1991 360la camshafts
Im just trying to figure the most budget friendly option.
okay, first of all are you going to run a mechanical fuel pump? if not, then you can run any of the roller cam units.
if you are going to or want to run a mechanical pump in the future, then you'll need the "long snout" roller cam that has a provision to run the eccentric for the pump. otherwise with a "short snout" you'll need the kit from hughes engines to attach the eccentric and that's a few bucks.
now that we've tackled that...
you might luck onto a used cam that somebody is getting rid of because they upgraded. a stock 5.2 cam in a 5.9 is an okay bucks down upgrade.
you can find regrinds on ebay that are "close" to some well known performance grinds on the cheap
you can send your cam out for a regrind.
all of these will require you to absolutely 100% check your pushrod length and
might require you to get longer pushrods. the closer to stay to stock the less likely you'll need pushrods.
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check and clean your lifters and you're on the way.
switching over to a flat tappet is going to cost wayyy more than a regrind and some push rods. i wouldn't advise running a flat tappet profile with roller lifters.