Thoughts on this combo
I can tell you for a FACT, if you don't spend a bunch of dyno time and have several cams to change and test, step headers are a JOKE. I have seen more cash blown on junk like that than you can imagine.
Same for the cam. Why not spend a little more and have a cam custom ground to fit your particular application? Damn it blows me away to see guys stepping over donuts to pick up dog turds. You want stepped headers (good ones START at about $900.00 and go up from there) but you want an off the shelf cam that is universal fit? What gives?
You can spend about the same money on a carb that is tuneable. A Quick Fuel 750 double pumper comes to mind. If you go over 370 inches you need an 850. Over 400 will use a 950 (providing you get the rest of the combo correct).
The manifold I could live with if you had it.
there, do we all feel better now? Since I'm busy I don't post here much, because of the cry babies and the knaves.
Or, you can build you stuff like jpar and go slow and break stuff.
Either way I'm cool with it.
EDIT for the OP: even if you do spend a boat load of money on cams, spend several days on the dyno, flog the hell out of it, you will STILL maybe, MAYBE find 10 HONEST HP in the RPM you can use it. I'm dead serious. And then, you should keep testing (if your dollar to HP ratio is that skewed i.e. maximum dollar spent per HP) and get some more cams (because we all KNOW that you can just swap headers and NOT make a cam change...well you can, but you leave some on the table) and start testing collectors. You can change diameter, length, switch to a merge collector, adjust the angle of the merge and all the while, you MUST change the cam based on the results you see. This is so because this whole exercise is based on increasing (or correcting) the exhaust function. Which will allow you to change the intake lobe design. Yes there is no santa clause. Step headers, like christmas, were designed to see the average joe something he doesn't need but it damn sure sounds cool. Like the "H" pipe (which I have made more money taking junk like that off) the merge crossover (more of the same) the step header is a very SPECIFIC part for a very SPECIFIC application. You won't bolt them on and rotate the earth. I can tell you if you correctly spec you cam/intake/carb and use a CORRECT conventional 4-1 header the best you will get with a step header is a lighter wallet. That you can take to the BANK for sure. The header guy may tell you different because he has something to sell you. I'm not selling you anything.
hope that helps and makes the nattering naybobs happy (I know it won't but......)
Street toy, will see occasional highway use and track time. 3800# weight
How's this for a start???
'78 360 30k
.020 over, zero deck, line bored
Block oiling mods
Stock crank
ARP main studs and bolts
Rods??(undecided)
KB 107's or SP H116's flat top pistons 10.8 SCR 8.3 DCR
Eddy 60779 RPM heads light handwork(possible Shady Dell porting)
Hughes 1.6 roller rockers
Comp XE285HL cam
Eddy Performer RPM intake
Holley 770 Street Avenger (or should I go with an 870?)
Pertronix Billet Igniter III distributor and their 60k HC e-coil
TTI stepped headers w/3" duals
3k-3.5k stall
Built non-lockup wide ratio 999 trans
3.55-3.91 rear gear and locker
Thinking 450 or more HP as an end result.
Tossing around a forged 408 stroker kit if money permits. I kinda like the 360's rod to stroke and bore to stroke ratios better though. I guess I'm old school.
Your thoughts and input are appreciated.
I can tell you for a FACT, if you don't spend a bunch of dyno time and have several cams to change and test, step headers are a JOKE. I have seen more cash blown on junk like that than you can imagine.
Same for the cam. Why not spend a little more and have a cam custom ground to fit your particular application? Damn it blows me away to see guys stepping over donuts to pick up dog turds. You want stepped headers (good ones START at about $900.00 and go up from there) but you want an off the shelf cam that is universal fit? What gives?
You can spend about the same money on a carb that is tuneable. A Quick Fuel 750 double pumper comes to mind. If you go over 370 inches you need an 850. Over 400 will use a 950 (providing you get the rest of the combo correct).
The manifold I could live with if you had it.
there, do we all feel better now? Since I'm busy I don't post here much, because of the cry babies and the knaves.
Or, you can build you stuff like jpar and go slow and break stuff.
Either way I'm cool with it.
EDIT for the OP: even if you do spend a boat load of money on cams, spend several days on the dyno, flog the hell out of it, you will STILL maybe, MAYBE find 10 HONEST HP in the RPM you can use it. I'm dead serious. And then, you should keep testing (if your dollar to HP ratio is that skewed i.e. maximum dollar spent per HP) and get some more cams (because we all KNOW that you can just swap headers and NOT make a cam change...well you can, but you leave some on the table) and start testing collectors. You can change diameter, length, switch to a merge collector, adjust the angle of the merge and all the while, you MUST change the cam based on the results you see. This is so because this whole exercise is based on increasing (or correcting) the exhaust function. Which will allow you to change the intake lobe design. Yes there is no santa clause. Step headers, like christmas, were designed to see the average joe something he doesn't need but it damn sure sounds cool. Like the "H" pipe (which I have made more money taking junk like that off) the merge crossover (more of the same) the step header is a very SPECIFIC part for a very SPECIFIC application. You won't bolt them on and rotate the earth. I can tell you if you correctly spec you cam/intake/carb and use a CORRECT conventional 4-1 header the best you will get with a step header is a lighter wallet. That you can take to the BANK for sure. The header guy may tell you different because he has something to sell you. I'm not selling you anything.
hope that helps and makes the nattering naybobs happy (I know it won't but......)
