Budget 408 Build

gregsdart said

As far as shelf versus custom cams, small cube/big valve motors, like a 318 with 2.02 intakes, would like most shelf cams since that combo favors wide lobe Seperation angles, and a lot of shelf cams can be had with wide LSAs. Move up to 408 cubes and the same heads, now that combo wants a narrow LSA to feed all those cubes at overlap. But, a Thumpr cam happens to have a narrow LSA just to get the sound, but it also happens to work well in strokers.

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Excellent notation.

To all newbies and cam rookies;

Keep in mind that you can call the grinder to adjust the cam your looking at in the book. If it says it has a 110 C-line and you want a 106, call them and ask!

Cams in the Catolog have not changed in there thought pattern in decades. (Grinders thoughts) Then came along fuel injection with the need to widen the C-line to at least 112 with 114 being more helpful for the computers to grasp what is going on.

The aftermarket settled on a 110 for its sound and the normally found stock displacements of factory offerings. It worked well. There was a "No big deal" attitude towards 2*'s adjustment to go up for a 360 or down to a 318. Add 40-50 cubic inches and the better acting cams are no longer shelf cams because the custom grinder that actually knows what is going on can adjust the timing events to suite.

Nothing wrong with a shelf cam. But everything should be better when the cam, custom speced, suites the engine and what it is supposed to do.