I would like to get advice on a cam combo that I'm concerning. Bare with me. My goal is to get my 1979 T/A in the mid to low 13s in the quarter. I'm going with stock 1972 pistons, 1 7/8 in headers,and a 2500 stall. With my heads, I'm going to mill them .030 in, install steel shim gaskets, have the valves backcut, and a angle 3 valve job. I'm going to have the heat crossover and install stage 1 springs. Wow! A mouth full. The two cams are the TA 212 and a GS 116. Which cam should I go with, and what can I do to get rid of the excessive preload? I should mention that I'm getting an edelbrock intake. How much power can I expect from this combo? thanks for the help:TU: .
motor Chris You did'nt say what year the block was,but I'm assuming its a 72 since your using 72 pistons.If it is,you can't use the steel shim gaskets,oval water jackets won't seal and you'll fill the motor with water.Also,to get proper preload you need roller rockers or adjustable pushrods. gary
Re: motor Gary, All the 72 blocks and heads I have come across will work with steel head gaskets. I have heard of some 72's that had the oval water passages, but I have not seen any myself. Jim Burek
Your not gonna be happy with the GS116 cam, it falls on it's face past 4500rpm, been proven on the dyno and at the strip by some on this site. Is there a particular reason you want to shave that much from the heads (.030" is alot)? Most here would deck the block and use a good composite head gasket, and maybe a third of the shave on the heads that you mentioned. If you want more compression from the heads look for a set of 67-70 heads which have 69cc combustion chambers, and I think the stage1 heads are 66cc. I've heard some good things about the 212 cam but don't have any direct knowledge of it. Getting a TA into the mid thirteens isn't much of a task with a 455, a very mild build should do the trick.
My stage2 motor is a 72 block with round water passages but has the large scallop like the later blocks. Can use both types of gaskets. You are going to get 1/2 point with the metal shim gasket. If you use 430 heads you will add a little more. Now you need a cam with fairly narrow duration and early closing intake. Maybe 38 deg. Scott Brown's 226/238 will boost that cranking compression way up. Also pulls hard to 6000. B4B dualplane intake worked 800cfm quadrajet Your hooker headers straightline performance cam work over those heads some, worth it! upto 440 hp posible, enough for 12s in a 3600 lb bird.
Hi Guys, Chris.....here is a pic of an early '72 block with double scallops and rounds "clean-out" holes.......this one can be used with the steel shim head gaskets. '71 and back had a single scallop and round holes.
This block is a late production '72 block with double scallops and oblong clean-out holes. These can not be used with steel gaskets. Both of the blocks have the casting number 1241735.....
As Len said in an earlier post, the GS116 cam does run out of steam around 4500 rpm. Dave Berry aka D Berry on the board, is using the 116 cam. I have been in his car and I can tell you that it pulls real strong initially but drops off very quickly as soon as it gets towards the top of the gear. You might shoot him a PM for more info if you need more info. Brian
Hello There.I have to chime in with David and Len.The 116 and 212 are on the mild side.Len and myself chose the TA 290 94H cam and I am sure David`s performs in a close manner.Others may suggest a different profile.Check TA`s dyno tests.Later,Tony.
Also Chris, you ight want to consider the T/A 413 cam or the GS113 and GS113a cams. I will be running the T/A 413 in my new engine, ( I think that is what Professer Wiese has in mind). He says it is a very good street/strip cam that you can still run power accessories with. Brian
I'm running Poston's 113A cam. Engine pulls real strong up to 6000, at which point I just shift, but it would keep going I'm sure. My car has power steering, brakes, a/c. Car idles at 800 in park and 650 in gear. Engine does have a lope to it, but nothing that shakes the car much or anything, but you definitely know it has a cam. I love it. I would recommend it, just make sure you degree your cam before buttoning up the engine. I picked up over 2.5 mph by degreeing my cam in the quarter mile.
Is there a buick design cam degree kit or I can use any? Would it be better if I bought 10-1 pistons. What to do with my heads then?
In addition, when should I have my block checked for core shifting or is it important for a mild street engine?
You can use any degree wheel. It's a pain to get the hang of, but once you do it's a breeze and very easy. Up until 1971, the 455's came with 10 to 1 from the factory. in 71 I believe it was 8.5 and 8.0 after that. Heads are the biggie thing with Buicks. If you have to spend money some where, that would be the place. Since the aluminum ones came out, there have been a number of ported Stage 1 heads for sale. This bulletin board would be a good place to look. The core shift is mainly for the lifter holes. Any core shift would generally be seen easily. There should be some "meat" around each hole. I would think that on a "mild" street engine, it wouldn't be much of a great concern. But if you're talking a 413 cam, 10 to 1, big heads, etc., you'll probably end up with a car that will easily be in the high 12's with a 3.42 rear. It never ends. You'll get it going good and start looking for more. My advice would be to ask yourself how fast you REALLY want it to go, and build it right the first time. I keep going back to mine and am doing things that I should have done in the first place. If only I'd asked questions here. The guys/gals here are very knowledgeable and freely give their thoughts and advice. It sounds like a lot, but an extra $1,000 now will go a long way. You're buying a lot of stuff now anyway, spend a couple extra bucks here and there and do it once and do it right, IMO. Converter is a good example. For $250 you can get a B&M, or for $450 you can get a custom converter built exactly for your car and you'll never have to redo it. An intake and carb are another one. The SP1 or newer SPX is only slightly more than an Edelbrock Performer, but you'll get a lot more out of it performance wise. Holley carb instead of the cost of buying and modifying a qjet. Etc., etc., etc. Of course, this is all IMO. Phil
12 sec 455 i think with a 2500 stall and edlebrock intake the 212 would be ok but i think you need some deep 3 series gears,342,373.i have a 72 455 in my 83 regal with about 9 to 1 comp, ta 1 7/8 headers,3 in exhaust,stage 1 heads ported and gasket matched,performer intake gasket matched,Q-jet carb,msd hei dist,400 trans with 3200 stall,12 bolt with 4.10s but a much bigger cam,kennebell maxistreet 4 cam,and on pump gas i run 12.50 all day long and it really doesnt feel the powerful. biggest thing i found with my engine is it like a lot of fuel and fuel pressure as i am running a holley blue pump. i think with the smaller cam and small headers you could make more torque and run a 3 series gear and get 12s easy :TU: andy cam spec on kb maxi 4 with 1.6 rockers lift dur center line 562 302 112 intake 605 338 112 exhaust
Chris I have a GS116 in my 4000# Skylark and it ran a best of 13.51 with a 1.79 sixty foot at 98.5 MPH. I let the car shift itself at 4200 RPM because that is what gives the best ETs, heck I'm in third at 60 MPH. The car has unreal torque on the bottom end, I'd even bet I could go from 3.42 gears to 3.08 and lose less than a tenth. I'm sure the GS116 would get you a mid 13, cause your car is probably lighter, But I'd step up to the GS113 if I was you. The TA212 is pretty close in specs to the GS116 with less lobe seperation but I don't know how much this would help the top end. I've ridden in a car with a GS113 and it's pretty user friendly. Dave Berry
I am pretty sure that the T/A 413 or Gs113 series cams are set up to run better with 9.5 to 1 compression ratio. But that doesn't mean that it won't work with lower compression. I would ask the place you are considering to buy from what their cam runs best with. And maybe ask around on the board who has low compression setups using those cams. Brian
