Kelford Cams at AFR Autoworks
Kelford Cams grinds performance camshafts in Christchurch, New Zealand. We stock more than 500 Kelford part numbers — camshafts, valve springs, retainers, stem seals and cam gears — and ship them across Canada and the United States. Every Kelford product we carry is 5% off.
Cams by engine platform
Our Kelford range is deepest on the engines people actually build:
-
Toyota — 2JZ-GTE (VVTi and non-VVTi), 1JZ, 3S-GE, 4A-GE, 1UZ/2UZ/3UZ, and the newer GR Yaris and GR Corolla profiles.
-
Nissan — RB26DETT, RB25, RB30, SR20DET, CA18DET and VQ35.
-
Mitsubishi — 4G63 through the EVO range, and 4B11 for the EVO X.
-
Subaru — EJ20 and EJ25, AVCS and non-AVCS, plus FA20DIT and FA24DIT for the newer WRX. See the rest of our Subaru parts.
-
Honda — B16A, B18C and K-series VTEC profiles.
-
Mazda — 13B rotary and the MZR range.
-
Chevrolet and Holden — LS and Holden six-cylinder profiles.
If you don't see your engine listed, ask — Kelford's catalogue is larger than what we hold on the shelf.
Camshafts, springs and valvetrain
A camshaft swap is rarely just a camshaft. More lift and duration need springs that can control the valve at the rpm you're chasing, and worn stem seals show up as oil consumption the moment the engine starts revving harder. Alongside the cams we stock Kelford valve springs, titanium and steel retainers, valve stem seals, cam gears and sprockets, and balance shaft delete kits for the platforms above.
If you're buying cams from us, ask about the matching spring set for that profile before you order. It's cheaper than pulling the heads twice.
Choosing a profile
Duration is how long the valve is open, measured in crank degrees; lift is how far it opens. Bigger numbers move the powerband up the rev range — more top end, less bottom end, and a rougher idle.
What matters is matching the cam to everything else. On a turbo engine, the turbo size, fuel, injectors and ECU decide how much cam you can actually use. A 282 on a stock-frame turbo and pump fuel can easily be slower than a 272, because the engine can't fill the extra duration. The right question isn't "what's the biggest cam" — it's "what's the power target, what turbo, what fuel, and what rpm do you want to run to."
Tell us those four things and we'll point at the profile that suits, or tell you honestly that your current setup doesn't need new cams yet.
Custom grinds
Kelford grinds custom profiles for engines and combinations their off-the-shelf range doesn't cover, and we place those orders for our customers. We'll need your engine, head configuration, valvetrain components, turbo or induction setup, fuel, target power and the rpm you plan to run. Email sales@afrautoworks.com with those details and we'll get a quote and a timeline back from Kelford.
Installation and clearancing
We install Kelford cams in our own shop in Red Deer, Alberta, and we do valve-to-piston and retainer-to-seal clearancing in-house as part of the build. It matters most on high-lift profiles, on engines with decked blocks or shaved heads, and on anything with a stroker crank. If you're supplying your own short block or heads, talk to us before you order the cams so the clearances get checked against the parts you actually have.
Proven in competition
Kelford reports more than 60 race records set on their camshafts. Among the results they publish: Fredric Aasbo's Formula Drift-winning Toyota GR Supra A90 at 1,095 hp, the Kozmic FHT Subaru running 8.05 at 184 mph on off-the-shelf 282/278 profiles, and the Team TeknoToyz/Mazworx compound-turbo four-cylinder drag car. Those are Kelford's numbers, not ours — we've simply seen the same consistency on our own dyno and on our drag car.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kelford cam profile suits my build? It depends on your power target, turbo or induction setup, fuel and the rpm you want to run to. Send us those four things and we'll recommend a profile — or tell you if your combination doesn't need new cams.
Do I need valve springs with new camshafts? Usually, yes. Higher-lift and longer-duration profiles need springs matched to the profile to control the valve at rpm. We stock Kelford spring kits for the platforms we carry cams for.
What is camshaft clearancing, and does my engine need it? It's checking and correcting valve-to-piston and retainer-to-seal clearance so nothing contacts at full lift. High-lift profiles, decked blocks, shaved heads and stroker combinations are the usual cases. We do this work in-house.
Can Kelford grind a custom profile for my engine? Yes. Send us your engine details, valvetrain, induction setup, fuel and power target, and we'll arrange a custom grind quote through Kelford.
Is there a discount on Kelford products? Yes — 5% off every Kelford product we carry.
Do you ship Kelford cams across Canada and the United States? Yes. We ship throughout North America from Red Deer, Alberta.
