95 Dakota build

-
Pretty sure I can get the 258 cam only be out shipping. So basically can swap it.
 
The general consensus that I've read is that somewhere around .520 is the max lift before you need to mill the valve guide bosses.

I believe the need to mill was referenced earlier.

.512 should be enough below that to eliminate that expense- but check when assembled anyway.
 
Plus I think the duration would be more friendly on the 258 cam?
 
i ran a 218/228 @.050 on a 112 lsa in my sbe 5.9 magnum. 1121g .028 headgaskets. right around .550 lift on both sides. heads were mildly home ported by me. truck moved out pretty well. i took a set of the cheap shorty headers, cut the tiny collector off and welded 3" tubes to the end. worked pretty well for what it was.

99 dak rt, 3.55 welded diff, 9.25 rear, stock 46re with transgo stg3 shift kit, 28" tall slick, single plane with 750dp.

truck went consistent 9.40s in the 1/8th with #7 rod in the shape of an S. (discovered on teardown)
 
I forget what slantsix64 cam is he has a oregon hr regrind that worked with carb 5.x
you might look for his thread on fabo or pm him in case i spelt his handle wrong
with the od and the gears you have I think the under 260 would be better
if you had the 3:91s might be different but still I think those two bigger cams would like more compression and might need head work
use the .028 Mr gasket gaskets
ps with a stock exhaust you need to hold the overlap down so don't go nutty with a narrow LSA
and do plan on degreeing your cam especially with a regrind they make the new lobe fit where they can- but ask the grinder
 
I will definitely be running a lower gear and 2800 rpm stall. So I don’t know if that would effect the 258 cam or not. I’m thinking I would not have to kill anything with this cam etc... would this cam make decent power in a 5.9?
 
you need to pick the cam for the rev range you want & gears
your cr and non ported heads limit what you can do without loosing low end
we do not know the lift where the durations are measured
so here do you do most of your driving and how do you want it to drive
 
For a 5.2, I wouldn't touch that 279 cam

I have read on several forums, that the stock cam; (250/264/110) cam was, for whatever reason,installed at 119 , which is 9 degrees retarded. They can get away with this because of the 14* larger exhaust duration.
This cam comes with 37* of overlap. But installed as above (And I don't know if it's true, I just gleaned that from Dakota forums);If it's true,then the actual Effective overlap is just 12*. Well that's just great for the similarly low-rpm tuned beer-keg intake. But no header can do much with a feeble 12*. You can still install headers and reap the inertial tuning advantage, but no chance of a power bulge due to overlap.
However;
If you take this same cam and retime it, to in at 106, where it wants to be, then your Effective overlap increases to 36*, and now the headers have something to work with. Recall that the 340 cam had 44* overlap.
The problem I see is that the Ica falls from 64 to 51, which will increase the cylinder pressure perhaps too much for pump gas. IIRC the last work-up I did for a guy, put it at 164psi. but, the 318 picks up a ton of low-rpm torque, with no other down side.
Now, I realize that this cam is pretty small with maybe 182* intake duration @.050 and .411lift; but it's already in the engine and just requires a "simple" retime.
Also; OP says he's got gears, and an overdrive trans, so for very little money spent, he could have a two or three,gear "monster". I suppose the power will peak around 3900rpm, which with 4.56s would be 66mph in Drive, so that makes a 3-gear run to the finishline, and so I would expect it to trap well.
In overdrive, it will still cruise 65=2454 locked-up, with 28" tires
What's not to like about that.
I have read that the same cam is in the 5.9, so I would obviously choose the 5.9. The longer stroke would allow retarding the cam 4 degrees to in at 110, or, straight-up. This would drop the pressure to use 89/91, but the under 3000rpm torque would be much improved, making the driving experience also much improved. And yaknow, 22 cubes is still 22 cubes.
IDK, for just the time, and a gasket...... I'd try it.
I mean think about; More average power is what wins races, and 3 gears to 68mph beats 2.
I'd sooner stick my money into a 2800 loc-up TC, for some second gear punch at 30/35 mph, without having to downshift.
Jus saying
Besides, that factory cam is gonna pull some nice mpg numbers, even when in straight-up.

This is the short version.......:poke:
 
My goal with the truck is to hit 13’s or possibly 12’s.... I would like to do some spirited street driving and be able to cruise.

I have decided to run a 5.9. Just tossed the 5.2 idea out there. Yes I have od a 46rh tranny. And I have a suregrip 8.25 rear with 3.55 gears but I will be installing a lower gear set. Thinking either 4.10s or 4.56s

May not be able to run headers if I do they will probably be shorties cause full length are not available. I have read that shorties are not much better than 92/93 magnum manifolds which I have a set of. If I can get a set of full length headers I will run them.

I have the rpm Air-Gap Chinese intake and a set of stock heads with the Hughes springs installed.

Also will be running a 2800 rpm lock up converter with the 46rh

Based on what I info I gave and what I have between these to cams which one would u pick? I should pick up power over a stock 5.9 cam? Yes I have the 279 cam but I can get the 258 cam and only have to pay shipping one way. Trying to find more out about the cams but this is all I know right now.

56EA1950-C7A2-40DE-917E-454419B1F6D0.png


B7EC1668-95A4-41A7-A344-DB099D1230B9.png
 
And once again thanks to everyone for being helpful. Just trying to figure this cam out before I go further
 
AJ I never thought about running the stock cam. I just thought one of these cams would be better.
 
Run the 5.2 cam in the 5.9. Install it straight up like AJ said. It will be a tire fryer. I forget the specs but iirc the 5.2 cam is slightly larger (duration) than the 5.9. I’ll look it up and report back.
 
Specs,

5.2 int duration 251, ex duration 264, overlap 31, int and ex lift .432, ctrline 113, 5.9 int duration 249, ex duration 269, overlap 41,int lift .410, exhaust lift .417, ctrline109
 
I'm done with hydraulic lifters for dual-purpose machine.
My neighbor, just this afternoon, gave me a 91/92 Dakota regular cab,short box. It will not get a hydro.nor a 112LSa

Well if yur going racing
I still wouldn't touch that 279
But you just opened up a whole new can of worms, forget the factory cam.I guess I shoulda read the first 30 posts,lol.
Well, hang on a sec; since it's gonna a be a race truck, with a 2800TC and 4.56s, And you already own, it; I take it back, stick the 279 in the 5.9, and 13s should be in your future.
What does that Dakota of yours weigh?
 
Last edited:
TT5.9mag said:
Specs,

5.2 int duration 251, ex duration 264, overlap 31, int and ex lift .432, ctrline 113, 5.9 int duration 249, ex duration 269, overlap 41,int lift .410, exhaust lift .417, ctrline109
Click to expand...
you wrote centerline; the math says these are the LSAs, Lobe Separation Angles. Have I got that right? If yes then,
the 5.2 is in at 110/3* advanced which is normal, and
the 5.9 is in at 104.5/4.5* advanced also normal.
I will update my notes

But you know what the Ica's come to with these installs? I get 55 on the 5.2, and 40 and friggen 9, on the 5.9. These numbers, in 9.2Scr engines, are predicted to make 163/164 psi cylinder pressure. That's supposed to require 91 gas..........
I ran my 1992 on 87 and never heard a peep from it.No wonder she was peppy

Edit; These Ica's are when installed at split overlap , not the factory installs of 115 and117 as posted byTT5.9mag.
Those numbers drop the pressure right into 87 octane territory
 
Last edited:
Hmm, AJ I pulled that off of a Dakota site a long time ago and saved it. I’ll see if I can find where I got it from or maybe verify if it’s centerline or lobe separation numbers. I have personally run the 5.2 cam in a 5.9 and it’s a great cheap solution and since the op has it already it seems like a win win. I have also heard exactly what you posted, that the cam was installed at the factory way retarded but haven’t degreed one before pulling it.
 
Those are the centerlines not the lsa’s
5.2 is 113 centerline
Installed centerline is 115

5.9 is 109 centerline
Installed centerline is 117
 
My 2000 CC R/T weighed 4200
 
Bronson77 said:
It’s a extended cab so I’m gonna say around 3800 or so
Click to expand...
Ok, well according to the DC Bulletin Book,
to get into the 12s with SuperStock suspension, it says will take a Power to Weight ratio of ~.085, so
at 3800, this is 323 hp.
at 4000 it would be 340 hp
at 4200,it would be 357hp
These are doable for a 318/5.2 but IMO, with stock iron heads, it will take more than a 218@.050 cam. It's time for a big solid-lifter cam, and plenty of compression; 340 hp is already 1.07 hp per cube

But with street suspension, this might only be 13.5 seconds or perhaps as slow as 13.8, so you're looking at suspension upgrades.

So to guarantee dipping into the 12s,on street suspension, you might shoot for a P/W of .100 The new power levels are 380,400, and 420.
Now yur looking at a hi-compression big-cammed 360/5.9 , with some headwork
or supercharging.
400 hp is now 1.11 hp per cube
 
As I said, bigger cam.... skip the cheap cam.
If your going to do this with stock heads, the cam required will be more than an extra 20*’s or duration and more converter will be a plus.

Oh wait... I said that already... nevermind

Being the engine is a roller cam engine to start with, look at a solid roller and lifters. A solid flat tappet cam can also be used for less $$$.

IMO, with this heavy truck, your looking at ported heads or aftermarket heads. This will offer a better top end charge due to the added air flow and allow less cam duration.
 
Let me walk through your build like it was a super stocker
stock heads and stock bottom end and weight
to win super stock you have to run a long duration cam to make any hp with the stock heads (no square lobe cheater cam in this class)
so you figure your shift point with the rpm drop given your trans and gears (like 512's )
you end up with an as narrow as possible but as high as possible
and a vehicle that has to go to the races on a trailer
you have a very loose converter or stick shift
essentially that's an ok build if that's what you want to do
Do the trans like I said with a 47 core
Do the 360 with the 318 cam and a new chain get the 9 way gear
dial in your chassis and your carb and dist work on your 60 ft times
you can do headers and new cam easily later
cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top