Anyone running The GSCA Pop Mech cam in thier 455?

THanks... this is good info.
You'd think they would publish stuff like this in their specs! There's a whole lot to the cams they don't tell you about. So much more that you could have two cams with nearly the same specs and they would act totally different.

 

The first cam was waaay off on duration (less than was supposed to be), and the second I believe JW said was an issue with the ramps, like it was actually a solid lifter grind but is supposed to be hydraulic. I did have issues with valve stem height but those cams were definitely grinder problems. I think there was a 3rd try for the same cam but I have lost track now! By the way these were all the same part #. JW, please correct me if I am wrong here! Brian

 

The Key with head porting is to maximize the flow with the port volume you have. Looking at the evolution of port designs in the last 20 years, you can see that experts have learned a lot of ways to move more air through the same volume port. What a good head porter does is remove material in places that have the most CFM per CC of iron removed. Buick heads have a lot of improvement to be made with a good CFM/CC iron return. Charlie Evans specifically mentioned the short-side radius as a good example. Blending the seat to the bowl and streamlining the guide also come to mind. THe key is to be conservative at-home and let a pro do the more questionable stuff. I pocket ported my heads, but even though I knew the short-side needed improvement I left it alone because you can do as much damage as good there if you don't know what it's supposed to look like when you are done.

I would whole-heartedly recommend you have a pro do your heads, or get the TA's. They fixed all or some of the problems that the head porters couldn't at any price. Assuming the I/E flow ratio was the same, I'd think the power would be the same as with stock heads but proportionately higher across the board.

 

Man, that's crazy! I read the other day that some are shipping with the journals too big, but what you have going on is just odd! Which cam are you going with?

 

I cant keep silent! i just want to make a comment, i was looking threw some old GSextras from the late 80s early 90s (i am no longer a member) the cars in there that were running low 12s, high to mid 11s with the 107 cam, were car that had modified heads, almost all STAGE 1 VALVES, almost all had 11to1 comp or higher. i just wanted to comment on that part of my observation

 

Interesting, Kelly.
It still doesn't change the fact that my dad's 9:1 car with unported heads is running 12.20's! With a 430. With a Q-jet. Actual 8.95:1 motor. B4B. Small valve 69 430 heads- gasket matched.
Hey, it could just be a freak motor! Who knows. Wierder things have happened, right?
Or, maybe those guys didn't need the compression or stage 1 valve like they thought they did. :grin:
nothing wrong with your comments, of course. I'm just giving you a hard time
I plan to see what a 9.8:1 462 with headers, B4B, 800 Q-jet, Poston 112 cam (it's a 107 ground on a 112 center) 3500 stall, 4.10 gear TH400 car is capable of. Maybe everything I've said is total BS, but I haven't lied about anything I said before... and I know what I've seen! The car ran a 12.37 through exhausts (3" minimal exhaust- Borla mufflers- dumped out at rear axle) with Buick wheels a few weeks ago. The 12.20 time was run with open headers and centerlines at dragway 42. There were other Buick guys there a few weeks ago when it ran a 12.37 that will tell you... ask Denny Moore- I think he was there with Renee's car.

 

i forgot to mention these are complete cars, 3800lbs+, with full interiors all factory sheet metal, running full exhaust, no hood scoops, ect..how much does your dads car weight?? i personaly love the 107 cam, i remember the 92 gsca nationals and love how those cars sounded.

 

Steve, I am sure if JW had the time, he could tell you quite a story. We are going with a custom ground cam in the 462. Same specs as the cam we were trying to use. Makes me wonder how many people are having problems or poor performance and didn't check their cam! And it may be way off and they are blaming something else.I would have been guilty too probably if it was me doing it instead of Jim W. Actually Jim is probably trying to recover from the alcohol binge that this deal has put him thru. I on the other hand lost my sanity years ago, so it doesn't faze me as much now. He has had so much quality time with my motor that he probably won't give it back..... it would be like parting with an old friend! On the other hand, he may just fly over and kick it out of the plane, never to be seen again!!! Brian :grin: :grin:

 

My dad's car is a FULL WEIGHT 70 GS stage1 (titled, original motor is gone) full interior all steel car that weighs in at 4100+ pounds with him in it!
Don't take me too seriously... I was just razzing you a little. But the info on the car is all true.
I like the sound too. I don't know why everyone thinks they're so unstreetable, other than the lack of vacuum for power brakes.

 

Brian,
That kind of stuff can give you fits... that's for sure!
Had a bad set of lifters in a 462 my dad was putting together. It was missing real bad, wouldn't smooth out... backfiring. Thought it was electrical at first. (blame me, being in electronics as an occupation you get used to suspecting that first).
So, are you saying that TA is using schneider for their grinds, and you have to have a custom grind of a 413 from somewhere to get a decent one? I'm not trying to give TA a bad rap, but I would be kicking some supplier butt if that is the case.

 

how is it for gas mileage, haha! how does it drive around town, for example stoplight to stoplight. i want to step up cams but want to keep it sounding somewhat like a sleeper. thats why i dont run a cam light that.IT SOUNDS BAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!

 

Oops! i forgot to seperate Kelly's post from my quote. The RamAir part was mine Brian.

 

Brian,
I know what you're saying... it could be a total fluke overachiever motor. We talk about that now and then. I have seen that cam pick other cars up too. I'm sold on it for now (I bet you couldn't tell, haha). We will have to see when I get mine done.

 

Yeah, but BAAAAAAAD can be GOOOOOOOD! :laugh:
THe car drives great around town (other than having to pump up the airbags for the tall tires). My mom has driven it to work before- 15 miles or so each way. Then again, she races a 10 second Buick on weekends.
You would be surprised about the mileage too. It's not any worse than anything else you see around here. You have to make an effort to keep your foot out of the secondaries though

 

Man, that sucks!
If I were at TA, I would be checking every one that came in the door at this point.
Can't blame Jim for wanting to be done with it at this point. I would do the same thing.

 

Steve, I completely lost track of what you are going to use! Which one was it? Also there have been severe problems with lifters recently also ( quality, availability). We just can't win!! For what I am wanting, JW swears by this cam's specs. I want good street manners, to run all my accessories without issues, and to be able to run in the 12's. Not too much to ask, huh! :laugh: Brian

I am running a 462 w/ 9.8 compression, the new T/A SP1,iron fully ported Stg1 heads, BIGS modified Holley HP950, T400w/ 2800 stall, and 3:73 gears ( to be installed later). Eventually I plan on installing a GearVendors unit. I hear good things about them! Brian

 

I do want everyone to know that Jim W is a man of his word and he won't deliver it until it is 100% right in his book. I wouldn't want anyone else building this for me. A lot of people would have probably said "good enough" and sent it to me. Jim isn't like that and has been awesome to deal with. His reputation is staked on his work and he takes that very seriously! Even when it comes to the point where it is losing money for him. I recommend that anyone who is serious about getting a quality job done, talk to Jim. You get what you pay for and Jim delivers. Please consider him for your work, people like Jim don't come around too often! Brian :TU: :TU:


And no, Jim isn't giving me a discount for saying that! :grin:

 

What I don't understand about this is why do you need that big of a stick to get in the 12s with a 455?? I've got the Poston 116 cam in mine, and it runs in the 12s all day long no sweat. And thats with a 2.93 gear ratio!

 

Robert,
I'm aiming at high 11's. That, and I don't have ported heads. I would suspect you must either have a light car or some good heads to be turning those times with a smaller cam. Let's hear all the details!
That's the good thing about ported heads- you don't need a lot of cam to get there. I like the crazy idle anyway. It's part of the fun for me.

Brian,
I'm going to try the 112. It seems to be like the 107 (it's the same grind on 112 centers) but with more top end, which is where the 107 is lacking.