The 401 nailhead from my 66 GS is being rebuilt and I would like to know the pro an cons between stock an high performance camshafts. I would also like to know what the best high performance cam is an it's specs of duration after 50,000 an lobe spacing,thank you.
You'll got more opinions on cam shafts than most things There are many grinds but the 4 I see talked about the most are the ... * Buick 091 * TA20, TA25, TA30 I've included the common info for each below. Personally, I like the look of the TA25 for my fullsized/401/ST400 equipped car. [TABLE="width: 100%"] <tbody>[TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"]Product ID: TA_20 401H.470"-218',.470"-218',112' [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="class: detailimage, width: 100%, colspan: 4, align: center"] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"] Recommended for all around street performance, an upgrade over the dual quad Riviera cam gives 20 HP increase in most combinations. TA 1440 Stage 1 springs recommended. Stock converter and gears ok. Good idle. Idle Quality: Smooth Idle - just like stock Good Idle - mild lump, but doesnt impair driveability Moderate Idle - nice performance sound Fair Idle - heavy lump Rough Idle - very lumpy race type idle VALVE LIFT STOCK 1.40 RATIO: IN: .455 EXH: .455 TA ROLLERS 1.60 RATIO: IN: .470 EXH: .470 DURATION AT .050 IN: 218 EXH: 218 ADVERTISED IN: 280 EXH: 280 LOBE CENTER: 112 POWER RANGE: 1500-5000 [TABLE="width: 100%"] <tbody>[TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"]Product ID: TA_25 401H.480"-218'/.495"-228',112' [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="class: detailimage, width: 100%, colspan: 4, align: center"] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"] Performance street and strip cam, gives 25+ HP increase. TA 1440 Stage 1 springs required. Moderate idle. 2000+ stall converter recommended. Idle Quality: Smooth Idle - just like stock Good Idle - mild lump, but doesnt impair driveability Moderate Idle - nice performance sound Fair Idle - heavy lump Rough Idle - very lumpy race type idle VALVE LIFT STOCK 1.40 RATIO: IN: .459 EXH: .479 TA ROLLERS 1.60 RATIO: IN: .480 EXH: .495 DURATION AT .050 IN: 218 EXH: 228 ADVERTISED IN: 280 EXH: 288 LOBE CENTER: 112 POWER RANGE: 1500-5000 [/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE] [TABLE="width: 100%"] <tbody>[TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"]Product ID: TA_30 401H.488"-228',.488"-228',112' [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="class: detailimage, width: 100%, colspan: 4, align: center"] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 100%, colspan: 4"] Hot street/race cam, gives 30+ HP increase. TA 1440 Stage 1 springs required. Fair idle. 2500+ stall converter and gears recommended. Idle Quality: Smooth Idle - just like stock Good Idle - mild lump, but doesnt impair driveability Moderate Idle - nice performance sound Fair Idle - heavy lump Rough Idle - very lumpy race type idle VALVE LIFT STOCK 1.40 RATIO: IN: .472 EXH: .472 TA ROLLERS 1.60 RATIO: IN: .488 EXH: .488 DURATION AT .050 IN: 228 EXH: 228 ADVERTISED IN: 276 EXH: 276 LOBE CENTER: 112 POWER RANGE: 2000-5500 [/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE]
The question is, do you believe the TA Website or the Catalog, cause they are not the same. I have attached the chart from the TA Catalog. I thought hard about the TA 25 or the TA 30. Even considered the TA 413-401 just for the heck of it. But in the end I decided on the W30-10 from Carmen Faso. It's very similar to the TA 25 with a little more duration and a tad less lift. W30-10 232/232, .470 lift, 110LC Unfortunately the engine isn't finished yet, so I can't offer any opinions. But the W30 grind has been around for a long time and I have heard good things about it. So we will see what happens. But roadrunner is right, asking what cam is the best, you are going to get a whole lot of opinions. Do a search on the board and you will see. Walt started a thread long ago where everyone was listing out their cam specs. Also, the rest of the response you are going to get tied to cam choice, is what other modifications do you plan on making. The Nailhead can't breath, so you won't get the most out of your cam or any other engine modifications until you improve flow. So, need to decide what your plans are for the car and the engine as a whole and go from there. Good luck!
I have a 091 cam in my 425 with Tom Telesco's forged true 10:1 pistons. I'm very happy with it. I don't know if these are reproduced. According to Russ Martin, I got the last factory one that hadn't been run unless some old codger like me has a NOS cam stashed away. :grin: I haven't quite got the carburetor sorted out; Tom thinks it needs more carburetor then the 650 Edelbrock that it has, and he hasn't steered me wrong yet. A bigger Carb. is on the "to do" list, but there are a couple of things that will happen first, so sometime next summah is when it may happen.
I would agree with that. From what I have heard and learned and understand from most others experiences, I don't think you can over carb a Nailhead, especially with a single carb.
Dont go stock cam. There are lots of good cam threads and dyno threads to compare cams. Also look at comp cams, you can make your own cam numbers....Of course thats my opinion
In general, a stock cam will have more low-end torque and less peak high rpm power. Good for stop and go 'stoplight racing'. A bigger cam may lose some of that low end power but will pull harder at higher rpm's.... more fun on open backroads and freeway on-ramps! Choice depends on how you want to drive the car and what other modifications you will be doing. Bigger cams work well with more compression, bigger carbs and more rear end gear ratios. There were different versions of the 'stock' cam....the earlier 425 cams (091 cam) had a 109 degree lobe center and the other (66 401) had a 114 lobe center. The 109 is a good performer.... it closes the intake earlier which produces more compression at low rpm, and has more intake/exhaust 'overlap' so it breathes well at higher rpm's. I don't know of any actual dyno testing done on different cams, but some of us have played with software dynos. TA does incorrectly list the stock rocker ratio. It's 1.6, not 1.4. The earlier Buicks with the cast iron rockers did have less ratio, about 1.5. Comp Cams has a huge selection, but they are not listed for the Buick! They can custom grind a nailhead cam with one of their standard offerings, or mix the intake and exhaust lobes to your specs. For example, look in the Olds V8 section of their catalog. (Olds has 1.6 rocker ratio too). The 'High Energy 260H' grind has .447 lift, 212 duration, and 110 degree lobe centers.... it's fairly close to the stock '091' Buick cam. Lots of choiches out there. You need to decide how you are going to drive it and what other mods you plan to do....
There are MANY threads about "Nail" cams. Someone should compile them all into one fact filled, mind boggling info overload.
Thank you for your information, the engine builder that I have chose has leaned more towards the stock cam,something about changing the original geometry of the motor, an of course money was a factor in this decision also. Still just super happy to be able to keep the original motor in this car an owning a real deal GS last year of the Nailhead also with the MR code!!!
