11.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by CamKing »

Wiz_kid53 wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:51 pm is it still relevant in today’s world of street cars with commas in the hp/tq numbers?
Is history relevant ?
I still study cam profiles designed by Ed Winfield, from before I was born. I look at them, and try and understand his thought process, and if those ideas still hold true, and if not, why.

The way Harold Brookshire designed asymmetrical profiles was nowhere close to optimum, but if I didn't study them, and figure out their weakness, I wouldn't have came up with a far superior design system.

whether what he wrote is still 100% correct, outdated, or 100% false, you can still learn from it.
Try and understand what his line of thinking about a given topic was, at that time, and worry less about the numbers. Maybe he's 100% correct. Maybe his line of thinking was spot on, but he had the equation wrong.
Even if, with what we know today, his line of thinking was completely off track, that can help you find the right track.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by pdq67 »

IMHO, UDHarold was very good and shared his information. I miss Harold to this day.

As did, old, Ed Isky, "The Camfather"..

Now I look to Mike and Chris as well as Billy G. to guide me to try to continue to learn more about the subject.

I also like to keep up with. "Vortecpro", but mostly for his engine builds.

pdq67

PS., I have a big loose left cam historical file and multiple old cam catalogs to look back through just for having it.

I mostly use this stuff to help guys try to ID old cams.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by Walter R. Malik »

You know ... I learned a lot from Don Teweles, especially about the intricacies of flat tappet lobe profile design. A lot of people in this high performance automotive business today don't even recognize that name but, he really was ahead of his time in the cam design business, just like Ed Winfield was in his day.
A lot of his design findings have been thrown away today but, some of his older stuff is still not equaled.
In the day, he did make very aggressive roller cam profiles perform without incidence with not much valve spring force at all, simply because there weren't any "good" valve springs back then.

I would imagine that some of that would be useful today, (though not all of it), so as Mike has said, learn better stuff by what was done before, both good and not so good.
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by David Vizard »

Yes!
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Re: Are David vizard’s books still relevant today?

Post by GARY C »

Geoff2 wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2020 3:15 am He has many more recent books, such as the SBC book, 2009.
Yes it seems some people don't realize this.
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