I know this is like beating a dead horse around this board, but I haven't paid much attention to what cams people are using on their street cars. Here's the car: 71 Centurion Convertible - 455 Stage1 iron heads, TA full length headers, X Pipe, B4B intake, and soon to have Dave's HEI and a John Osborne Qjet. Right now has points and a stock qjet. What would be a good mild cam to make some decent HP gains? I don't want to rattle windows, but I do want to make sure people can tell I have one.
Cam Adam, I have the same cam as Yardley...it a TA 288-94H and I LOVE it. Just enough to tell there is a cam and it pulls like nobody's business. Very strong and linear. I am sure Yardley will chime in as well. Cams are like religion though...everybody has an opinion and they think their's is the best. Jim Weise suggested this cam for my combo and I thank him everytime I am driving!:TU:
How much $$$:Brow: Good winter project for me on this one... I've never taken on the short block on any engine before. I'm a little apprehensive. Is it an easy job?
Answers... Adam, the cam, if I recall correctly, was $150. I had the engine all torn down, so the cam install was very easy!:grin: 72buick350, my combo is a 70 455 (9.5:1), stock small valve heads (cleaned up a bit), stock iron intake, 800 Qjet, HEI w/MSD 6AL, TA headers and 3.73 gears.
Did you put in new cam bearings? Lifters? Was the motor out of the car when you installed it? I would assume this can be done with the engine in the car. Does it just slide out the front?
Answers part II Adam, yes, the engine was TOTALLY apart when I did the install. It was a total rebuild with new rings, main/rod bearings, cam bearings, etc... I know it can be done in the car (I saw Jim Weise do it on Yardley's Riv two years ago), but it is much easier with the engine out I am sure! Albert, My car is mostly a street stormer, but with my 3.73 gears, well, it "tachs" up pretty good. At 70 mph, I am at about 3300~3400 rpm. That being said, this cam is great for my combo. You can feel the strong pull from about 2500, then all hell breaks loose at 4000 and she flat goes. I can't tell you how many people have ridden in the car and come away muttering about the pull this thing has. Even my two mechanic brothers (die hard Chevy guys) are amazed. That is not to say it is a slouch below 2500 rpms either though. :eek2:
While it CAN be done in the car, it is best to pull the engine and replace the cam bearings at the same time. You also do need to replace the lifters. If your cam bearings are newer I suppose you could get away with sliding a cam in.
Hey Adam, I have recently run TA's 413 cam and Postons GS113A. Both have good sounding lope, but not too big to drive and have the air on. I use a 2900 stall, but have seen cars with a 2400 using these cams too. Amazing difference over the Stage 1 cam that my car had in it! The car came alive with the few mods I made this year. Stage 1 iron heads with bowl work and angle valve job. All new dual springs and hardware. New stock rockers and pushrods. New Crane lifters. Topped off with a Performer intake and built Q-jet. Shorty headers from TA. All this work was done with the engine in the car too. I pulled the radiator and condensor, along with the grill. The cam bearings looked great, so I stayed with them. Engine didn't have too many miles on a rebuild either. You have to install new lifters with a new cam!! I took my new lifters apart and cleaned them finding particles inside ( some tiny metal shavings). My car now idles at 900 rpm and starts pulling out at around 1500. Locks strong at 2900. May be a little too much cam for you, but that is what I thought about myself till I ran it this summer! People love the sound and the car can crush some tangs now too.
i run the 113A, it is very streetable with the right converter, i run a s/p 4000 with 373 gears, nice lope i like to idle it at 900-1000rpm, pulles hard threw 6000rpm. when driving around town once you take of from idle it smooths right out. i think they recommend, 223 gears at least.
Poston told me to use at least 342 gears with my cam. However, I have used 278's so far with the 342's being finished in the shop this week. Kelly is right. It smooths out nicely after pulling out and getting up to speed. It and the 413 are nice cams for us street guys.
Hey Adam.I use the TA290-94H,has a slight lope.The TA212 would be a good choice for a stock converter.Jim Bureks cam would work also.New lifters are a must and consider new chain/gears also.You can do the job engine in-car but the grille and rad will have to be removed.Later,Tony.
Adam, You shouldn't have any troubles doing the swap - you've got a chassis manual, don't you? If not, let me know and I'll get you the pages covering that cams. Yup, change the lifters, too, and I'd do the bearings as insurance while I was in there...remember this thread ? Then again, I read in that thread where JW says leave them alone...o No: I'm following this topic closely, 'cause I'll be doing pretty much the same thing one of these days.:beer
MANDATORY!! Adam - You mentioned you were seriously considering the Stage 1 alum. heads. I'd wait until you're 100% sure which way you're going. As JW has mentioned....the alum. Stage 1's seem to like much less of a split - something on the lines of only 6* more exh. duration. Possibly the best thing you could bolt up to your current combo (TH400 trans & 3.23 gears), would be the ATI ProCharger w/intercooler!!:bglasses: :TU: If you consider this route....better hold off on the JO Q-jet. You'll want/NEED a double pumper for a blow-thru setup.:Smarty: Speaking of 400's.....a Switch Pitch setup would be a great way of picking up some ET!!:TU:
Oh, Man, would I ever like to!!! :beer Only thing is, I just started a new job, and won't have any vacation time until next summer...:ball: :ball: :ball: (Let's see...if I left at friday noon, drove all day/night, be there saturday morning, do the swap on saturday, drive back saturday night, go to work sunday morning...it just might work...hmm :spank: ) Buicks - the new epidemic!
