help with camshaft selection

[cjensen_68]

I would like some advice on what cam I should get. The engine is the 290hp 350ci crate engine. The heads are the 76cc heads. There are a set of headers and an edelbrock eps manifold with a holley 670 SA (which I have a fitech fuel injection to install). The truck has 4.11 rear with a 265/70/16 tire. I currently have a 350 trans with a stock converter (I have a b&m 2400 tork master to put in it). The truck gets driven in town and on the highway everyday and I'm running bout 3200rpm at 70mph. Occasionally will let it get up to 3500.

What cam would improve the power in that idle to about 3500rpm range since that's where I spend most the time. I'm trying to avoid changing heads. I have another motor I want to do that too.

[toolboxchev]

RV 2 Melling.

Or 2 steps over stock, do some research here: http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w..._compatibility

You will find down the road after doing a ton of research that the information will confuse you eventually. Comp trys to make things easier with some of their grinds by building in the 4 degrees into the cam. Takes out the step of degreeing the camshaft.

[geezer#99]

Some may not agree but IMHO the 290 hp cam is way more than the low compression (8.0 to 1) and poor flowing head can use.
Any improvement would be going back closer to the base 195 hp cam. About .4 lift and 200 degrees at .050.
Nothing really to gain with any cam change.

[Captainfab]

I would suggest a conservative grind within Comp Cams' EFI compatible cams.

[cjensen_68]

I talked with Lunati and they suggested their voodoo 10120702 cam. When I talked with Comp they suggested their 12-230-2 cam. Those seem a bit different from each other.

Would any of these cams below be a good fit for the engine over what I have now? and which would you recommend? I'm not very knowledgable when it comes to cams.
XE250H-10

CS252H-10

XE256H-10

[Captainfab]

IMO that Lunati cam is way too much cam for your engine. I would go with either the Comp 12-230-2 or 12-234-2. I'm thinking I would lean towards the 12-230-2.

[cjensen_68]

Whats your line of thought that makes you lean towards the 230 over the 234? I dont know much about cams specs and am curious why.

[YoungPup1977]

Originally Posted by cjensen_68

I would like some advice on what cam I should get. The engine is the 290hp 350ci crate engine. The heads are the 76cc heads. There are a set of headers and an edelbrock eps manifold with a holley 670 SA (which I have a fitech fuel injection to install). The truck has 4.11 rear with a 265/70/16 tire. I currently have a 350 trans with a stock converter (I have a b&m 2400 tork master to put in it). The truck gets driven in town and on the highway everyday and I'm running bout 3200rpm at 70mph. Occasionally will let it get up to 3500.

What cam would improve the power in that idle to about 3500rpm range since that's where I spend most the time. I'm trying to avoid changing heads. I have another motor I want to do that too.

Have you considered a transmission change, replace your existing th350 with an Overdrive trans instead of the cam change, to bring the RPM down to save the engine a bit over time.

[cjensen_68]

Yeah ive been wanting to do the overdrive. But if i spend the money im putting it into the chevelle. Bowtie overdrives is right down the street from me but they quoted about $3500 to put one in.

[YoungPup1977]

Originally Posted by cjensen_68

Yeah ive been wanting to do the overdrive. But if i spend the money im putting it into the chevelle. Bowtie overdrives is right down the street from me but they quoted about $3500 to put one in.

I do them all the time and never charge 3500 (not even close to that amount) but I am not in California..... Good Luck to whatever you decide....

[weq92f]

That overdrive quote could be for anything. BTO sells lots of stuff at many different levels and who knows what sort of installation magic charges they could dream up.

Quick looks on BTO website shows 700r4 from 1400-2200, 4L60e from 1700-1900 and the 4L80e from 2200-2500 retail purchase prices.

If it were my 3500 bucks, I'd be purchasing the 2500 dollar 4L80e and installing it myself.

My 2c

-klb

[Captainfab]

While I do not have any experience with the 290 hp 350 crate engine, I have read many people state that the factory cam is a bit too big for the low 8:1 compression. The factory cam has a .050" duration of 222*. The 12-230-2 cam has a intake duration of 206* @ .050". Even though that is technically still too much duration for 8:1 the shorter duration should help build more cylinder pressure which will make the engine perform better than it does now.

Originally Posted by cjensen_68

Whats your line of thought that makes you lean towards the 230 over the 234? I dont know much about cams specs and am curious why.

[cjensen_68]

The 3500 was including all the extra stuff like the torque converter and crossmember, driveline shortening, lockul wiring kit and tv cable and their installation. I thought you could use the crossmember just slide it back for the 700.

Captainfab i appriciate the advise. I ordered the cam and a curve kit for the distributor.

[garyd1961]

It would probably be better to change the heads instead of the cam.

[cjensen_68]

I would like to change the heads but i dont have that much to spend on it.

[Coley]

I think you have to look for a cam that has more lift and don't focus on duration (which is that lumpity lumpity sound everyone chases).
More lift will give you more quick, low end torque and thus, immediate acceleration and jump which is exactly what a heavy vehicle like a truck wants.
The 290hp/350 was/is largely designed for lighter passenger cars that want some performance in the upper end (4500+ rpm) which is not where most trucks 'live'.

I would look for a cam delivering lift in the mid '4's....then see how much duration you can squeeze in there without hurting the bottom end performance.

just my two bits.
Coley

[cjensen_68]

So I am pulling the motor back out. I am really considering the Dart Pro 1 64cc heads. Will this camshaft I purchased XE250H-10 (12-230-2) still work good with that? What rockers/pushrods do you recommend with this combo? Should they be 1.5 or 1.6 ratio? The research I've done shows the compression ratio would be 9.4:1 which I think should be good with pump gas.
By the way, the motors going back into the chevelle. I miss driving that car.

[Captainfab]

That cam is awfully small and will not take advantage of the flow capabilities of the Dart Pro 1 head. Plus your dynamic compression may be such as to require premium pump fuel.

[kwmech]

How about this question since you are all over the map here.


What do you expect or want the truck to do? Daily driver or a weekend warrior

[cjensen_68]

Do you have a recommendation as to what cam would be better for those heads but not hurt the vacuum for the a/c system I would like to get.

kwmech: The best I can answer that is it's going to be more of a daily driver. Probably drive it to work a third of the time and around town. I know I'm all over the place here and I'm sorry. I have an eaton with 4.11 gears. I put in power 4 wheel disc brakes. I am currently running the TH350 trans but will upgrade to the 200-4r. I have the fitech efi system for it. I want to get the classic auto air for the car too. With that said, I still want to get some power out of this thing if that's possible.

[Coley]

Originally Posted by kwmech

How about this question since you are all over the map here.

What do you expect or want the truck to do? Daily driver or a weekend warrior

Bingo
...also, with 16" tires....it must be a 3/4 ton truck which is a long bed.
That means you have 4500+ lbs of vehicle weight to deal with....so you need torque, not rpm. If its a longhorn, you will need even more power (torque).
The 4:11 will help you on this somewhat.

Next big question: what is your budget to get the result you are after?
(note: "as little as possible", is not a good answer...lol)
Seriously tho'....$500? $1500? $2500?
The problem is fixable if you throw enough money at it in enough areas.

If you are doing heads and a cam, you should be able to get there....but the truck, at that kind of weight....will never be fast, just capable and able to hold its own in my opinion.

All good
Coley

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by cjensen_68

Do you have a recommendation as to what cam would be better for those heads but not hurt the vacuum for the a/c system I would like to get.

kwmech: The best I can answer that is it's going to be more of a daily driver. Probably drive it to work a third of the time and around town. I know I'm all over the place here and I'm sorry. I have an eaton with 4.11 gears. I put in power 4 wheel disc brakes. I am currently running the TH350 trans but will upgrade to the 200-4r. I have the fitech efi system for it. I want to get the classic auto air for the car too. With that said, I still want to get some power out of this thing if that's possible.

Leave it alone then and enjoy the ride. The 290 HP crate engine should scoot that truck down the road pretty nicely. It is not a tire burner, but not a slouch either. If you want a tire burner, then get ready to spend money. Power means bumping the compression one way or another or increasing the cubic inches. All that also means shoving more fuel into it. I'd say do a good tune, check the dist timing and advance, tweek the carb as needed. That is unless you are dying to spend money and fill the fuel tank every day

[cjensen_68]

I want to clear one thing up. I am taking the motor out of the truck and putting it back into my chevelle. I got my other truck fixed and running so I don't need this one right now. If I remember right, the car weighs about 3500lbs.
I was trying to keep it around $2000 or less and I already have the one cam mentioned earlier. Maybe the cam that came with the 290hp crate may be ok after a head swap. I'm not the savviest when it comes to building an engine.

[geezer#99]

What do the dart heads flow at?
I assume they’re aluminum.

[cjensen_68]

180cc intake runner. exhaust 75cc. yes they're aluminum