1968 340 Manual Cam

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Some of the best machinist I know didn't graduate high school and can hardly put a decent sentence together.

They don't have to talk with people to do the job most of the time.

The Cup mechanic, crew chiefs were some of those types, not much "Book Lernin'" They just knew their stuff! :)
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RustyRatRod said:
I completely understand. I have talked to Ken for literally hours at the time. I can assure you he is a legend genius when it comes to cam grinding. He is one hell of a nice guy, too.
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i'm glad i got the follow-up information from you guys. honestly, after reading the email reply, i was going to mark oregon camshaft off my list of possible sources. but now that i know the background story on ken, i'll still get in touch with them to talk about the 340 4 speed cam.
 
Does anyone have a actual 2899205 camshaft that they can measure with a degree wheel to verify the actual specs?
 
I emailed Rick Ehrenberg a question regarding the '68 340 4 speed cam a few years ago.

Actually, he called me at home to talk about the email just after he sent it. Awesome guy to do that!

Hi Rick, Now that I have converted my '69 Dart 340 to a 4
speed, I was contemplating the one year only '68 340 4 speed camshaft (I
believe part number 2899205) and came across several different specs for
that particular cam. The 1968 Barracuda "Shortcut" cartoon ad specifies
.445/.455" lift with 60 degrees overlap, 284/292 duration. The Mopar Engines
book specifies the 1968 manual transmission cam at .460" lift at 276
duration. Other info I have read indicates the specs at .445"/.456" lift
276/284 Duration, 52 deg Overlap. Which specs are correct? Is there anyone out
there that is reproducing this '68 4 speed camshaft? Would this camshaft be
suitable in a power brake car? I don't know if this cam would be an
improvement in performance and idle sound from my current Purple Shaft
P4452761 .450/.455" lift 50 deg overlap 268/272 duration. Thanks, ED


This was his answer:

This is a question that has been asked for 30+ years with no definitive
resolution. I've tried to get the blueprint for the #205 cam and failed. My
best guess is that it was originally designed as 282/292, but got nixed
either before production began, or shortly thereafter. Later issues of the
'68 parts catalog, in fact, show the AT cam (2899206) as the "only"
replacement, AT or MT. Therefore, I believe there were at least three
different camshafts, early (or pre-production / never built) MT w/ 282/292
(or thereabouts), @0.455", the production #205 (276/284, 0.455"), and the
dirt-common 268/276 ).430/0.445"

Truthfully, your question is moot. Although I believe Comp can grind you up
one that's close, if not identical, to an original (early or late? I dunno),
cam technology has improved, mostly rate-of-lift to take advantage of the
large Chrysler lifter diameter. No question that a modern cam (and, likely,
a valve spring swap) would pick you up some ponies. As usual, though, try to
keep components matched, as far as flow rates. EG: This cam you're
contemplating, installed on, say, a stock 273, would result in low end
torque being totally killed off, and an engine that would run out of breath
at a relatively low RPM because of flow restriction. The "area under the
curve" -- the average useable torque in the engine's operating range --
would be down.

From the tone of your letter, it sounds like you want a stock, or
near-stock, underhood appearance, requiring stock heads and manifolding. So,
if you wanna make more power, in addition to the cam swap, consider a radius
valve job, some hand porting, etc.

I think power brakes would be marginal. No reason for a booster in an A-body
anyway!
 
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All the ones I measured where the 276/284 variant, which was the 340 A/T exhaust lobe moved to intake and a 440 cam intake on the exhaust side.
 
seem u have all the help good lord and us can give.i read most replys. as I was saying med lift short duration as in a auto cam but if u can borrow a intake and big carb try. I have started that way. but my aar w 1350 cfm have a 440 a 78low com press still screams never hesitates
 
RustyRatRod said:
Ken has both some speech impediment and has overcome some serious early child learning disabilities.

He is a genius with a cam grinder.
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That's not Ken, that's the other guy that also works there. Ken speaks perfectly, the other guy (forgot his name) is a little hard to understand but regardless both of them know a **** ton.
 
jimharvard said:
i don't want to be disrespectful here but if i received a reply like the one above for a camshaft that had to be "perfect" from an "engineering" perspective, i would tell that company - "thanks, but no thanks." obviously, camshafts must be ground to extreme close tolerances to be correct. if a person at an engine building company cannot even write a coherent reply letter to a potential customer, that does not give me any "warm and fuzzy feeling" about the competency of the guy grinding my cam. maybe that's being unfair to the "shop guys", but no company interested in keeping old customers and getting new ones should at least have a person dealing with new inquiries that is able to write a simple and "correct" written reply.
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I dont know why you would apologize you cant hear someone speak through email, and there is nothing wrong with his grammer, and Ken does not have a speech issue its the other guy who works there, he just says straight up might be close to specs but there is a chance that might be off a couple on duration/lift plus or minus that happens with the regrinding the camshaft process. But ill tell you what he grinded me up a roller camshaft and it on very close to spec from the sheet he gave me, but always degree a camshaft!!!!
 
Hi guys. I use to use these a lot in my customers cars and they were TRW's so maybe someone has one of these laying around. I'm sorry I have no part numbers. Maybe someone has an old TRW catalog? And in the brand x (chev) the old 350 hp cams did a great job.
 
Slantsix64 said:
That's not Ken, that's the other guy that also works there. Ken speaks perfectly, the other guy (forgot his name) is a little hard to understand but regardless both of them know a **** ton.
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Oh ok, my bad. I have them kornfrooshed then. No surprise there. lol
 
i remember when crazy cuda worked on this
where are u crazy
also remember the 340 auto ex and bbm ex but i do not remember which one
copies never march the originals and if the original is worn you do not want it to
 
im looking for a copy of the 68 4 speed cam but in a solid lifter , any one have any ideas ? i have been trying to get a hold of Racer Brown to see what he can do . without luck .
 
Racer Brown used to be very good. SSH25 or 44 worked great for everyday street cars. Don't know much about them anymore. And the Camcraft of today is not the old time Camcraft. He was my customer and I was his. He was a great guy. I used a solid in one of my stock street cars, a 1971 Roadrunner auto 3.23 it was 268 & 480. I don't remember who made it for me. This was the only mod I made and it ran 14.00 running thru the traps in 2nd gear with my snow tires on it. Actually I still have the 71 motor with that cam in it. Car was totaled and the motor went into a 65 dart and that car was totaled. Neither one my fault. really! Hoarder.
 
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