Let's breakdown my runs!

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doogievlg

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Well you all remember my post from the other day about finally getting back to the track. Well it didn't go so good. First pass I ran a 13.5 at 99 mph with it cutting out on the big end. Went back to the trailer to put my Holley on and the thing was leaking fuel out of the line port. Took it off and put the edelbrock on. Checked the timing and initial is at 18 which is good. Total was at 34 so I thought I would bring it up a bit. Dropped the wrench down between the bell housing and floor so it stayyed there.

At first I was shifting 5700 and crossing the line at 5000. I started shifting at 6000 on my next run and ran the same thing with the same trap rpm. Does this mean my converter is trash? It's a 2800 stall with 3:55 and 26 inch tire and trap speed was 99.

Next two runs the car layyed over right off the line and I babied it down the track.

Over all it was a bit disappointing but I had fun.

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Now lets bring your combination back into this picture-30 over 360
Eddie heads*
Mp .484 cam
Performer rpm intake*
750 dp*
Mp chrome box*
2800 stall
besides your obvious problems you're having I think your cam is a little small in duration and lift for your expectations? Jmo :dontknow:
 
besides your obvious problems you're having I think your cam is a little small in duration and lift for your expectations? Jmo :dontknow:

Bingo..that cam is useless ran one in a 340 years ago total dog..much better choices out there..
 
I also had that cam in my 318 last year and it sounded great, but 13.7 @98mph was my best. I have a new stroker and I haven't been able to afford the edelbrock heads. I think your cam is not letting those heads live up to there full potential. Again jmo.
 
Well let's here some suggestions fellas. I was more concerned with my trap rpm but I have had that came for over 6 years now so I was thinking about changing it up anyways.
 
There are plenty of cars running low 12's and high 11's using that junk camshaft. :)

It's NOT likely the camshaft.

Which cam did you get, what was the LSA and where did you install it? What is the actual static compression ratio?

Cheap converter, your words, can be hit and miss. With a 484 in a 360, I'd want a good converter that flashes to 3800-4000.

Carbs are a all over the place. It did pick up MPH in the 1/8 so that is good. And it all disappeared in the back half. That's usually a fuel delivery/carb issue. Could be valve springs or ignition, but I doubt it right now.
 
There are plenty of cars running low 12's and high 11's using that junk camshaft. :)

It's NOT likely the camshaft.

Which cam did you get, what was the LSA and where did you install it? What is the actual static compression ratio?

Cheap converter, your words, can be hit and miss. With a 484 in a 360, I'd want a good converter that flashes to 3800-4000.

Carbs are a all over the place. It did pick up MPH in the 1/8 so that is good. And it all disappeared in the back half. That's usually a fuel delivery/carb issue. Could be valve springs or ignition, but I doubt it right now.

It is the older version of the cam shaft and I can't remember what we installed it at. It is at the shop written in a notebook. I at first thought it could be valves floating but I doubt it at that low of an rpm. I have another holley I am putting back together so as soon as it goes together I'll put it on the car and see what it does. I am getting 6.5 lbs of pressure before the carb.

I was real close to going to a new fuel pump but with that pressure it seems unnecessary.
 
low 12's and high 11's using that junk camshaft. :)

It's NOT likely the camshaft..
say that 3 times over in your head and try to make sense of it! :coffee2:
oh yeah and you're mine kind of emphasize junk camshaft and not likely the camshaft?
 
I don't think your cam is letting your heads live up to their full potential. I'm sure you will benefit from a better converter that flashes at a higher rpm as your 60 foot times could be a little better and that always personifies down the track. but I assume once you converter is locked in at the high end it's going to be about the power of your laying down out of the motor? I'm a four-speed I myself so these problems for real familiar to me with converters and all. but I still stand firm on the idea that it better cam will unlock the potential of those heads and that motor. 250-260D @.50 / 540-560 lift / 107 Ls = 12.7 @106mph :thumblef:
 
I ran 12.9's at almost 105 mph with that exact cam in a 360 with 340 heads and a 750 dp. I had 3.91 gears and a 28 inch tire. I had a 10 inch TCI converter. My car weighed about 3200 lbs without me in it. I drove it 1 hr to the strip and ran it as I drove it.
 
Well 12.9's is far more accurate then high 11's..thats for sure but then again if its in a car weighting 1500lbs running down hill with a tail wind it might do it:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
I agree with Rob, it's not the cam. Like he said, as long as it's installed where it supposed to be the issue lies elsewhere. Your ET/MPH are not that far off for the combo, maybe you could wring some more out of it if everything is optimized. Don't start throwing parts at it before trying to tune it some more.

The 60 ft. could use some help. You didn't say anything about chassis. What is your tire pressure, launch rpm, etc. Do you know how much the car weighs? Frame connectors?

Since it picked up shifting at a higher rpm, try increasing until it does not pick up any more. Were the track/air conditions around the same for both runs?

Ignition timing seems like its in the ballpark, might even be slightly too advanced. Did you check your vacuum with the ignition timing?

Do you have any tuning parts for the carb like jets, etc. or springs for the distributor to bring the total advance in quicker? There is ET in the chassis and fine tuning the stuff you have.

Just thought I'd mention this as well - an air/fuel gauge is helpful to dial in your carb. It does not tell the whole story but it can help get to optimum quicker. Most of the analog gauges allow you to download sessions into a visual graph format on a laptop so you can see where you need to change your carb settings. It's good for part throttle too.
 
The cam is BIG at .050 compared to a lot of newer stuff out there. It's 241* That's NOT small. Does it lack lift compared to newer products, yep. It's not the reason the car is soft. What do you think people used for SBM hyd cams back 20-25+ years ago?

The cam isn't the problem, there are a lot of things to get squared away before changing out camshafts.

When a 9.5:1 360 with a XE268H, factory iron heads, LD340, 750DP and headers in a demon with 2.94 gears will put down 105mph in the 1/4, something is off with the OP's set up. The OP's engine should SMASH that MPH, even with the Ede carb.

Whether it's fuel delivery, cam LSA/ICL, ignition, I don't know, something isn't right
 
Ok so it looks like when I installed the came I had number 1 at tdc and matches it up with the timing chain. I'm not real sure if this is the correct way of doing it but that's how it was done.
 
If you didn't put a degree wheel on the crank and find out where it's installed, it could be ANYWHERE based on MP's horrid quality control. I had one of those cams that was ground 8 degrees retarded!

It's anybodies guess as to why the car is soft. My guess is the cam is either close to straight up or retarded. Ask Muddog if I know what I speak of regarding these camshafts. :) You need to get a degree wheel, dial indicator and set the cam in the 100-104 range if it's a 108LSA model depending on what you find in the next paragraph.

Run a compression test on it to see what you have for Cyl Pressure right now. If all holes are in the 130 range, the cam is not where it should be. Verify the cam you have 108 or 114 LSA. If it's the 114, it will not run like it could, giant POS.
 
If you didn't put a degree wheel on the crank and find out where it's installed, it could be ANYWHERE based on MP's horrid quality control. I had one of those cams that was ground 8 degrees retarded!

It's anybodies guess as to why the car is soft. My guess is the cam is either close to straight up or retarded. Ask Muddog if I know what I speak of regarding these camshafts. :) You need to get a degree wheel, dial indicator and set the cam in the 100-104 range if it's a 108LSA model depending on what you find in the next paragraph.

Run a compression test on it to see what you have for Cyl Pressure right now. If all holes are in the 130 range, the cam is not where it should be. Verify the cam you have 108 or 114 LSA. If it's the 114, it will not run like it could, giant POS.

I have no clue what the hell happened to the box for this junk. I tore my garage apart looking for it and the shop. I ordered the cam back in 2008 so I can't remember which one it was. Is there anyway to tell? Was there a date that they switched or are both cams still being sold today? At this point though I am pretty feed up. If there is a better camshaft out there for this car what would you guys suggest? I want to get a good converter for it this winter but there is no way I'm spending money on one of those before I am certian I have the optimal cam in this car.

I know something is seriously off with this but I am getting lost and VERY frustrated. Also I can degree the cam with it in the motor and the motor in the car correct?
 
Yes, you can degree it in the car. It's more difficult, not impossible.

If you don't know which cam you have, you would need to degree both an intake and exhaust lobe to figure out LSA.

Got any paperwork or receipts with a part number?
 
Yes, you can degree it in the car. It's more difficult, not impossible.

If you don't know which cam you have, you would need to degree both an intake and exhaust lobe to figure out LSA.

Got any paperwork or receipts with a part number?

I didn't find anything. I was 18 so god knows if I kept them but my dad is pretty good with that sort of stuff so I sent him a text but he is out on the lake so he will not get it until later. I walked away from it for the day. We have a truck without a motor sitting in the garage and it needs to get running by next weekend.
 
you could do better with what you have, and you already know that. it's simply obvious that your cam is not unleashing the full potential of your Edelbrock heads. Now I'm the last one out here to cyber spend your hard earned money, but you already know that a simple $200 cam and lifters that you could re-degree when you put in would be a great improvement along with whatever is making it cut out at the big end. as a matter of fact I took my purple performance cam of the same size and vintage and sent it in to Ken at Oregon cam grinding. I did have to get some longer smith brother pushrods to accommodate it.
I try not to listen to all the fantastic stories of lesser combinations and heavier cars that are getting better time slips or back in the day I had a car that did this or that stuff. anyone on here will tell you- do one thing at a time and just try and better your car. I'm not a professional mechanic or anything like that. a lot of times I just try and get things simplified. and it's simply seems as the cam is the squeeze spot or smallest link in your air pump? course there's no guarantees in life and you probably do the same thing I do and take all these suggestions and formulate a game plan. All the best....
 
you could do better with what you have, and you already know that. it's simply obvious that your cam is not unleashing the full potential of your Edelbrock heads. Now I'm the last one out here to cyber spend your hard earned money, but you already know that a simple $200 cam and lifters that you could re-degree when you put in would be a great improvement along with whatever is making it cut out at the big end. as a matter of fact I took my purple performance cam of the same size and vintage and sent it in to Ken at Oregon cam grinding. I did have to get some longer smith brother pushrods to accommodate it.
I try not to listen to all the fantastic stories of lesser combinations and heavier cars that are getting better time slips or back in the day I had a car that did this or that stuff. anyone on here will tell you- do one thing at a time and just try and better your car. I'm not a professional mechanic or anything like that. a lot of times I just try and get things simplified. and it's simply seems as the cam is the squeeze spot or smallest link in your air pump? course there's no guarantees in life and you probably do the same thing I do and take all these suggestions and formulate a game plan. All the best....


Right now the game plan is to take the car back up to test and tune in two weeks. Take every tool I own and another carb. Since I was unable to use my Holley last time and adjust timing I will do that. This trip just sucked. It turned into a social event with people all over the car and trailer. Half the tools were lost. No lights. Just a complete freaking mess. I had fun at the time but looking back on it I see it was a waste.
 
Get the cam degreed first. or at the very least do a compression test to see where its at, will give you an idea. Deeper gears will also help, your trap rpm will not change without a gear change no matter what rpm you shift at. What do you have for fuel pump? mechanical or electric? Did you try any jet changes? When I started going to the track in my dart it ran 14.1 @ 101, I degreed the cam as I had no idea where it was at from previous owner, it was right on but I Advaced it 2 degrees, put an electric fan on it, and changed to an air gap intake from an old tm5 single plane intake and went to a holley 750 dp from a carter AVS. Went 13.37 @103 next time out. Any jetting changes I made did not change my et so I switched to a holley electric pump with regulator from a carter high volume mechanical, next time out 12.8 @ 105. 340, stock X heads, 273 rockers, cheap flow tech headers, stock replacement pistons 9.1 compression, 727 3800 unknown stall converter, 410 rear with 26 inch drag radial. traps at 5800, shift at 6000, small MP solid circle track cam, 230ish @ .50 and .480 lift after lash.
 
It's cheaper to degree what you have than spend money on a new camshaft that isn't going to make more power... Maybe the cost of a timing chain gasket set and new timing set. Have fun.

Do a compression test and see where you are.

GTSdude has a LOT of quality info in his post.
 
i had a 69 dart 360...used the old 284/484 cam...but with a good converter...ran 11.98 at 111.00 in Bakersfield back in 1986.....so it can be done...


buy a good converter once and be done....
 
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