Help with cam choice for magnum 360 please

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octanejunkie

Mopar Padawan
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It's been a while since I've been active here, or working on my mopar project but here is a refresher.

So I am building a '99 Magnum 360 motor for a 71 Scamp. Car supposedly has a "built" 727 3-speed and a stock 7.25" rear end. I have a posi carrier with 2.96 gears to drop in place of the 2.76 peg leg in there now. I also have an 8-3/4" rear end I will build up in the future.

Motor is .030 over, has flat top pistons with 5cc valve reliefs, and has been zero-decked - ready to assemble, just need to pick a cam. Static compression will be around 10.6:1. Though this is a roller block and I have the spider, I don't have the roller lifters, and considering the cost of a roller cam, I was thinking about staying flat tappet hydraulic.

Following the lead from several members here, I was going to us the Comp XE268H cam, but I was also looking at the Lunati 60402 voodoo cam. I realize the 60402 is a bit smaller than the XE268H and is actually closer to the XS262H cam, but I wonder how much cam I really need...

The 60402 Specs are
262/268 Advertised Duration
220/226 duration at .050
112 LSA, 108 ICL is 4 degrees adv
.475/.494 lift at valve
INT opens at 2, closes at 38
EXT opens at 49, closes at -3

The XE268H Specs are
268/280 Advertised Duration
224/230 duration at .050
110 LSA, 106 ICL is 4 degrees adv
.477/.480 lift at valve
INT opens at 28, closes at 60
EXT opens at 74, closes at 26
-values at .006" lift

From what I have read on other boards, the voodoo cams seem to be a evolution in development of the comp grinds and can be more gentle on the valve train. I am interested in longevity and "best fit" for the car, plus the voodoo cam seems a bit tamer on a 112 LSA.

The car will honestly be a weekend driver and I will be looking for an OD trans at some point to add some fwy economy, but for now, it's just a fun runner that I don't want to go broke filling the tank on.

Looking for advice and opinions please.
 
voodoo cams seem to be a evolution in development
I strongly disagree. There design is not new and not a revolution. But there among my fav pick for power.
the comp grinds and can be more gentle on the valve train
This is not exaclty true, but has it's merits. Alot depends on the exact grind. The differences between the "Gentleness" of the cam on springs and valve train is so super minimal, were looking at atoms. While it is true a gentle lifting/action cam will last long in the valve train and require softer springs, which should last longer, nothing beats constant oil changes and NOT beating on the car.

Since the true key words IMO in this post are;
weekend driver
OD trans
add some fwy economy
just a fun runner

Choose the smaller cam
 
i have a magnum motor in my scamp and there is no way in the world i would trade my roller for a flat tappet i strongly advise staying with the roller i have a hughes cam in mine and just plain jane stock replacement lifters from advance auto parts in mine and i couldnt be happier and i only have about 500 in the cam and lifters just remember you get what you pay for + you never have to worry about oils or any of the lobes going flat
 
Indy Cylinder heads had a hydraulic roller cam/lifters package advertised recently for 300.00 for the Magnum. They also had a new set of roller lifters advertised for 100. There is a guy on ebay that has roller cams for 120 delivered to your door.On the flat tappet conversion you are considering....several instances I have known of especially if the heads or block has been cut or anything different than the factory compressed height thickness on the head gasket has resulted in pushrods that did not fit and had more than .040 preload, which resulted in noisy lifters. I would recommend getting your package together and then measuring for your pushrod needs. Secondly, it has been advertised that traditional mopar lifters will work in this application. As a matter of fact the AMC and Mopar flat tappet hydraulic lifter are mostly now listed under the same part number. Some members have not had good luck with these lifters in the conversion. You should look for the AMC lifter as it has been said that there are no problems using it. I wish I knew how to tell the difference. For the amount of potential problems you are looking at with the conversion, you can probably shop around and find magnum roller stuff for the same price and you can use chev 3100 beehive valve springs on the magnum head which are cheap!! Forgot to add...unless you use Hughes retainers(about 65 bucks) OR cut the valve guides you will be limited to about .525 lift with stock magnum heads and if u have cut the heads or block even less.
 
Man that's sure a lot of compression for a cam that small. You'll probably be lucky if you get it to run decent on high octane pump gas without dropping the timing way back.
 
Man that's sure a lot of compression for a cam that small. You'll probably be lucky if you get it to run decent on high octane pump gas without dropping the timing way back.

Which cam is too small?


Looked at both of those, not sure which Hughes cam to choose...

As far as the ebay cam, specs below, price sure looks good, but how reliable is an e-bay regrind?
286/287 advertised
227/228 dur @ .050
112 LSA
.512/.525 lift w 1.6 rockers
(.341/.350 at lobe, calculated)

Stock lift on the magnum head is 1.6 right?
 
Though this is a roller block and I have the spider, I don't have the roller lifters, and considering the cost of a roller cam, I was thinking about staying flat tappet hydraulic.

Dont forget the dog bones to keep the roller lifters from rotating in their bores.:thumblef:
 
Which cam is too small?



Looked at both of those, not sure which Hughes cam to choose...

As far as the ebay cam, specs below, price sure looks good, but how reliable is an e-bay regrind?
286/287 advertised
227/228 dur @ .050
112 LSA
.512/.525 lift w 1.5 rockers
(.341/.350 at lobe, calculated)

Isn't stock lift 1.6 on the magnum head?
If so, this would be .546/.560 lift w 1.6 rockers (calculated)

I bought one of those ebay cams and it speced it and also degreed it and it was right on the money.
 
With magnum heads you might want to consider a hemi grind, as in more on the intake than exhaust.

They need it.
 
2 small. Your compresion is high and the duration figures need to be a lot larger. I would be looking at a min. of 236 @ 050 and a loose converter and 3.91 gears. (3.55 with a small tire)
 
2 small. Your compresion is high and the duration figures need to be a lot larger. I would be looking at a min. of 236 @ 050 and a loose converter and 3.91 gears. (3.55 with a small tire)

How about this one? http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=661&sb=2

The IVC of 63 would give me a DCR of 7.389 and when I upgrade to EFI in the future I have a computer controlled compatible cam...

Looking at a Comp HR, the only ones I find with a duration of 236 at .050 are the Thumpr cams

Looks like the XE268H is still a pretty good for for me, my DCR would be 7.860 - I wish it came in a roller version though...
 
I gave my opinion above and if your question is to me, then I think ethier your not listening to what I'm saying or were just not on the same page at all.

I give up cause I'm lost in this.
 
I gave my opinion above and if your question is to me, then I think ethier your not listening to what I'm saying or were just not on the same page at all.

I give up cause I'm lost in this.

Rumble, with all due respect, you are actually contradicting yourself and confusing me. According to your first post:

Since the true key words IMO in this post are;
weekend driver
OD trans
add some fwy economy
just a fun runner

Choose the smaller cam

Now you are saying go bigger than the smaller cam you originally directed me to... which is it?

I'm listening and asking questions to gain knowledge, not frustrate anyone. I would like to know WHY you make the suggestion of 236 minimum duration - not sure why the attitude if I don't just blindly follow your suggestion - I want to understand why a 236 duration cam is better than a 206 or 218 for my application - sorry to offend you
 
He's trying to tell you that he would/does recommend more dur at .050 because that ends up effecting the cl/over lap.
Over lap [both int/exh valves open] and enough of it- bleeds cylinder 'psi/dynamic comp' down to a pump gas friendly level.

however....with the closed chamber head and good quench =.032-.038 p/h clearance, you can run 10.6 all day long.
Just carefully tune the initial & advance curve.

higher stall converter [tight] for the street [medium] for the strip/street [loose] strip only, but really depends on the weight/gearing etc..
 
Octaine, I'm really sorry. No offense ment. None at all.


Out of the 2 orignal cams you listed, the smaller one would be better to run.

Then when you posted the last one with a duration @ 206 @ 050, which is 20*'s less than the first set, you confused me and made me wonder if you were joking or not getting it.

The issue is the cam is so small that it would build up the comprsion and be so high as pump fuel would not run it.
I'm throwing in my suggestion for a performance cam @ around 360 @ 050. This is what I would do. I think I said that. Wait, here it is;

I would be looking at a min. of 236 @ 050 and a loose converter and 3.91 gears. (3.55 with a small tire)


Let me ask you something, do you understand the difference between the duration numbers? The balance of the 3 c's of engine building? RPM band balance between cam converter gear ratio and cars weight?

At the risk of sounding like a BIG dick here, if you don't, I'm not willing to write it all out. It would be a large chapter to write out and then of course, answer questions to various combos.

IF you do not understand, I suggest a book to read and notice how when the cam grows in size, so does the C-ratio and other things along with it. Your first choices were good. Then, later on down the line, you pick an exsively small cam. Near stock in duration.


Heres how I narrow done the choice for the off the shelf cams.


Intended purpose
operating RPM of the package
(To be worked with cars weight, tranny stall and converter)
The cams lift as vs the head flow. Centerline
 
Oh, and I think your mixing up Dynamic and static compresion ratio meanings and how the work.

Choose your cam shaft with advice is why were here.
Blind following isn't what I would expect from anybody, but, also at the smae time, if you ask me what to run or what would I run, I'll tell ya and I'll be confident it'll work nicely.

I noticed you wanted a driver with mileage. IMO, it's a myth to a degree that can not be obtained with high comp. ratios and the size cams that actually work with it. Your idea of overdrive is good. Watch your final drive ratio. If it is to low and the cam operates to high for it, your mileage may very well be worse than if you had properly geared it without a OD trans.

Good luck my freind.
 
Gentlemen - I appreciate the advice and effort. I assure you I understand the difference between static and dynamic compression.

One unstated fact here is that in earlier threads about a year ago I set out to copy an engine build by dgc333 here on this forum; it is a 10.6:1 360, zero decked with 5cc pistons, .039 gasket, magnum heads and an XE268H cam. With the closing of intake valve at 60 degrees (seat timing), the dynamic compression of that build is roughly 8.9, not low, but from what I understand, what makes the build pump-gas friendly is the cam, an .039 quench pad and closed chamber heads. I used Pat Kelley's calc to arrive at the this DCR.

Now I start to feel that a roller cam would fit my build better, but I find no off-the-shelf clone of the XE268 (20-223-3) cam - so what's the next best thing? I admit the link I posted that got mr rumble all jumbled up was THE WRONG link, it is a much smaller cam that what should be on the menu, but so is the XE268H by the arbitrary "236 @ .050 or better" rule; yet according to Dave and others in THIS THREAD, specifically post 12, it works very well with a 220 @ .050 duration.

The cam I meant to point at was the XR268HR-10 which has no specs at compcams.com but does have some basic info at summitracing.com. Now this is also a "small" cam, 218/224 @ .050 on a 110LSA and the same intake lobe specs as the XE268H don't change much in DCR according to Pat Kelley, but if I change the ILC from 106 to 108, the DCR drops to 8.77 - but this is a .530+ lift cam vs. the XE268H with only .477/.480 - that's got to be worth some cylinder filling to compensate for the shorter duration.

Looking at cams of 236 @ .050, I easily find a Thumpr cam, let's use that for example; only because it is a roller with published specs. 235/249 @ .050, plus it has more intake lift than exhaust like TurdFerguson indicated in directing towards a "hemi grind" if I understood that suggestion correctly. Plugging those numbers into Pat Kelley's calc gets a DCR of 8.406 - which is what I am assuming is what ultimately make the thing run well.

So now I am trying to get a better idea and make a more educated decision on my own, with guidance and direction from those that have done this umpteen times and know the real world difference between what will work well in a 10.6:1 motor and what will be problematic.

I hope not to have frustrated or offended anyone in my banal search for knowledge and direction, I know these "what cam should I use" posts come up on every car forum 100 times a day - and I guess this one is no different - except that if I can gain a working understanding steeped in experience of others, then I can call a cam manufacturer and get a custom grind that will best suit my engine and needs.

Thanks for putting up with me fellas :notworth:
 
Gentlemen - I appreciate the advice and effort. I assure you I understand the difference between static and dynamic compression.

One unstated fact here is that in earlier threads about a year ago I set out to copy an engine build by dgc333 here on this forum; it is a 10.6:1 360, zero decked with 5cc pistons, .039 gasket, magnum heads and an XE268H cam. With the closing of intake valve at 60 degrees (seat timing), the dynamic compression of that build is roughly 8.9, not low, but from what I understand, what makes the build pump-gas friendly is the cam, an .039 quench pad and closed chamber heads. I used Pat Kelley's calc to arrive at the this DCR.

Now I start to feel that a roller cam would fit my build better, but I find no off-the-shelf clone of the XE268 (20-223-3) cam - so what's the next best thing? I admit the link I posted that got mr rumble all jumbled up was THE WRONG link, it is a much smaller cam that what should be on the menu, but so is the XE268H by the arbitrary "236 @ .050 or better" rule; yet according to Dave and others in THIS THREAD, specifically post 12, it works very well with a 220 @ .050 duration.

The cam I meant to point at was the XR268HR-10 which has no specs at compcams.com but does have some basic info at summitracing.com. Now this is also a "small" cam, 218/224 @ .050 on a 110LSA and the same intake lobe specs as the XE268H don't change much in DCR according to Pat Kelley, but if I change the ILC from 106 to 108, the DCR drops to 8.77 - but this is a .530+ lift cam vs. the XE268H with only .477/.480 - that's got to be worth some cylinder filling to compensate for the shorter duration.

Looking at cams of 236 @ .050, I easily find a Thumpr cam, let's use that for example; only because it is a roller with published specs. 235/249 @ .050, plus it has more intake lift than exhaust like TurdFerguson indicated in directing towards a "hemi grind" if I understood that suggestion correctly. Plugging those numbers into Pat Kelley's calc gets a DCR of 8.406 - which is what I am assuming is what ultimately make the thing run well.

So now I am trying to get a better idea and make a more educated decision on my own, with guidance and direction from those that have done this umpteen times and know the real world difference between what will work well in a 10.6:1 motor and what will be problematic.

I hope not to have frustrated or offended anyone in my banal search for knowledge and direction, I know these "what cam should I use" posts come up on every car forum 100 times a day - and I guess this one is no different - except that if I can gain a working understanding steeped in experience of others, then I can call a cam manufacturer and get a custom grind that will best suit my engine and needs.

Thanks for putting up with me fellas :notworth:

Good job on the homework.:thumblef:
When I've discussed this in the past with tech friends and other builders, the general consensus is to keep the dynamic around 8.2-8.5 which is right in the safe zone for most any condition -poor quality/low test fuel and weather changes/density & the rest.

if the car see's the same general conditions, then you can go with the higher end of this like 8.6 or 8.7, but the gain going from 8.2/8.5 to be there is nill ultimately .imo

I've run 7.9 dynamics 155-160psi and they can run like/close to 8.2-4 dynamic motors, if you know the tuning tricks and have a dialed combo..in that case the diff in feel is real close.

Its the throttle response/tq/milage that you'd notice from high dynamics, but once you get into the 190-200 dynamic psi area on pump/iron heads, the chance of ill condition detonation becomes higher.

I do know of some 11.1 static closed chamber iron head motors around here, but they do not travel/freeway or sit in traffic in a 100* weather, and...they could take more timing if they had 100-104 octane.

My advice-use what you can safely max out and run where it should be able to run.
 
My advice-use what you can safely max out and run where it should be able to run.

Thanks for the reply :)

Now I introduce another variable in the decision process, Comp's CamQuest application. Choosing initial criterion "5 - High Performance Street - Choppy to mild rough idle" the top 4 cam choices foisted upon me are:
1. XR274HR-10, Great Fit (20-811-9)
2. 283THR7, Great Fit (20-600-9)
3. XR280HR-10, Good Fit (20-812-9)
4. XR268HR-10, Good Fit (20-810-9) smallest cam in the XR family

#1 - listed as a "Retro-Fit HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.55-4.10 gears, 2200+ stall, 9:1 compression, headers, high performance street." - I can cover all those bases, but will my magnum heads support .538/.534 lift? DCR with this cam would be 8.712:1

#2 - I don't like the idea of the Thumpr cam, seems gimicky to me. I don't need a car that sounds a certain way, I'd rather one that runs best.

#3 - is the next larger in the XtremeRoller family up from the 274 and is listed is a "Retro-Fit HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.91+ gears, 9.5:1 compression, 2500+ stall, aftermarket intake, headers." Until I have OD, and even then, I'm not sure I want to run 3.91 gears, though I have a set that tested good in a SG carrier for an 8.75 housing I have ready to build less axles. Again, with .541/.537 lift, I'm not sure my factory magnum heads won't need some machine work. DCR with this cam would be 8.510:1

#4 - This one appears to be the roller version of the XS268H I am/was originally considering, but the roller version claims much higher lift that again the factory magnum heads probably won't support without machine work. More interestingly, all the valve timing events are 3 degrees later on the HR version than the FT version. The descriptions of the two are a bit interesting too:
XE268H
"Hydraulic-Excellent response, good mileage, Stock converter 3.23-4.10 gear."
-listed as the #2 Great Fit cam by CamQuest behind the 270H (20-214-4)

XR268HR-10
"HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.23-3.91 gears, stock converter in 340 & 360, mild converter in 318, 9:1 compression, street machine"
According to Pat Kelley's calc, my DCR with the XE268H and the XR268H-10 it would be 8.905:1

The reason I'm only just looking the first four is because these all have more intake than exhaust lift, but are also all under 236 @ .050" duration cams, with #4 being the most tame of the bunch and capable of using a stock converter in a 360 application - not that that is a limiting factor for me, but it helps me in driving the car until I pick up an OD trans and correct converter sometime in the future.

I think really want to go with a roller cam for longevity and oil-related issues, plus there is no break in to deal with so the obvious issue is choosing the RIGHT cam the first time; not only due to the cost of the cam, but the effort in replacing it. More importantly, I just want to get it right the first time because I considered all the variables and made an educated choice.

Quick questions:

How much lift will a set of factory magnum heads support and are there aftermarket springs like Chevy Beehive springs that will afford more w/o machining the seats?

Would another option to ease the lift-issue be to use 1.5 rockers instead of factory 1.6 or is that self defeating?
 
A side note on your interest in the 4 camshafts you picked out with more intake than exhaust. All the research I have done on the magnum head has led me to believe that the crossflow characteristics of it are better than an LA head and that dual pattern/split duration lift camshafts are not necessary on a normally aspirated engine. I chose a split pattern with more duration/lift on the exhaust as I plan on a shot of nitrous and I'm also running 340 exhaust manifolds.This extra on the exhaust would be beneficial expelling the highly charged exhaust.
 
Thanks for the reply :)

Now I introduce another variable in the decision process, Comp's CamQuest application. Choosing initial criterion "5 - High Performance Street - Choppy to mild rough idle" the top 4 cam choices foisted upon me are:
1. XR274HR-10, Great Fit (20-811-9)
2. 283THR7, Great Fit (20-600-9)
3. XR280HR-10, Good Fit (20-812-9)
4. XR268HR-10, Good Fit (20-810-9) smallest cam in the XR family

#1 - listed as a "Retro-Fit HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.55-4.10 gears, 2200+ stall, 9:1 compression, headers, high performance street." - I can cover all those bases, but will my magnum heads support .538/.534 lift? DCR with this cam would be 8.712:1

#2 - I don't like the idea of the Thumpr cam, seems gimicky to me. I don't need a car that sounds a certain way, I'd rather one that runs best.

#3 - is the next larger in the XtremeRoller family up from the 274 and is listed is a "Retro-Fit HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.91+ gears, 9.5:1 compression, 2500+ stall, aftermarket intake, headers." Until I have OD, and even then, I'm not sure I want to run 3.91 gears, though I have a set that tested good in a SG carrier for an 8.75 housing I have ready to build less axles. Again, with .541/.537 lift, I'm not sure my factory magnum heads won't need some machine work. DCR with this cam would be 8.510:1

#4 - This one appears to be the roller version of the XS268H I am/was originally considering, but the roller version claims much higher lift that again the factory magnum heads probably won't support without machine work. More interestingly, all the valve timing events are 3 degrees later on the HR version than the FT version. The descriptions of the two are a bit interesting too:
XE268H
"Hydraulic-Excellent response, good mileage, Stock converter 3.23-4.10 gear."
-listed as the #2 Great Fit cam by CamQuest behind the 270H (20-214-4)

XR268HR-10
"HYDRAULIC ROLLER: 3.23-3.91 gears, stock converter in 340 & 360, mild converter in 318, 9:1 compression, street machine"
According to Pat Kelley's calc, my DCR with the XE268H and the XR268H-10 it would be 8.905:1

The reason I'm only just looking the first four is because these all have more intake than exhaust lift, but are also all under 236 @ .050" duration cams, with #4 being the most tame of the bunch and capable of using a stock converter in a 360 application - not that that is a limiting factor for me, but it helps me in driving the car until I pick up an OD trans and correct converter sometime in the future.

I think really want to go with a roller cam for longevity and oil-related issues, plus there is no break in to deal with so the obvious issue is choosing the RIGHT cam the first time; not only due to the cost of the cam, but the effort in replacing it. More importantly, I just want to get it right the first time because I considered all the variables and made an educated choice.

Quick questions:

How much lift will a set of factory magnum heads support and are there aftermarket springs like Chevy Beehive springs that will afford more w/o machining the seats?

Would another option to ease the lift-issue be to use 1.5 rockers instead of factory 1.6 or is that self defeating?

The factory heads can take about .500-.510 before the seals/retainers get to close for comfort, but as to give you the most accurate info that I can...I will go outside and measure mine for you.


I would stick with the 1.6, they will open the valve faster and a lil more without really changing the valve timing, giving you more power and thats a good thing.

With your heads max lift in mind...I would ask comp about a hyd roller simular to the 274 minus some lift and add 4* duration to pick back up any hp lost from lowering the lift.
AND/OR you could also have the center line widened which will in turn lower the lift,add just a tinzy bit of adv dur , and broaden the power curve in general and pick up the torque down low and all around.

side note-When cam companies recommend gears for a given cam, be assured that that is not the final say. You can run less gear than recommended if you can tune the carburetor and degree in the cam with 2* more the rec install.
By advancing the cam you will pick bottom end with very lil sacrifice to the top, maybe 2-300 rpm's off the top but feel like you gained more torque about 4-500 rpm's sooner in the range-very handy on the street-for instance I have 5 1/2* cam advance in a 284* solid that still revs past 6500 yet smokes the tires and snaps necks 2400 up in a 4spd car that leaves a dead stop at 1800-2200 on average.




A side note on your interest in the 4 camshafts you picked out with more intake than exhaust. All the research I have done on the magnum head has led me to believe that the crossflow characteristics of it are better than an LA head and that dual pattern/split duration lift camshafts are not necessary on a normally aspirated engine. I chose a split pattern with more duration/lift on the exhaust as I plan on a shot of nitrous and I'm also running 340 exhaust manifolds.This extra on the exhaust would be beneficial expelling the highly charged exhaust.



All the testing shows that the magnum heads flow close to a stock 2.02 LA head, meanwhile the exhaust flows a good 10 cfm more in 35-40% of the lift range, and thats with out a pipe on the exhaust. So add the pipe which typically picks up 8-12 cfm throughout the range and then consider the intake port was flowed without a manifold/intake which typically lowers the amount intake cfm=Now you have a chevrolet senario where you can have over scavenging effect that in the worst cases pulls the incoming charge right out the exhaust leading to the 'chevrolet stink' [hence why chevy was the 1st to mandate smog pumps] and poor milage. This can be 'camd' around.
Hey..It won't make or break the combo but I am just trying to help and do this a lil diff than most with confidence that it will run better than most.
Say he doesn't use headers, then skip the split pattern cam since the exh manifolds will cork it anyway.

JMA take it or leave it, its all the same to me.
 
Will read and digest these replies later, but as a quick aside, I have been speaking with the eBay seller ezcondition (kenneth) that recuts roller cams. He can make me a 286/296 duration cam with .480/.480 @1.5 on a 110 LSA - assuming 106 ILC, that would be an 8.3x DCR cam with .512 lift at 1.6:1

How does that sound for $120 delivered to my door?
 
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