Cam Question????

[69Chevyman]

I am wondering which cam to get. I am getting a Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold so should i get the cam that matches it, or should i get something like a Comp Cam.

[70c10]

tHE CAM WILL BE DEPEND ON WHAT RPM YOU PLAN TO DRIVE IN THE MOST, IS IT FOR THE STREET OR STRIP, DO YOU CARE HOW IT IDLES?, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU EXPECT OUT OF IT.

[crazy longhorn]

Edelbrock doesnt reccomend the perf rpm cam for street/heavy vehicles. I have edlebrock rpm heads, intake & carb on my 383,but opted for a Comp cams XE268 to give a nice torkey powerband on the street. Good luck....crazy AL

[cableguy0]

i have the lunati 00010 cam in mine with a set set of ported iron heads with 2.02 valves and love the cam. it has good power from about 2000 all the way up to over 6000rpm. on a nice cold day this motor has seen the better side of 7000 and was still pullin. it has a duration of 230@.050 and a lift of .480 on both sides.but just as a reccomendation stay away from comp cams they are junk. get a lunati or crane or somethiun else and from what i understand edelbrocks cams are outdated grinds.

[guitarman]

I agree with crazy longhorn. The 268 comp is the way to go.

[bigjimzlll]

really depends on your rear gear and tranny combo..I have 3:73 gears and a th350 with a 2500 stall...I have the comp 268H..Im a little under cammed for what i want, but if I didnt have the gears and converter I would be over cammed...comp cams are fine..they had some bad blanks a while back...now they are over compensating....make sure you break the cam in correctly...use EOS from GM(engine oil suppliment) along with following the directions to a tee...call comp,crane, lunati, crower and anyone else you can find and ask what they suggest...then go with the smaller grind...better to be under cammed then over cammed

[69Chevyman]

I was thinking about getting a 292 Comp cam with Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake, 2500 Stall Converter and 3.73's in the rear.

Is this too much of a cam. I love the idle of a 292, so that doesn't bother me. I will be driving this on the street but i want to run it at the track too. Should i go for this 292 cam or go for a lower one.

[crazy longhorn]

If you plan on 3000-3500 stall,& 4.56 gears i would say the Comp 292 would be a good choice......otherwise , i would go much smaller. You might look at a magnum 268 or 270 or an Xe 268 for the gears &converter that you have planned. Too much cam on the street is no fun! Good luck....crazy AL

[bigjimzlll]

I agree with crazy longhorn completly..there is a good solid grind you might want to look at...its comp # 12-676-4 its the extreme energy solid version of the 268 Xs268s-10 this is what im going with

[69Chevyman]

So you are saying i needa 268 cam for my setup. Will that still mae my idle sound pretty good. I love the rough idle, so i want that but i also want it to run. What would happedn if i put a bigger cam than a 268 in it???

[crazy longhorn]

The Xe 268 has a mild lope in my 383......not radical, but you can hear it. If you are runnin a 350 , the same size cam will be more noticeable. The biggest problem with too much cam is they dont idle right in gear, & no power till you get the rpms up. I ran a .060 over 283 in a 71 1/2 ton, with 300 hp heads, L79- 350 hp cam(lots of over lap & choppy idle), 600 dp holley, headers, close ratio muncie & 3.73 gears. this thing was a dog as far as towing, didnt have any power till about 3500........from 3500-7000 rpms it ran like it had been raped & lit on fire! I couldnt keep a saginaw box in it, kept shellin 2nd gear on those 6800 rpm shifts. the close ratio muncie held up, but it was a chore to drive around town. with a heavy truck, you will be happier with a cam that will give low & midrange tork to get 2 tons of fun movin. .......crazy AL

[bigjimzlll]

the bigger the cam(higher duration) the further up the rpm range the engine will make power..the 268 starts making good power around 2200-2500 rpm.....the 274 around 2500-2700..the 280 around 2800-3000..etc...you want your stall to be in the range that you start making good power..if you have a light car with a steep gear you can get buy making less low end power, because it dosent take as much to get it moving..so you can use a bigger cam...with a heavy truck...with 3;73 gears and a 2500 stall...you need as much power as possable down low to get it moving...thats why I went with a 268 cam in my rig...now that Im going to be going to the track more..im going with the solid cam...much more power down low and all the way to 6000 rpm

[69Chevyman]

So with the 268 i should get the same stall converter (2500) or what should i get? You are saying i need more low end than high so should i stay with my Edelbrock Performer Intake(idle to 5500) rather than buying a Edelbrock Performer RPM intake(1500-6500) or go ahead and get the RPM intake???

[bigjimzlll]

i say go with the rpm intake and the 2500 stall..if you got a few extra bucks go with the rpm airgap..or the Dart Kool can like I have...with a 2500 stall you wont be below 2000 rpm for power so the performer wont be a benifit..I still say go ahead and call comp and crane and get there advise too...but you willbe happy with the 268H or 268xe..your power range will be around 2000-5200rpm.

[bigjimzlll]

LOL..I guess I should of asked if this was a small block??????

[69Chevyman]

Crazy Longhorn do you like your RPM heads? How much of a difference did they make?

BigJIm- You have a PM

[69Chevyman]

What does a solid grind mean?????????? is this better?? and if so which one should i get ?

[bigjimzlll]

solid cam is a non hydrolic flat tappet..this means you have to lash the valves..it allows for more aggressive ramps and they make more power.

[69Chevyman]

what does lash mean??

[bigjimzlll]

with hydrolic lifters you adjust the rockers just to there tight(zero lash) the a half turn more..to preload the lifter..with a solid lifter you tighten the rocker witha feeler gauge to like .015 between the valve and the rocker..they make a little noise(clicking)

[crazy longhorn]

69Chevyman, I like the edelbrock rpm heads. They arent the highest flowing alum headson the market,but with the 170cc intake runners,& good balance intake to exhaust flow & a slightly milder cam the torkband is nice & flat(just what you want on the street). Edelbrock claims 420hp on the complete rpm package on a 9.5 to 1 355. i havent dynoed, or run at the strip to check figures, but Virtual dyno puts my combo @ 384hp @ 5250, & 436 tork @ 3500.......but has over 400 ft lbs from 2500-5000 rpms! thats tork that you can feel! now if I can just get the bucks scraped for that T56 trans.........

[69Chevyman]

Ok one of you is telling me the RPM heads are good and the other is telling me that is should go with the dart 180's??? Are these about the same but the RPM's cost more??? What cam do i need if i got the RPM heads???

[crazy longhorn]

Decisions, decisions! either set of heads would be a good choice, the rpms are a little better "balanced' for flow, & flow better in the high lift numbers. I had looked at the dart 180s , but the almost 10 -1 compression swayed me to the edelbrocks. At the time, the price difference was only about $100. as far as cam, thats your choice, but I wouldnt go over about 224 dur@ .050 (comp magnum 270 or XE268, or the solid Big jim mentioned). Good luck.....crazy AL

[69Chevyman]

What is good about high lift numbers? Can you use a bigger cam with them or something? What are you talking about when you say it swayed you because of the compression? Would the darts or the RPM's be better for my setup?

[crazy longhorn]

The aluminum heads will handle a little more compression on pump fuel than the iron heads. my take on flow # is that the heads with better low lift flow will be a little more torkey in the lower range(better throttle response). .....crazy man