71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Hi all, dug a real rough and tired but solid frame 71 k10 cheyenne out of a barn in the spring and got it running and driving real well.
350 performer type intake holley 600 ramhorns 2" duals, sm465 33X12.5 3.73 factory posi. keeping the truck as close to stock as i can for the most part no interest in swaps or anything

runs like a top compressions a little low but within 10 percent, points ignition running 14 degrees initial timing 18" vacuum at idle, thing is, its leaking oil from damn near every gasket and oil coming out passenger pipe imagine valve seals are shot so im gonna pull the motor and hope to have it back in in a day or so just want to reseal it.

but of course i started thinking heads cam blah blah toned it back to just a cam, but now im wondering is its even worth it

was planning on summit 1102 or something similar i see a lot of guys here like it but i simply want off idle to max 4000 torque, low speed work,pull heavy trailer at 55-60 sort of thing.

was driving down gravel roads last night lightin up the tires having a blast pretty much all i need but my intention is not to beat on this truck so revving it out is not anything i care to do.

is a cam just gonna move my rpm up at this point?? is it even worth the extra time doing it when im trying to get the motor back in an afternoon and with snow coming any day? even gonna really notice anything with my purpose?? thanks!

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

also i saw this on a different chevy forum which started to change my mind, yall think theres any validity to this? by this account the summit 1100 is closer to the stocker which looks better than the 1102 for what i need....

An 1102 in a sbc 350 with 882 heads and stock exhaust:
2000rpm119hp311tq
2500-151-317
3000-190-333
3500-223-334
4000-249-326
4500-266-310
5000-271-284
5500-258-246

With an 1101:
2000rpm125hp329tq
2500-159-333
3000-196-343
3500-225-337
4000-244-321
4500-255-298
5000-250-263

With an 1100:
2000rpm131hp344tq
2500-164-344
3000-198-347
3500-223-335
4000-237-312
4500-239-279
5000-226-237

With an 1103:
2000rpm109hp286tq
2500-141-297
3000-180-315
3500-214-321
4000-242-318
4500-265-309
5000-276-290
5500-274-262

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Considering the failure rate of hydraulic cams these days it’s not likely worth a swap. Not much to be gained.
And a more aggressive cam does move everything up rpm wise. You gain higher up but your torque moves up too. Counter productive to what you have now.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

that is exactly what im starting to think, this truck is going right back into a workhorse life, and its running so well right now, wanted some power of course while the engines out but really thinking just reseal it and be done with it

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

I don't know about others, but at this stage in my life, I prefer a good running truck that doesn't leak oil and fluids all over the place over a cam lope.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

1101 is close to stock for many 350s. 1102 is a step up, and will move peak TQ up a few hundred RPM, and make a more HP.

I'm not buying the numbers posted above about the 1101 making more torque than the 1102.

I have used several 1102 cams in 350s over the years, as well as the similar Edelbrock 2102. I can say there is virtually no downside to an 1102 compared to stock, and easily more TQ and HP from 3000 RPM up. This was in engines with 8.0 to 9.3 compression. Also, dual exhaust and low restriction mufflers will make a noticeable difference compared to single exhaust and stock-type muffler. I did this on my truck's original stock 307 back in the day, and was pleasantly surprised by the the improvement.

I'm not sure about lifter quality these days, but I'd be inclined to go with Edelbrock.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

OP

If doing a cam, you will also want to replace the valve springs and it is highly advised new lifters with any new cam

You will want to do new valve stem seals also and if pulling the motor to reseal it, lap the valves also

For a working truck, especially one that tows, a cam commonly referred to as a "RV" cam is beneficial as it makes more TQ down low. for a street ride, this is where your driving is most of the time

IMHO doing a cam in a high milage motor without "rebuilding" the motor (bearings, rings, minimally honing cyl walls if they are not in need of a .030 overbore....leads to a short life for the motor after

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

"RV cam" isn't a term that's mentioned much anymore. Kinda like "3/4 race".;) The ideal upgrade for more TQ would be the same or similar duration with more lift. Maybe something in the Comp Cams XE line?

Good advice on valve stem seals and lapping in the valves.

I'd also check compression to make sure it's close to the same on all cylinders before disassembling. And if there's a problem there, fix it before even thinking about a new cam.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

yep leaning towards just resealing it, the reason for this was to do valve seals and lap valves so thought went to if pulling heads why not cam but. yes i was going to do new howards spring .5 lift or so. I feel the rv term name is odd because as we see it will still only move the power band up a bit for the gains. I did 2" true duals it feels pretty good for a 51 year old truck! compression was showing between 120 and 110, low but maybe just the gauge but all with 10% or so. Ive been reading the stories of new lifters. i think when you do a cam to an older motor it dies prematurely because now you have the bug to beat on them!

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

"RV cam" yes is an old school term. They make their TQ come in at low RPM's

I stay on the smaller size cams in my 383 218/224 and 220/224 in my 357 (.040 350 motor)

But IMHO as mentioned, if doing any cam, it's a domino effect on "what else" should be done with them and on high milage motors I think it's better to rebuild vs just stabbing in a cam

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

You and me both. My last 383 had a 218/224 Comp roller. But I usually don't go that big on a 350. Way too conservative, according to some!

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Yeah so many over cam a motor. If it's primarily a track car/truck, fine. But street car a big cam can be a PIA on drivability

Not saying what OP is considering is too much cam. My $.02 is the other things needed if doing a cam on any motor and if the motor has higher milage...just not a good thing to do a cam only swap

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Mother thumpa cam all the way!

Go big or go home!
LOL

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

I just went through this same process. I wanted an old school thumper sound but not the issues if low vacuum and high revs.
First cam was too much for the low compression bottom end and ran like ****.
Second cam, less aggressive, failed because I did not replace the 20 minute old lifters from the first cam.
Third cam is now a retro roller. There is a noticeable improvement down low but not the thump I initially was looking for.
Bottom line, if you change a cam, go roller. Its a lot more money, but reduces the run in fail rate big time.
If I were to do it again, I would swap on a set of budget heads, and intake and see how things improve. If you have already done so, and not satisfied, then go to a bump stick.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

One more thing to think about!
If you’re changing the cam there’s a good chance at least one or two of the lifters won’t come out upwards and need to be dropped out the bottom. That can be a ton of fun getting the cam out while juggling past the stuck lifters. Almost a gaurentee of scratched cam bearings. And with the pan off you might as well just rebuild the whole thing.
One more reason to leave it alone until you can afford a rebuild.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Guess I've been lucky because in 50+ years of working with 265-400 small blocks, I've never had to remove a lifter from the bottom. But I did have to use pliers to pull out a few.

If pliers don't work, a tool like this would be the way to go. You can get them anywhere. Just google "hydraulic lifter removal tool".

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/..._AC_UY218_.jpg

And as mentioned above, don't even think about installing used lifters and/or a used cam. Even with a "matched" used set, there's no guarantee they will be perfectly "mated" (cam lobe to lifter face) in another block. For some crazy reason, we did things like that back in the 60s-70s with no consequences that I recall. I also remember using old lifters with a new cam.:crazy: We must have been using stock springs.

Finally, I haven't had any issues in the past 10 years with new flat tappet cams and lifters, even with stiffer springs than stock. But today I would use the lifters sold by Mike Jones at Jones Cam Design. (I forget the brand.) You also must use moly lube on the cam lobes and lifter faces, and a break-in oil like Driven BR30 for the first few hundred miles. And run the engine for 15-20 minutes after initial startup, varying the speed between 1500 and 2000 RPM. Obviously, have a helper set the timing right away, and keep an eye on coolant temp and oil pressure.

Lucas and others also sell break-in oils, but I think Driven is at the top of the heap. https://drivenracingoil.com/i-304977...ak-in-oil.html

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

If you want to destroy the lifter bore, it will be a sure thing with the use of that tool on a badly damaged lifter. Since you won't know how damaged it is until the lifter is removed...Kind of a chicken or the egg thing. If you don't suspect damage and it is just varnish then whack away.

Re: 71 K10, just stick with stock cam??
 

Stock cam it is, leaving it alone just new gaskets!