Schrick Valve Spring retainer set – E90/E92 M3

What do I need a camshaft for?

The cam shaft is part of the mechanical engine control. The intake and exhaust valves of the engine are mechanically actuated for gas exchange control by the camshaft or in fact, controlled. The camshaft significantly impacts on the characteristics of the engine through its direct influence on the gas-exchange control. The camshaft is driven by a toothed belt or the so-called timing chain. Through the so-called "sharper" camshaft, the engine performance can be optimised and thus represents the most influential measure of a well-thought-out tuning package.

Are sport camshafts really sharp?

In the past, the term "sharp" camshaft was fixed in most people's minds. And yet the cam shape of a sport camshaft is not really sharper. Due to the longer valve openings, most cam profiles are actually rounder than a series profile. The longer valve openings allow for a higher volumetric efficiency in the cylinder which conversely results in higher engine performance to be realised.

How are sport and series camshafts different?

Series camshafts offer a very good compromise for the demands of everyday traffic on the engine: Acceptable cruising speed on long stretches of the motorway, quiet idling at low speeds and the cleanest possible emissions. If lower requirements are placed on one or more of these criteria, a camshaft can be designed to function better in the remaining criteria.

The tuner must now find the ideal compromise for his engine tuning. A racing camshaft causes, for example, a substantial power increase at high speeds. In return, idling at a low speed is no longer possible. Sport camshafts open the valves further and longer; exhaust and intake valves are open for a longer time period. The expert speaks here of valve-opening overlap. At high speeds, the filling of the cylinder is improved. At low speeds, the idling is erratic, because fresh gas is mixed with the exhaust to a greater extent.

What is so special about Schrick camshafts?

Schrick does not distinguish between Formula 1 camshafts and those for our tuning programme. One and the same engineers use one and the same machinery in the production. The camshafts are designed and manufactured on modern CNC processing machines using consistent CAD-CAM applications. Precision, high performance and quality are our claim - Consider using a stronger word.

What camshaft do I need for normal road tuning?

If the vehicle is intended for normal street use, i.e. with a stable engine idle and the ability to pass an emissions test (idle to lower rpm range), it is important to consider a small valve lift at TDC. As a rule of thumb, for valve lift at TDC, the following applies: 2-valve engines with valve lash 2.3 mm, 4-valve engines with valve lash 1.5 mm, 2-valve engines with hydraulic lifter 1.9 mm, 4-valve engines with hydraulic lifter 1.1 mm. If these values are exceeded, the idle becomes increasingly unstable and the torque in the lower speed range decreases.

What camshaft do I need for the racetrack?

Camshafts with larger opening angles and a resulting higher valve lift at TDC, should be used for racing applications. Exceptions to this are engines with individual throttle valves (each cylinder has a throttle valve) or carburettor engines.

How do I identify my existing Schrick camshaft?

Have you found an older Schrick camshaft? Or you are not sure which camshaft is installed in the engine or you are missing the camshaft's settings data? Not a problem. All Schrick camshafts are consistently labelled with their part number in the form of a unique twelve-digit number. The number is always a laser engraving and is located on the shaft of the camshaft or on one of the end faces depending on the camshaft.