No it's a great cam, just not for a 318 engine that is already down to 150psi.
Hydraulic Roller Cam. Great performance cam in 340+ c.i. applications. Works well with computer modifications or increased induction systems. Likes headers and 3.42+ gearing.
Part Number: 20200717
- Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 264/270
- Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 213/219
- Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .485/.485
- LSA/ICL: 112/106
- Valve Lash (Int/Exh): Hyd/Hyd
- RPM Range: 1200-5200
- Includes: Cam Only
With flat-top pistons .040 in the hole and closed chamber heads, you are walking a thin line to detonation. To stay out of it with iron heads, your Quench needs to be between .030 and .050, or greater than .080; and not in the range of .050 to .080 which is a known detonation-prone zone..
By installing an .028 Your Q becomes .068 right in the middle of the detonation-prone region. The .039 gasket gets you to .079, the upper end of the zone.
You didn't answer my previous questions so I don't know what you actually have.
But the stock cam, if it is what I was told.(250/264/110 in at 119), then it has a very broad install window that could easily pump your pressure up, as I earlier got into. For nearly zero dollars, I would certainly give it a chance. But you won't know until you actually degree it.
I really am trying to help.
The A500 has ratios of 2.74-1.54-1.00-.69od and is a great item. It allows you to run a super low rear gear, and so make the teener come alive. That, with the higher stall TC, will really make the 5.2 come alive.
But with just 3.55s or 373s; between the compression loss of that Voodoo cam, and it's attendant short extraction period of just 107*, around town it will be a wicked gas-hog...... because you will always be driving deeper into the carb than you should be, to get the effective pressure that you are craving.
But with 4.10s in the back, a soft bottom end wouldn't be the end of the world. Except for that doesn't solve the fuel consumption issue. And gas, IMO,is not ever gonna get any cheaper ever again.
On the hiway, 4.10s will get you ~2400rpm, so if your cylinder pressure is low, it will suck gas here too. 2400 is a good number...... if the pressure is up; because you can throw some ignition timing at her and lean her out; that's how to get hiway economy; the one-two-three punch of; effective pressure, timing, and lean-running. If you miss on pressure, it reduces the efficiency; and if you miss on timing you can't run lean and it all goes to heck.
318LAs were low compression ratio engines. But with the cams they had, they had pretty good pressure. And because of that,their Effective pressure was really good at hiway rpms. Actually almost all the time because they were usually geared to be stuck in an rpm where the effective pressure was working for them. They were application-specific engines. If you needed more power, the solution was just another SBM size away. There's a good reason they were built in ~41 cube increments.
The Magnums neatly solved the power issues, and the roller cams were a good idea too.But if your pistons are .040 in the hole,it's making things tuff.
