I am pretty lost in my cam choice. I know a bit about cam profiles and such, but I don't know what is/isn't really streetable. I am basically looking for something with a standard-ish profile without much lump, but also something that will yield more power than stock. So I want to know what you chose. Part number and all, if you can remember or find it. Thanks!
what was your LA/Magnum cam choice?
- Thread starter sharpie
- Start date
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ramcharger
Dismember
Streetable is really a frame of mind, Sharpie. Some guys don't mind a 9 sec Hemi on the street while others want total ease of cruising that can idle in traffic like a daily driver on 100 F day. It depends a lot on what you can put up with.
That being said, your combo in it's entirety will determine how easy your car is to drive on the street. How heavy is the car? Auto or manual trans? Power brakes? Air conditioning? What rear gear? How tall are your tires? What's your torque converter stall at? Are you going to drive it in the winter? What's your tolerance for weak or no torque below 1500-2000 rpm and poor idle characteristics? What's the engines comp ratio? What heads are you using? Engine displacement? Intake manifold type? I could go on forever.
Give us some more info and we'll help get you where you want to be. Nothing's more a pain in the *** to drive on the street than a overcammed, undergeared, understalled, under compression ratio'ed, and over carbed car. You'll hate it. You'll end up doing the brake pedal/accelerator dance at ever light and it'll still stall out and feel like a dog at anything below 3000 rpm.
That being said, your combo in it's entirety will determine how easy your car is to drive on the street. How heavy is the car? Auto or manual trans? Power brakes? Air conditioning? What rear gear? How tall are your tires? What's your torque converter stall at? Are you going to drive it in the winter? What's your tolerance for weak or no torque below 1500-2000 rpm and poor idle characteristics? What's the engines comp ratio? What heads are you using? Engine displacement? Intake manifold type? I could go on forever.
Give us some more info and we'll help get you where you want to be. Nothing's more a pain in the *** to drive on the street than a overcammed, undergeared, understalled, under compression ratio'ed, and over carbed car. You'll hate it. You'll end up doing the brake pedal/accelerator dance at ever light and it'll still stall out and feel like a dog at anything below 3000 rpm.
That's what I want to avoid for sure.
It's going into a 71 Demon, 99% daily street driven (1% track), stop-and-go traffic is very possible.
How heavy is the car? 3400#, I think?
Auto or manual trans? Auto, TF904 which will be rebuilt
Power brakes? Nope, manual
Air conditioning? Negative
What rear gear? Not sure yet, I have to replace the 7.25 anyway. I'm looking at an optimal 3.XX:1 ratio
How tall are your tires? Again not sure yet, but probably between 26 and 28"
What's your torque converter stall at? Totally flexible on this; I can choose based on my cam choice. From what I've seen though, 2500-3000 would be my optimal I think.
Are you going to drive it in the winter? Absolutely yes.
What's your tolerance for weak or no torque below 1500-2000 rpm and poor idle characteristics? I'd rather have it idle nicely and have more torque. The stock truck cam for the 5.9L Magnum might suit better here?
What's the engines comp ratio? I haven't purchased my head gaskets or heads yet so I don't quite know. But using an Edelbrock head and MP head gasket, I get an 11.34:1 ratio.
What heads are you using? I believe I'll be running Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads
Engine displacement? 5.9L Magnum .030 over (365ci)
Intake manifold type? I'll probably go with a dual-plane for low-RPM torque and hp, because I won't be racing.
ramcharger
Dismember
I think this cam would fit your needs nicely and you could run a stock converter although a 2K or 22K stall would get you off the line a lot faster but be a bear if you run into any snow.
http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=1549&gid=289
I run the flat tappet version of this cam in my my truck and it idles almost as good as stock and has loads of torque. You'll have that much more torque with the roller version since you've got a Magnum block. Call Lunati for any compatibility issues regarding the lifters. You will need a LA timing cover if you're running a mech fuel pump, if not, don't worry about it but you will need a spacer in lieu of the pump eccentric.
You would need to drop your comp ratio to about 10.5:1 or lower though to run pump gas. Try to drop your CR without loosing quench too. Are you running stock pistons and are you at zero deck?
I think this combo would give you great streetability and and get you in the 350-390+ hp range. If you need more, you can always put a 100 hp N2O shot on it and not loose any driveability. Hyperutectic pistons can handle a 100 shot no problem.
A Holley 670 or 770 Street Avenger (I'm partial to Holley's but that's just me. Some people hate 'em, I love 'em because I know them) would work great with the 670 giving you greater response and the 770 giving you more top end at the strip.
Oh yeah, if you go with the eddy's get the magnum version. Rockers are much cheaper, you automatically get a 1.6 ratio, and the valve gear is much easier to set up.
http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=1549&gid=289
I run the flat tappet version of this cam in my my truck and it idles almost as good as stock and has loads of torque. You'll have that much more torque with the roller version since you've got a Magnum block. Call Lunati for any compatibility issues regarding the lifters. You will need a LA timing cover if you're running a mech fuel pump, if not, don't worry about it but you will need a spacer in lieu of the pump eccentric.
You would need to drop your comp ratio to about 10.5:1 or lower though to run pump gas. Try to drop your CR without loosing quench too. Are you running stock pistons and are you at zero deck?
I think this combo would give you great streetability and and get you in the 350-390+ hp range. If you need more, you can always put a 100 hp N2O shot on it and not loose any driveability. Hyperutectic pistons can handle a 100 shot no problem.
A Holley 670 or 770 Street Avenger (I'm partial to Holley's but that's just me. Some people hate 'em, I love 'em because I know them) would work great with the 670 giving you greater response and the 770 giving you more top end at the strip.
Oh yeah, if you go with the eddy's get the magnum version. Rockers are much cheaper, you automatically get a 1.6 ratio, and the valve gear is much easier to set up.
Snow won't be an issue, it's snowed twice in the past ten years here; we sit at 52ft above sea level.
However, I am personally partial to Comp or Crane cams. Are there comparable items in Comp/Crane's lineup?
I plan on using the entire LA front case, from mech. fuel pump to water pump. As for the idle, what's wrong with it? Can the issues be timed out or adjusted at the carb?
I am running 4.030-bore Speed-Pro hypereutectic pistons with a +6.000cc dome height (four valve relief) and normal .030-over rings. As for zero deck, I am not sure if I am actually at zero-deck. Basically, the piston top comes right up to the cylinder bevel at the top, if that makes any sense?
From this next picture, you can see that the farthest left cylinder is at TDC (or very close) and it's even with the bevel:
Definitely no N2O for me, I am not looking for a race. I will probably be going with a Holley double-pumper because I want the ease of adjustability of the secondaries.
And as for the heads, I'll have to go with Magnum heads no matter what; the oiling passages aren't machined the same as the LA heads.
AdamR
Big Member
Comp Cam Magnum 280H would be as far as I would go in your case. May be a bit to "lumpy" for you though. Maybe drop sown to the 270H or 268H
ramcharger
Dismember
Ah! Winter means something different to everybody, lol! The dragstrip here in Denver is at 6200', and has a usual density altitude of over 9000'. I'm at 5280+', physically, not mentally 8).
Here's one from Crane: http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brow...-360 C.I.&partNumber=699611&partType=camshaft
Comps pdf is giving me problems right now but I'll check again later.
Really nothing at all. I'm pulling 19" of vacuum at my altitude. It has just a bit of a motorboating sound @ 800 rpm but honestly it would take an expert to know there was cam in it. Here's an example:
I am running 4.030-bore Speed-Pro hypereutectic pistons with a +6.000cc dome height (four valve relief) and normal .030-over rings. As for zero deck, I am not sure if I am actually at zero-deck. Basically, the piston top comes right up to the cylinder bevel at the top, if that makes any sense?
From this next picture, you can see that the farthest left cylinder is at TDC (or very close) and it's even with the bevel:
Sharpie, pick up a cam degree kit from Summit racing. It has a dial indicator and magnetic base so you can definitively check your piston/deck clearance. Rods stretch at higher rpms and you want a minimum of .045 clearance between the piston and quench pad on the head or you'll be reuilding that engine much sooner than you anticipated. The red Mopar Performance gaskets are only .020" thick. It does look as though they are about .015-.020 down the bore. It is a picture on the internet though.....lol.
No problem, N2O isn't for everybody. While the street avenger is a vacuum secondary carb, it is of the 4150 style meaning that it does have a metering block with interchangeable jets plus annular boosters which should give better response and more thorough atomization in the mid range and on the highway. Don't get me wrong, I've got a double pumper on my truck and it performs wonderfully, but it is a bit hard on the wallet.
You are correct on this point. The oil passage bosses are there but they are not drilled (but can be, there's an extensive how to in one of my books).
I agree with Adam. Don't go any bigger than the Comp 280H. I run one and I think you would find it a little to lumpy. I draw about 12.5 inches of vacuum. Works great though in my combo.
Jack
Jack
I was going to recomend (at first reading) a hyd Crane cam of nearly the same specs as the roller. I'm useing it in my 318 right now. Your comp. ratio is a bit high for a cam that small. Next step up IMO would be better.
A note on my Hyd. cam. It is advertised @ 272/284 (216 - 228 @ .050 ) - .454/.480 on a 112 C line. Same RPM band as ramcharger listed. It is small enuff that you won't notice it until you hit it hard.
You could jump 10*'s upwards and be good.
A note on my Hyd. cam. It is advertised @ 272/284 (216 - 228 @ .050 ) - .454/.480 on a 112 C line. Same RPM band as ramcharger listed. It is small enuff that you won't notice it until you hit it hard.
You could jump 10*'s upwards and be good.
People have always said the 268H has been good to them. Any words of advice on that one?
It didn't sound to bad for the 20 minutes it was in my engine before I wiped a lobe on it. It wasn't the cams fault. It was machining and me not checking things close enough.
Jack
Jack
No, my machining problem was the block was decked to much to get the pistons at zero and the machinist didn't tell anybody. Therefore my non adjustable rockers put to much preload on the lifters and that wiped out the cam. I now have adjustable roller rockers and there is no problem.
Jack
Jack
ramcharger
Dismember
Why not go with a roller cam since you have a roller block? Yeah, it's more money but you also get more power with none of the downsides, plus you never have to worry about wiping a lobe.
Oh! Man! Go Roller!
Oh, didn't know there isn't a roller version of that cam. I won't be going flat tappet, that's for sure.
Yuou can gave any cam custom cut. A roller can minmic any Hyd. or Mecanical cam except do it better. Just ask the grinder.
dgc333
Well-Known Member
I am running a Comp XE268H cam in my 360 LA/Magnum engine. This cam has .509/.512 lift with the magnum 1.6 rockers and is about as big as you can go lift wise without having to machine the guides down on the head.
Anyway, the cam idles almost as smooth as a stock cam and pulls hard from 1500 to 6000+ rpm in my car. I have run a best of 13.7 @ 102 mph in the quarter with it using a smallish 600 cfm carb but my real problem was traction as the miserable 2.2 60' time attests.
I don't think you can go wrong with this cam or an equivalent from Crane, Hughes or Lunati.
Anyway, the cam idles almost as smooth as a stock cam and pulls hard from 1500 to 6000+ rpm in my car. I have run a best of 13.7 @ 102 mph in the quarter with it using a smallish 600 cfm carb but my real problem was traction as the miserable 2.2 60' time attests.
I don't think you can go wrong with this cam or an equivalent from Crane, Hughes or Lunati.
You have a roller block, why run a flat tappet?
I hope you still have the spider, lifters and dogbones? You can use most of that stuff over again or buy some new lifters for about $100. Get a cam cut for around $250-300
Call Brian at Indio Motor Machine 760-342-2178 Smart guy, knows SB Mopars and can get you a custom cut roller from Comp Using any lobe in the catalog.
I hope you still have the spider, lifters and dogbones? You can use most of that stuff over again or buy some new lifters for about $100. Get a cam cut for around $250-300
Call Brian at Indio Motor Machine 760-342-2178 Smart guy, knows SB Mopars and can get you a custom cut roller from Comp Using any lobe in the catalog.
SRT_DSTRHOLC
Well-Known Member
I have the xe274 with magnum heads and my max lift will be around .524, but i have dual valve springs and the guides cut
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