Help me select a cam

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Mean416

Mean416

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Yes another thread on cams. My situation is a little bit different though.

My dart has been out of commission for AGES waiting on the machine shop to finish my 418 stroker stuff. In the meantime I've found another dart that's got a W2 setup and is closer to what I'm ultimately after in a street/strip bruiser, so I'm wanting to flip the dart I have. I just purchased a 360 long block that had already been punched 30 over. All parts for long block, intake to pan, I got a decent deal. I'm going to clean this block up and put it together. I'll probably cruise it a bit while it's up for sale, might as well have some fun with it right?

Here's the combo.
Stock chassis dart with fiberglass fenders and hood.
Stock bottom end 360 with 30 over stock replacements. Block has been decked an unknown amount, I'll be checking this soon. I'd assume stockish compression.
Cast iron 4bl intake
I'll try to score a 600 Carter or Edelbrock carb.
Stock iron 360 heads. I'll do a pocket port and a gasket match. I have some leftover stock valves that have been back cut that I'll use.
2200 ish stall, 355 gears
1-5/8 long tubes going into a 2.5 in duals.
Power brakes, manual steering.

I'd like a cam with a little lope, but I want good drivability and it needs to work with the combo. I might be willing to get some flat tops to bump the compression a bit. Maybe:D

Also, I need to actually be able to buy this cam, so needs to be on the shelf somewhere. If I gotta wait a month to get it I have to pass.
 
So a stock converter. Then, not much over a stock cam. At all.
 
I am assuming we are looking at hydraulic flat tappets only given the combo...

What do you have for valve springs? Are you willing to upgrade? I think that info is going to really help narrow it down...
 
thrustbucket said:
I am assuming we are looking at hydraulic flat tappets only given the combo...

What do you have for valve springs? Are you willing to upgrade? I think that info is going to really help narrow it down...
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Yes, definitely need to upgrade valve springs, but needs to be drop in springs no machining required. Once I narrow in on a cam I'll have to repeat the exercise here, but related to springs
 
This is also a bit of a marketing exercise. A little cam lope will go a long way towards helping to sell the car. Emphasis on little bit of lope.
 
I'll second that Howards cam speccd' above as a good candidate. You can fine tune the lopey with a decent set of mufflers.
 
Mean416 said:
This is also a bit of a marketing exercise. A little cam lope will go a long way towards helping to sell the car. Emphasis on little bit of lope.
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Then go for the Comp 265deh. That is, IF you can find one. It's on the ragged edge of too big, but it will work fine and give you what you want without all the decision bullshit.
 
This is what I'm working with...

I love before and after shots.

Nothing screams MOPOWAH BABY like a crusty old smog era 360!

I think I can get somewhere around 300 horsepower out of it though. What are you guys think?

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I'd run the 265deh in that so quick. Problem is, it's gonna run like HELL and you're gonna wanna keep it.
 
I can't find the cam online anywhere. What specs does it have?
 
Mean416 said:
I can't find the cam online anywhere. What specs does it have?
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211/227 @ .050 on a 110 like Comp everything. Low lift. It'll take the 901 spring. The DEH (dual energy hydraulic) was getting similar to the Thumpr and Whiplash in that they had a big duration split and a later intake closing event so they sounded good. They run really well too though. Like I said, you need to find one. That's gonna be the trick. There's a Comp "high lift" with the same duration specs, that's not it.
 
I had the duration @ .050 incorrect. I posted 219 and 229 which is the big block duration. I have it corrected now.
 
I found it on eBay and Amazon. I don't usually like buying these kinds of things from there. Sometimes you get the rejected parts.

20-417-3.... that's the comp part number.

That Howard's cam spec above has similar duration, more lift, on a 108 LSA.

I'm still leaning that way. Is it a bad choice?
 
Some "after" shots, after a solid pressure washing session, blown off with the air nozzle, and sprayed with some WD40. Bores look worse than they are, I spent a couple minutes with some fine steel wool and WD40 one one of the cylinders and it cleans up pretty well. Next step is get the ball hone on it, it'll be like new after that.

I'm a little concerned about the main journals though. Thinking about steel wool clean up then mount some bearings in there and see what they measure. I have some spare new bearings I can do this with.

Really wanting not to spend time and money in the machine shop with this one.

IMG_20220828_134614.jpg


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IMG_20220828_134414.jpg
 
Mean416 said:
I found it on eBay and Amazon. I don't usually like buying these kinds of things from there. Sometimes you get the rejected parts.

20-417-3.... that's the comp part number.

That Howard's cam spec above has similar duration, more lift, on a 108 LSA.

I'm still leaning that way. Is it a bad choice?
Click to expand...
Yeah it'll work. They probably want a dual spring with it. That's a lot more lift. You'll likely need to machine the guides for guide to retainer clearance too, where with the Comp DEH you will not.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yeah it'd work. A little big, IMO but he could stab it in down around 102 and it'd be ok.
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Isn't it actually a bit smaller than the DEH?

20-417-3 (DEH) 211/227, 110 LSA .442/.462 lift
20-212-2 (high energy 268) 218/218 110 LSA .454/.454 lift

Between these two the DEH seems to be a bit more of a modern profile than the 268
 
Mean416 said:
Isn't it actually a bit smaller than the DEH?

20-417-3 (DEH) 211/227, 110 LSA .442/.462 lift
20-212-2 (high energy 268) 218/218 110 LSA .454/.454 lift

Between these two the DEH seems to be a bit more of a modern profile than the 268
Click to expand...
I was lookin at the cam in post #4. Was there another one?
 
RustyRatRod said:
I was lookin at the cam in post #4. Was there another one?
Click to expand...
Ahh ok that makes sense.

The other one mentioned was the comp 268. I thought that's what you were referring to. Sorry for the confusion.

Also thanks for your recommendations!
 
Mean416 said:
Ahh ok that makes sense.

The other one mentioned was the comp 268. I thought that's what you were referring to. Sorry for the confusion.

Also thanks for your recommendations!
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I like the deh 265 out of the 3. I think it's a really good match. Comp has discontinued that cam long ago so it's not like they are some bullshitty second overstock.
 
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