BBR is proud to offer it’s bespoke SkyActiv Camshafts as a standalone product!
- Bespoke inlet and exhaust steel billet camshafts now available for Mazda 2.0 SkyActiv engines
- Offers an additional 20+BHP at 7000RPM
- Gains in torque throughout the entire rev range
- Custom valve springs and retainers included
Brackley, Northamptonshire, 22nd December 2016
At the start of our development programme for the SkyActiv engine in 2014, it very quickly became apparent that to achieve over 200BHP and beyond from the 2.0 litre power plant whilst remaining normally aspirated, the mild OEM camshaft profiles would need changing!
With a cylinder head specifically designed for torque and an exhaust camshaft with a maximum lift of just 8.05mm it was time to get to work. Using our Mazda3 SkyActiv and later MX-5 ND SkyActiv development vehicles, the arduous task of camshaft design, production and testing of numerous profiles took place throughout 2015 and 2016.
Initial measurements of the standard valve-train revealed that the Mazda’s SkyActiv valve springs are a great match for their camshaft profiles. Unfortunately, this only gave us an extra 0.45mm of possible valve lift, leaving 0.8mm to coil bind. Furthermore, at maximum inlet camshaft advance, a massive 74 crank degrees, Mazda’s camshaft profile gives only 1.6mm valve to piston clearance.
Early tests revealed that power gains were achievable with the sole installation of revised inlet and exhaust camshafts. It was, however, evident that to see significant improvement and optimise power gains, further valve lift was required. Therefore the standard SkyActiv valve springs needed to be replaced.
With a new set of BBR SkyActiv valve springs and retainers designed and installed, we were able to test camshaft profiles not only with varying duration and centre lines, but also with greater valve lift. This also gave us the advantage of being able to safely rev the engine to higher RPMs without the concern of valve float – critical with such close valve to piston clearances.
The conclusion of our rigorous development is a set of inlet and exhaust BBR billet camshafts, valve springs and retainers that delivers an additional 20+BHP at 7000RPM with torque gains over the OEM SkyActiv camshafts throughout the entire rev range. With the installation of BBR SkyActiv camshafts and BBR StarChip remap on a standard MX-5 ND (no exhaust or inlet modifications), 195BHP is achievable!
The BBR SkyActiv camshaft profile maintains a safe valve to piston clearance of 1.5mm utilising the full range of inlet and exhaust camshaft advance (VVT). The maximum valve lift is 10.75mm inlet and 9.75mm exhaust. BBR SkyActiv camshafts, valve springs and retainers as featured in the highly acclaimed BBR MX-5 ND Super 200 conversion are now available as separate products for both the SkyActiv 2.0 Mazda3 and Mazda MX-5 ND.