How to Pick Your own CamShaft better.
- Thread starter Cudafever
- Start date
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LSA is fixed. You can move the ICL and ECL, not so with the LSA. Once the stick is ground, you have the LSA. No do overs unless it heads back to the grinder.
Overlap is partial a function of the LSA. Wider LSA is less overlap, narrower is more overlap on the exact same spec camshaft.
Overlap is partial a function of the LSA. Wider LSA is less overlap, narrower is more overlap on the exact same spec camshaft.
Just mean if say I wanted a new cam it would be 108 with .500 ish lift and 60-70 overlap so I'd look at all the cams that fit that, then decide on what I thought was the best choice.
I try and understand as much of this as i can.............
But still rely on someone smarter/knowledge, then me, to pick my cam.
If i had the time and money to pick a half a dozen cams and try them out......I'm sure i could understand it all much better.
But still rely on someone smarter/knowledge, then me, to pick my cam.
If i had the time and money to pick a half a dozen cams and try them out......I'm sure i could understand it all much better.
That’s what I did in the pre internet days.
mderoy340
Well-Known Member
Keep going bigger until the car slows down then go back one jet size, I mean cam size.
Irving Santiago
Member
Ive spent serious Blowvid aka Covid hours watching Vizard videos. That man definitely has decades of current to this day no BS information. One of many Way ahead of his time. Not bad at all! ANY accurate information is appreciated! Always learning = moving forward.
He can't win a camshaft competition though, that also is very telling
Not really. It’s an educated guess made with the best info available. All the camshafts that were close to the winner were very similar.
I’d say it would be the same here. Pick several of the members that you think can make a good camshaft choice for your engine and test them. You’ll find the same results.
There has been so much cam tech talk lately. Its interesting how when you call a cam company they come up with a selection pretty quick. They don't give you 3 choices (at least in my experience) or go on some r&d mission.
Just saying, his wasn't.
Yeah you're probably right about that .
ir3333
Well-Known Member
Picking the cam is best left to the pros at Ultradyne, Comp or any of the major companies. The problem
is most guys want lots of HP...and they get a cam that makes big hp but at high rpm where they never
drive. I've found most good quarter mile builds are no fun driven on the street.
is most guys want lots of HP...and they get a cam that makes big hp but at high rpm where they never
drive. I've found most good quarter mile builds are no fun driven on the street.
In Eric's cam contest most were pro's and there was a huge power margin between them so it kind of seems getting a pro to pick your cam can be quite a crapshoot too.
Yeah, people definitely need to be realistic with their build goals when picking a cam.
Problem is everyone is different in their wants/needs and level of compromises, so to find the prefect cam that gives the ideal balance of driveability and performance can vary quite a bit from one person to another, and doesn't help some people insist their idea/level of compromise is obviously the best and everyone else must follow 
I’m not on board with a cam company picking for me and have found 10 phone calls yield 10 different cams from the same big company. Then add in other places.
Learn something and go for it!
Learn something and go for it!
I know enough to get by and like they say, you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
In hindsight the cams the mfg recommended to me were great choices (Hughes and Elgin).
ir3333
Well-Known Member
As 273 says, driveability is a personal thing. I've been lucky enough to use a few different cams and
know how they performed in my builds.
know how they performed in my builds.
Hughes is a guy that will get you there because he his a machinist and a specialist because he immerse’s himself in the stuff we do and love.
No experience with Elgin.
Ahhhh, a been there and done that guy which actually means you know instead of reading forums and parrot others.
Exxxcccccccccccellent!!!
** Edit, I miss read your statement, I now see your basically agreeing, so my reply was pointless
I do believe it's a personal thing, you seem very conservative when it comes to driveability, which there's nothing wrong with that and bet there's a huge number guy's that are similar.
But there is also guy's that are find fairly radical cars acceptable drivers, there's no right or wrong just depends what kind of person some of these OP are (asking cam advice).
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Oldiron440
Big blocks rule small blocks drool!
It’s kind’a funny that over the last fifty years I’ve done countless cam swaps and chosen cams using various methods including cam companies tech and using the Mopar Engine book. But after time and experience you know what cam you’re going to use or what you want to try before you even start building the engine.
The thing about asking for advice on a specific subject like choosing a camshaft on a forum is that there are so many variables that getting corrected advice is almost impossible without a clutter of other information.
About the only thing I will add to the discussion is that while someone mentioned engine size I’m going to say that stroke makes a difference on how much cam is need. Because it’s very possible to build a longer than stock stroke engine that has 600tq throughout its RPM range. So there is no need to worry about the lack of torque down low when you cam it up go for higher rpm horsepower. It’s much like the fact that you don’t need a two plane intake on any 500” 440 and I would doubt that one would be needed on a 408” small block.
The thing about asking for advice on a specific subject like choosing a camshaft on a forum is that there are so many variables that getting corrected advice is almost impossible without a clutter of other information.
About the only thing I will add to the discussion is that while someone mentioned engine size I’m going to say that stroke makes a difference on how much cam is need. Because it’s very possible to build a longer than stock stroke engine that has 600tq throughout its RPM range. So there is no need to worry about the lack of torque down low when you cam it up go for higher rpm horsepower. It’s much like the fact that you don’t need a two plane intake on any 500” 440 and I would doubt that one would be needed on a 408” small block.
RustyRatRod
Caput villa stultus
So true and a lot of it is because some people just have to try to sound intelligent on the internet.
Through my first MoPar club, the PR guy worked out a great deal with the local Dodge dealer who gave us a, at cost price on the MP parts.
back when I was hungry for info and eyeball deep and into tearing engines apart to see how stuff worked, I purchased cams like crazy. Since this was before the internet, if you didn’t try it out yourself, you truly didn’t know unless someone you know and trust had the same combo.
I still have (approximately) 10 brand new cams from various manufacturers that I want to try out and test because I can’t take your opinion as an exact for what I may think your saying.
I’ve run through many cams in many combos just to see what and how it is.
Tried them with different displacements, many intakes and carbs and headers and ….. you get the idea right???
I’m not cam expert, but I believe I have a good handle on how it’ll work in a bunch of combos.
back when I was hungry for info and eyeball deep and into tearing engines apart to see how stuff worked, I purchased cams like crazy. Since this was before the internet, if you didn’t try it out yourself, you truly didn’t know unless someone you know and trust had the same combo.
I still have (approximately) 10 brand new cams from various manufacturers that I want to try out and test because I can’t take your opinion as an exact for what I may think your saying.
I’ve run through many cams in many combos just to see what and how it is.
Tried them with different displacements, many intakes and carbs and headers and ….. you get the idea right???
I’m not cam expert, but I believe I have a good handle on how it’ll work in a bunch of combos.
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