360 cam question

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You guys are really off the mark now,
Here is OP's post for those that have short memories.

"I have a 65 barracuda, putting a 360 in it. We’re using stock manifolds, after market intake and 323 gears for now. 727 transmission. What cam should or could we use? K20-223-3?
I should mention we want a noticeable idle and the exhaust will be 2 1/4 possibly 2 1/5"

Here is what we HAVE to work with
so quit spending OPs paychecks like they're yours.
A 65 Barracuda
a 360
stock manifolds
after market intake
and 323 gears for now.
727 transmission.
2.25 exhaust
245/60-15 tires

Here's what OP wants to know;
What cam for noticeable idle ?
nothing else is asked, Zip/Nada/Neucht


Did he mention; Headers, gears, stall, compression?
Quarter-mile times
heck he didn't even say 4bbl.
But somebody wants to sell him what cam, again? for a sub 8/1 engine , with a 2000 stall, and 3.23s
And rumble puts him on the racetrack already doing 14s, crossing the line going into third gear,
Wait a sec did OP ask anything about a racetrack?

and you make jokes at my expense, even to the point of ganging up on me? What's wrong with you guys.
I think I need a vacation from this slugfest.
 
With 3.23s and 28s;
yur engine is gonna need some low-rpm torque, altho, with a 360, that shouldn't be a problem, until you upcam too far.
But again, with 3.23s and 28s; for a streeter, there is no point in much more than a 318 cam, cuz in Second gear, you won't normally ever get to the powerpeak anyway. For instance, 4000=64 mph at 10% convertor slip, 5000=80 mph.
I get your point and not totally disagreeing or saying the OP should go with a big cam.
Yes bigger cams extend the upper rpm powerband and make most gains on top but they also generally add decently in the 3000-5000 rpm range also making a lot more power then stock and decently over a smaller performance cam here. So even if you spend little time over 5000 rpms your still gaining.
 
Here's a smog 360 with some mods, 1-4 stock cam, 5-6 comp xe262h by 3400/3600 rpm the comp cam is gaining and by 3800 rpm making more then the best peak of the stock cam.

And it's kind of tied from 2000-3400 rpm dyno wise there would be really no reason to pick stock cam in this case.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/mopp-0105-dyno-test-360-smog-motor/

Horsepower
RPM
1
2
3
4
5
6
2000136.1143.5132.0135.9133.1
2200146.9155.4145.7147.1144.8
2400159.8167.9162.6161.3160.1
2600174.0181.8178.0174.5178.7175.2
2800191.3199.4195.7190.7191.8192.5
3000211.4221.6213.4207.5208.0212.4
3200226.2238.0229.1224.6228.9232.5
3400238.1251.8242.2238.7250.1256.4
3600247.6261.7253.1251.6267.8274.2
3800253.1268.0263.1259.5279.9288.0
4000261.1272.5270.3265.3289.7300.1
4200264.7276.9275.8269.9306.4311.5
4300266.2276.2276.5273.0313.0317.3
4400265.1275.7275.6272.4316.7323.0
4500264.5275.3276.8272.8321.3325.8
4600259.0272.4274.4272.0322.5329.0
4800261.8268.5274.0265.7324.5332.0
5000257.9265.4268.4259.3326.2335.0
5100254.6261.9267.3253.3325.7335.6
5200327.0334.4
5400320.6330.7
5600317.3327.9
 
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I get your point and not totally disagreeing or saying the OP should go with a big cam.
Yes bigger cams extend the upper rpm powerband and make most gains on top but they also generally add decently in the 3000-5000 rpm range also making a lot more power then stock and decently over a smaller performance cam here. So even if you spend little time over 5000 rpms your still gaining.
But it sounds like the op doesn't care about "more power' or "most gains" or "maximum" anything. He just wants a cam that works with his combo that has a "noticeable idle." Here's a 318 with a Whiplash cam. (I don't know which one) Sounds nice at idle. It probably smoothes right out at about 2000 rpm or so.
 
Nothing wrong with wanting a bit of a lumpy cam, I don't agree people generally don't care about performance, most modern family sedans vans suv etc.. Put a lot of muscle cars to shame. Even if it ain't on the for front of your mind most don't want a complete turd.

Here's more smog 360 upgrades stock cam vs xe250h vs xe268h

 
Nothing wrong with wanting a bit of a lumpy cam, I don't agree people generally don't care about performance, most modern family sedans vans suv etc.. Put a lot of muscle cars to shame. Even if it ain't on the for front of your mind most don't want a complete turd.

Here's more smog 360 upgrades stock cam vs xe250h vs xe268h


That's a true test. Pulled it, made the mods, and put it back in. It looks like the smaller cam would be good for pretty much anything. The 268 would be fun for a car that may use that rpm and even more fun with a bigger converter and rear gear. The converter and gear wouldn't do anything for the horsepower but it would be more usable and it would make the car go faster. a intake carb and small cam adds 100 horse . Nice!
 
That's a true test. Pulled it, made the mods, and put it back in. It looks like the smaller cam would be good for pretty much anything. The 268 would be fun for a car that may use that rpm and even more fun with a bigger converter and rear gear. The converter and gear wouldn't do anything for the horsepower but it would be more usable and it would make the car go faster. a intake carb and small cam adds 100 horse . Nice!
If you compare the video to the mag the stock numbers are pretty much on par with each other and the mild ported heads and the xe250h cam on par with stock heads and xe262h cam two ways to the same out come.

Pretty much it seems to show going with a xe 250 to 262 your not given up anything to stock cam and like you said xe268h probably gonna want a bit of stall and gears, I think mainly to do with overlap/idle cause it doesn't even seem to lose much down low torque/power wise especially over stock cam, might be able to get away without converter & gears. My 360 with 230 cam on 108 kind of gets away on a 2800 stall and 2.94 gears even though I drive in 2nd through town, be nice to hear from some xe268h low cr 360 guys on the stall and gear situation.
 
what's the compression on the 360? what "aftermarket intake"? i'm guessing LA 360 and not magnum, because that would be a whole 'nother ball of wax.

compression is going to be the name of the game here. if you stab that cam into a mid 70's 2bbl 360 with 8.5:1 compression it's gonna run like a wet fart sounds.

RF is on the money with those numbers being about as big as you wanna go before serious considerations of stall and gear come into play. the intake is less of a concern, but topping that combo off with some tarantula lookin' single plane and giant double pumper would lead to less than ideal satisfaction in the performance department.
Thanks and agree.
AJ is right...
I like 99% of what AJ said. He just thinks I hunt around for his replies to haunt him and pick apart his posts. Not true.
 
no track time, he might someday end up at SIR but who knows, burnout king and some get up and go. 50/50 on show and go maybe 60/40 lol, engine is about to go in the shop. 2.02/1.60 X heads from a 340.
 
if it's stock pistons, I'd probably look more at the XE262. had one in the 360 in my old 5th ave. had a bit of an idle, but not a ton of chop, had good manners with the 3.55/27" tall tires in a 4000lb car with a 42RH, which made highway cruising about 2100 RPM@ 70mph
 
Make sure you test fit the exhaust manifold on the driver's side. I used an early A manifold on a 360 and had to grind down the area of the head that juts out by the rear head bolt so the manifold would fit flush on the gasket surface area. Only about 1/8" of material needed to be removed to make if fit great. I also opened up the exhaust ports to match the 360 and opened up the outlet as much as I thought I should so flare of the pipe would still seat on the raised area of the outlet port. Seat of the pants, it runs pretty good with the manifolds.
 
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I have a 65 barracuda, putting a 360 in it. We’re using stock manifolds, after market intake and 323 gears for now. 727 transmission. What cam should or could we use? K20-223-3?

I should mention we want a noticeable idle and the exhaust will be 2 1/4 possibly 2 1/5
Here's your cam in a 340.
 
I have a 65 barracuda, putting a 360 in it. We’re using stock manifolds, after market intake and 323 gears for now. 727 transmission. What cam should or could we use? K20-223-3?

I should mention we want a noticeable idle and the exhaust will be 2 1/4 possibly 2 1/5
Stock manifolds from what. ?
273,340,360 ?
 
I have a 65 barracuda, putting a 360 in it. We’re using stock manifolds, after market intake and 323 gears for now. 727 transmission. What cam should or could we use? K20-223-3?

I should mention we want a noticeable idle and the exhaust will be 2 1/4 possibly 2 1/5
You mean 2 1/2, not 2 1/5
 
I don't think you can fit much bigger than 2" to those early A manifolds. You have to use a tight fitting flange and barely flare the end so it doesn't bottom out and not seat on the raised cone. I used 2" for a couple of inches and transitioned to 2 1/4" kind of like step headers.
 
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