need cam shaft advise .....going nuts

[s19243h]

need you guys advice on getting the right cam. I have a 72 chevy 350 bored 30 over flat top 4 valve relief pistons stock 2 bolt bottom end with about 4000 miles on it it has 186 double hump heads 64cc ,screw in studs and push rod guide plates .im planning on putting an edelbrock streetram and 2 elde 500 on progressive linkage, yea I know ,it wont run on the street , don't try to talk me oit of it im going to try anyway.any how my bucket has a jegs 10" converter 27-3000 stall 350 turbo, 3:80 gears and 31" tall tires. I had a 305 in the car for 3 years before it got tired . the 305 had a e922p cam in it 214/224 dur,443/465 lift 107 ls when I put the car in gear the car would hardly move and the idle wouldn't drop that was the perfect stall for me . im afraid of loosing the stall by picking a cam that's to big for the 355. need advise thinking isky 280 mega or 270, comp magnum 270 or 280,or summit 232/234,488 all cams are108 ls ecept comp at 110

 

[GT63]

need you guys advice on getting the right cam. I have a 72 chevy 350 bored 30 over flat top 4 valve relief pistons stock 2 bolt bottom end with about 4000 miles on it it has 186 double hump heads 64cc ,screw in studs and push rod guide plates .im planning on putting an edelbrock streetram and 2 elde 500 on progressive linkage, yea I know ,it wont run on the street , don't try to talk me oit of it im going to try anyway.any how my bucket has a jegs 10" converter 27-3000 stall 350 turbo, 3:80 gears and 31" tall tires. I had a 305 in the car for 3 years before it got tired . the 305 had a e922p cam in it 214/224 dur,443/465 lift 107 ls when I put the car in gear the car would hardly move and the idle wouldn't drop that was the perfect stall for me . im afraid of loosing the stall by picking a cam that's to big for the 355. need advise thinking isky 280 mega or 270, comp magnum 270 or 280,or summit 232/234,488 all cams are108 ls ecept comp at 110

When I was looking for a Cam, I contacted Comp, Crower, and a few others. I gave them all the specs I could.
Comp gave me the usual Sales pitch with muliple recommendations.

The reply I received from Crower impressed me the most. It was very detailed and not only recommended the cam, but also the correct springs, lifters and pushrods to use. The biggest surprise was that the reply came from Mr. Crower.

Contact all of the Cam Manufacturers and see what they respond with.

 

[s19243h]

comp cams has been working with me ( asking questions) so im waiting on their response, thought maybe someone out there could tell me what their combos are .... lot of buckets out there with 2 fours





















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[TriodeLuvr]

I'd talk to Crower, tell them how you'll use the vehicle, let them make a recommendation.

 

[s19243h]

will do

 

[Screaming Metal]

They guys have given ya great advice there! Always ask the grinder....with a Street type tunnelram today, you want to run a fairly mild grind. The really warm RV grinds work great....With the small under the carb areas in the plenum and runners made to keep the velocity up, the Thumpr Grind will work, just call the grinder and they'll give you something that'll sound wicked and run great on the street too.
Grinders that I would suggest are Crower, Sig Erson, Comp. Cams and Lunati. Regardless of which one you choose, tell them what your doing with the car. Some folks will try and make you go the way of a single 4bbl....but a person with a little patience can get a dual 4bbl and a tunnel running just fine on the street.
Though the Thumpr is primarily used on the single and dual quad hirise intakes as well as the six packs, etc....camming a tunnel can be a pain in the posterior.
If you run a set of the bleed down lifters, that will tame down those fairly wild cams, it makes running a tunnelram on the street alot easier. That, my friend, will let you tune the carbs easier also....
Most of the cam mfg'ers have them now, but the guys who invented them, are still in business and will fix you up, if your cam co. doesn't have them.... look up Rhoads Lifters....

 

[s19243h]

really good advise screaming metal like the bleed down lifters m waiting for crower and comp cams on a recomendation

 

[s19243h]

crower recomendations 214/224 dur@ 50 444/467 lift 112 ls
214/222 dur 450/470 lift 110 ls both are pretty close the second one a little more midrange

 

[Mike]

With no more gear than you are running with those tall tires, you will be happier with their first recommendation.

 

[s19243h]

yup i think its called the torque beast by reserching the numbers same exact cam i had in the 305 except 106ls ran its ass off in that little car whats better for my app 112 ls or 106?

 

[Mike]

whats better for my app 112 ls or 106?

Yes. I realize that really makes no sense, but when dealing with an engine using the components you've selected, to be run in a street cruiser, there are no real absolutes.

The 106° will move torque to a lower RPM, which is typically desirable in a street car. But it will also narrow up the power band and start increasing cylinder pressure. You're already pushing that envelope with your small chamber heads, so be prepared to run some very good gasoline in hotter weather. The idle is going to be lumpier, which means idle vacuum is going to be a lot lower, so be prepared to do some accelerator pump tuning. Typically, a cam with a smaller separation angle will present more piston/valve clearance issues, but with lift at no more than .470, you should be OK. (Note, I emphasized the word 'should', because I am in no way suggesting you won't need to check P/V.) Typically, with an intake/carb combination like you are planning to run, the best bet would be to head the other direction with the cam, but bearing in mind this is going to be a street cruiser, you will need to plan accordingly.

 

[s19243h]

i understand what your saying mike. i will go with mr. crowers first choice i just didnt understand how the almost same cam worked well in a 305 thought i would go bigger in a 355 i also understand with the tunnel i need to keep with the smaller cam i am limited by stall gear ratio and tire size . my bucket is a cruiser so ill tune carbs according besides these buckets are way to litecand scary at high speeds but alsofun fun fun

 

[2old2fast]

That cam [crower] is not that much different than a 350 hp-350 cam . In Pat Ganahl's book about carbs , his reccomendation for 2x4 tunnel rams is to stay under 230 @ 050 . I am now running my tunnel ram on my 388 stroker motor , my cam is a circle track 232-234 @ 050 -.490 lift , it's responsive , "talks" nice at idle & doesn't give up -up to 6500. In the old 350 , the l-79 cam ran out of go about 5200. The gains are not ALL due to cam difference as the 388 has better heads & more cubes , but I sure like the performance of the "bigger" cam better. Good thing is a cams not that hard to swap in a bucket.

dave

 

[s19243h]

herees one for you guys
crower cam214/224@50 112 ls 444/467
rpm 18-6000
summit cam 214/224@50 112 ls442/465
rpm 2000/4500
big difference in rpm

 

[TriodeLuvr]

herees one for you guys
crower cam214/224@50 112 ls 444/467
rpm 18-6000
summit cam 214/224@50 112 ls442/465
rpm 2000/4500
big difference in rpm

That tells me either the cams aren't really as similar as the paper numbers indicate, or rpm was determined using different standards. It does point out how important it is to consult and buy from a manufacturer you trust.

Jack

 

[Mike]

i will go with mr. crowers first choice

There you go.

Dave is a heckuva good guy. He calls 'em as he sees 'em and doesn't blow smoke up anyone's bum. Trying to out-think fellows like Dave is what gets most people in trouble. If he tells you to use a particular grind and to install it at a particular centerline, listen to what the man is saying and follow his advice to the letter.

Without trying to take too big a swipe at any of the mail-order warehouses, please try to keep in mind that the same warehouse salesman who is talking cam technology with you is the same guy who was just selling a neon light kit to someone with a Honda and a lift kit to a guy with an F-250, before that. When you need a cam recommendation, call the people who live, eat and breathe camshafts, because they are the people whose continued livelihood is dependent upon customer satisfaction.

And then, after you've burned up that individual's time, don't fall into baby chick mode (cheap, cheap, cheap), by taking their advice and trying to carry it over to some product a mail-order house is trying to peddle. If the man has helped you, then support him with your dollars, because that is what ensures he will be around the next time you need some help.

 

[Golly]

All this advice sounds good to me and I've run tunnel rams on the street and race cars for years. Keep in mind .460 lift may be getting near the limit for stock rockers. "Long slot" rockers will let you go to around 480" lift, or better still, some roller rockers. but make sure you check after you put the cam in. I used an old solid lifter , and turned the motor over by hand.
The biggest thing in your favour is you're putting in a decent stall converter. That'll make it a lot more driveable. Sounds like a great combo, should be a blast to drive.

 

[Screaming Metal]

Yes, the milder the cam, the easier it is on other valvetrain components. Yes, do definitely check the slots. And as Mike said, check the piston to valves by setting your valves, then at close to full lift, make sure you have a additional .100 of clearance. Heres how to do it if your not pulling your motor down all the way (with heads still on)....
Go to the Auto parts place, they will have a bar that you can use to pry the valve open via the rocker arm. Set a indicator to -0- on the base circle (on the rocker arm, then about .01 before full lift, gently pry the valve open. If youhave a .500 travel indicator, you will have to reposition it and reset it for -0-...if you have a 1" travel indicator, you'll be ok. Just make sure you have at least .o8o-.100 before hitting....and for gods sake, be gentle.
All you have to do is check the intake and exhaust on one cylinder.
Depends on the cam, but usually the closest is when its close to full lift things are the closest or during overlap.
USUALLY, below .500 lift your OK, I've run .550 to .570 before, depends on the motor, size of the valves, valve angle to piston bore, and pistons....
just be sure to check things. Also, check for coil spring bind, valve guide seal to retainer clearance and rocker to spring retainer clearance also....

 

[Screaming Metal]

If a .500 travel indicator, do it on the lifter....which is probably better, since you can knock the indicator off up there prying the rocker open. On a street motor where you don't have to worry about floating the valves, .07 would be good, but I would not go any less than that....

 

[Screaming Metal]

I didn't think I typed that slow...maybe the coffee is that good....
Anyway, I added all that extra info to start with because the more the block and or heads have been decked, the less clearance you'll have....