Want more power?

[albaniadiadem]

Im currently running lunati vodoo cam in a 355 with vortec heads, flattop pistons. Current cam specs are.

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,000-5,500

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 213

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 213 int./219 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 256

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 262

Advertised Duration: 256 int./262 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.454 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.454 int./0.468 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 112


Im wanting more power and my question is how much HP will i gain from switching to one of these cams. Note my heads already have new springs to support a bigger lift.

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,400-5,700

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219 int./227 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 262

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 268

Advertised Duration: 262 int./268 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 int./0.489 exh.


or this cam

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,800-6,000

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 230

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 236

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 230 int./236 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 274

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 286

Advertised Duration: 274 int./286 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 int./0.490 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 110

or this

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,800-6,200

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 233

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227 int./233 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 268

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 276

Advertised Duration: 268 int./276 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.504 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 int./0.504 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 110

[par4tom]

Based upon what you are posting, I would say the horsepower range would be about 340 to 370 on the last cam you listed. Should have a bit of lope at idle...

[LVPhotos]

A 1hp to 1cui was alot a few years ago. More power can come from changing timing, final drive (gears/tires). I gained more out of timing. Was running conservative 8 to 10 degree with hei now a full 36 total with non hei MSD "Ready to Run" 15 -16 intial.
Cam wise don't lose torque for hp. Heavy trucks and cars want more torque to get and go.

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by albaniadiadem

Im currently running lunati vodoo cam in a 355 with vortec heads, flattop pistons. Current cam specs are.

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,000-5,500

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 213

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 213 int./219 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 256

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 262

Advertised Duration: 256 int./262 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.454 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.454 int./0.468 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 112


Im wanting more power and my question is how much HP will i gain from switching to one of these cams. Note my heads already have new springs to support a bigger lift.

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,400-5,700

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 219 int./227 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 262

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 268

Advertised Duration: 262 int./268 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.468 int./0.489 exh.


or this cam

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,800-6,000

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 230

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 236

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 230 int./236 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 274

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 286

Advertised Duration: 274 int./286 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.490 int./0.490 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 110

or this

Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,800-6,200

Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227

Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 233

Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227 int./233 exh.

Advertised Intake Duration: 268

Advertised Exhaust Duration: 276

Advertised Duration: 268 int./276 exh.

Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 in.

Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.504 in.

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 int./0.504 exh.

Lobe Separation (degrees): 110

top end of the engine is everything so much HP is just waiting to be discovered and most people dont ever do it ... so here is the most important thing ... Breathing a well matched motor will make way more HP than one with just good parts thrown at it ... so when building a engine to get the most out of one .. port the heads a good pro port and polish job will do so much .. also another HP gain is to Match Port your heads and intake ports this is a good gain ... next is Cam ive always liked 108 lobe sep but i like that really hard choppy idle but anyway back to cam its very important to get as close as you can to matching your head flow specs .. this will be a huge gain .. also if its in the pocket book Roller Cams and Valve Train full roller are much better than hydro flat tappet . so after getting your heads worked and flow benched to learn the max flow specs then call up your favorite Cam company and buy the cam they recommend per your info .. next increase rockers to 1.6 . after this stuff is done then its back to more breathing throw on some bigger headers as in the primary tubes and say your exhaust is 2 and a half ... then increase that to 3 inch as in the port matching of the intake to heads its a big gain to remember that your exhaust is only as big as your smallest part so if they or you reduce down to a smaller size than 3 inch anywhere in the system after the header collector as in the pipes to mufflers then your 3 inch exhaust is not going to perform as well as it would being true 3 inch ... now timing comes into play a good MSD ready to run Dist with a box like a 6al and your dist being tuned with a MSD bushing kit .. will always out perform a HEI dist spark and timing are a big thing get those right and they make a huge change as well .... lol im gonna sound like a broken record but remember Flow ? well back to flow if you are running something like Cherry Bombs or some cheap Turbo mufflers .. this will be no good either you will want to change them out to a less restrictive muffler like a good 40 series Flow master or if you need a bit more quiet a 3 chamber Flow master mufflers . next is carb im sure im gonna hear some say hey nothing wrong with a Edlebrock carb and for a mild build its fine but to get the most HP gains even Edlebrock tell you run a different carb so go to a Street and Strip carb like Holley and do Manual Secondaries not a vac .. i know this was much more than you was looking for but i wanted to give you all info i could to getting the most HP you can out of your engine but i cant stress this enough when or if you get the heads ported have it done at a good shop with good reviews as the vortec heads are very fragile with how much meat can be removed so dont try it at home Happy Truckin Michael

[urmyboyblue]

I think you need to set a goal of what power you want and then build accordingly. I would set a goal for the HP you want and call a cam company for their suggestion as to what cam you should run. You can get cam suggestions by email as well from Comp and a couple of others. But be aware that, as the previous poster pointed out, just changing the cam will not be the be all end all. If the truck is an automatic, you may have to go to a different stall converter. The cylinder heads that you have may not be optimal for the cam you go with. (However, do not just go have the heads hogged out as much as they can be- heads that are matched to a cam and overall engine combination will give you a much better torque curve and make the truck a lot more enjoyable to drive. Racing heads typically flow best at WOT- somewhere your street driven truck does not operate at most of the time.) Sorry, not a straight forward answer, but the question you are asking is not easy. You could buy an engine simulation program if you really want to make sure that one of these is perfect, but it is easier and cheaper just to talk with a cam manufacturer.