Comp Cam 268h in 400
#1
08-25-2011, 08:48 PM
Comp Cam 268h in 400
Im planning on swapping out the stock cam and timing chain in my 78 f250 and putting in a 268h cam. If anyones put this cam in their truck how big are the performance gains. I know that changing out the retarded timing chain will help. But what type of gains will this specific cam give me. Also comp cams says the idle is noticably rough. Hough rough is it? Thanks
#3
08-25-2011, 10:32 PM
#4
08-25-2011, 10:43 PM
Posting Guru
good little cam for 4wd's!
ran this cam in several engines back in the day. 351 clevelands and 400 fords and 429 and 472 BBF. No complaints in my 4wd applications. If this is your first cam in a ford you won't be dissappointed with this. has a lope but not to crazy. Ran in a BBF and the only problem I had was I had to upgrade my fuel line diameter. fuel line diameter is 5/16" ID and if you have some excessive bends restricts flow.on long hard pulls full throttle it would starve my engine for fuel. 5300 rpm or higher situations. maxed out the 268. went to a 280 magnum and noticed my btm end torque went away compared to 268 in automatic. Stall converter guidelines are pretty accurate and go with it. carb would go dry with stock pump. something to think about if mudboggin with some really low gears. 4.56 and 33's or 34" tires. liked the cam for my application and no regrets. their are some newer grinds out their possibly a little better but not by much. I use MPGheads for all my ford cam grinds anymore and if curious give him a call very serious cam grinder you need to know about. pricing is competitive with anything out their.
forgot to mention upgrade heads with good/recomended springs. factory springs will go into valve float around 4000rpm. compared to factory cam I say atleast 50 to70 hrspwr easy. factory cam is a turd! Also a nice timing chain is a must. cam and timing chain is around 70hrspwr. you can turn more rpms which means more hrspwr. If you upgrade compression a little more really nice performance gain. If I remember factory is 215 hrspwr and 268 will git you up to 300 hrspwr depending on carb? engine is a air pump, more efficient you get air in and out the better the performance gains. any questions drop a message. currently building a 400 ford on the extreme side of 4wd world, check it out.
forgot to mention upgrade heads with good/recomended springs. factory springs will go into valve float around 4000rpm. compared to factory cam I say atleast 50 to70 hrspwr easy. factory cam is a turd! Also a nice timing chain is a must. cam and timing chain is around 70hrspwr. you can turn more rpms which means more hrspwr. If you upgrade compression a little more really nice performance gain. If I remember factory is 215 hrspwr and 268 will git you up to 300 hrspwr depending on carb? engine is a air pump, more efficient you get air in and out the better the performance gains. any questions drop a message. currently building a 400 ford on the extreme side of 4wd world, check it out.
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#5
08-25-2011, 11:04 PM
ran this cam in several engines back in the day. 351 clevelands and 400 fords and 429 and 472 BBF. No complaints in my 4wd applications. If this is your first cam in a ford you won't be dissappointed with this. has a lope but not to crazy. Ran in a BBF and the only problem I had was I had to upgrade my fuel line diameter. fuel line diameter is 5/16" ID and if you have some excessive bends restricts flow.on long hard pulls full throttle it would starve my engine for fuel. 5300 rpm or higher situations. maxed out the 268. went to a 280 magnum and noticed my btm end torque went away compared to 268 in automatic. Stall converter guidelines are pretty accurate and go with it. carb would go dry with stock pump. something to think about if mudboggin with some really low gears. 4.56 and 33's or 34" tires. liked the cam for my application and no regrets. their are some newer grinds out their possibly a little better but not by much. I use MPGheads for all my ford cam grinds anymore and if curious give him a call very serious cam grinder you need to know about. pricing is competitive with anything out their. forgot to mention upgrade heads with good/recomended springs. factory springs will go into valve float around 4000rpm. compared to factory cam I say atleast 50 to70 hrspwr easy. factory cam is a turd! Also a nice timing chain is a must. cam and timing chain is around 70hrspwr. you can turn more rpms which means more hrspwr. If you upgrade compression a little more really nice performance gain. If I remember factory is 215 hrspwr and 268 will git you up to 300 hrspwr depending on carb? engine is a air pump, more efficient you get air in and out the better the performance gains. any questions drop a message. currently building a 400 ford on the extreme side of 4wd world, check it out.
forgot to mention upgrade heads with good/recomended springs. factory springs will go into valve float around 4000rpm. compared to factory cam I say atleast 50 to70 hrspwr easy. factory cam is a turd! Also a nice timing chain is a must. cam and timing chain is around 70hrspwr. you can turn more rpms which means more hrspwr. If you upgrade compression a little more really nice performance gain. If I remember factory is 215 hrspwr and 268 will git you up to 300 hrspwr depending on carb? engine is a air pump, more efficient you get air in and out the better the performance gains. any questions drop a message. currently building a 400 ford on the extreme side of 4wd world, check it out.
#6
08-26-2011, 12:37 AM
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definitely consider springs. This is where things get big. That cam is awfully close to where they recommend new springs, retainers (which may mean new valves)etc etc. due to valve bind. Makes putting in just a cam and timing chain (don't forget lifters!!) more of a pain unless some-one has upgraded the heads relatively recently. Had the same dramas on my 400 when I bought it. Ended biting the bullet and putting 302 aussie heads on it. A $300 cam/ lifter (didn't do timing chain -didn't know yet) grew into a $1600 one. ouch
#7
08-26-2011, 07:38 PM
Here's the problem as I see it.....
1. Comp has by appearance - seems to be a company that has experience more cam lobe failures than most and places the blame on the low ZDDP in the oils. Is it a factor yes, but I highly suspect that they are also using Chinese cam billets & they do not include Parkerizing their cams (Parkerizing is the final step and a crucial step to help break the cam in- a heated acid bath that microscopically etches the metal surface and adds a very thin layer of graphite coating which allows the cam lube to hang onto and penetrate into the cam surface during cam break in) unless you specifically request and pay additional money for it.
2. Considering the cam has such critical importance to the engines performance and life, to me it makes sense to use a cam grinder who will talk with you directly- even modify the cam grind to fit your needs even better and to address the possibility of cam lobe failure with the new oils. With regards to price...the difference is nil- especially considering its cheap insurance to know exactly who is machining such a critical part for your engine. And remember, advertized lift/duration/lobe separation is just that- advertized and not the specific grind including ramp profile that is used on the cam.
That is why I highly recommend Iskenderian & Crower...both are family owned, been grinding cams for decades, and both will even re-grind your oem cam if possible- saving you even more $.
As you are probably aware, many of the cam mfgs in the past few years either sold, closed their operations to re-open elsewhere (typically with new staff) or .......
In addition to Isky & Crower, I use to very highly recommend....
Sig Erson & Crane...
Both became part of corporate entities, eventually leading to periodic quality issues and closing their doors- I think Crane re-opened, but with a different staff. Typically the staff is very, very young and well- requires a learning curve.
If you do a search on the net, Harvey Crane has posted a little summary of the history of the people who made the cams at Crane, his opinion of what happened and the eventual outcome of several of the staff.
While there are some cam failures cause by start-up/break-in error, cam lobes that are of a street type profile should not be completely worn out in 10,000-30,000 miles- and while just about every cam mfg recommends adding ZDDP (and sells) to the oil, I still highly suspect Parkerizing is not done by some and the billets are of Chinese origin with inferior properties, specifically low carbon- which would explain the proneness to lobe failure (lack of carbon reduces the harness of the steel)
Given the criticality of the component- IMHO, I don't like speaking to a catalog parts sale person- they really don't know any more about the cam than what they are reading- companies like Summit, while their bulk purchase agreements are great for price, when it comes to making an engine breathe, there are so many variable including elevation, humidity, fuel blends/available octane, most cam mfgs will vary a "core grind pattern" to match the external impactors in addition to the internal impactors- which today IMHO makes the different between and engine that runs well, to one that just seems to run a little bit better, smoother and gets better mileage than expected.
1. Comp has by appearance - seems to be a company that has experience more cam lobe failures than most and places the blame on the low ZDDP in the oils. Is it a factor yes, but I highly suspect that they are also using Chinese cam billets & they do not include Parkerizing their cams (Parkerizing is the final step and a crucial step to help break the cam in- a heated acid bath that microscopically etches the metal surface and adds a very thin layer of graphite coating which allows the cam lube to hang onto and penetrate into the cam surface during cam break in) unless you specifically request and pay additional money for it.
2. Considering the cam has such critical importance to the engines performance and life, to me it makes sense to use a cam grinder who will talk with you directly- even modify the cam grind to fit your needs even better and to address the possibility of cam lobe failure with the new oils. With regards to price...the difference is nil- especially considering its cheap insurance to know exactly who is machining such a critical part for your engine. And remember, advertized lift/duration/lobe separation is just that- advertized and not the specific grind including ramp profile that is used on the cam.
That is why I highly recommend Iskenderian & Crower...both are family owned, been grinding cams for decades, and both will even re-grind your oem cam if possible- saving you even more $.
As you are probably aware, many of the cam mfgs in the past few years either sold, closed their operations to re-open elsewhere (typically with new staff) or .......
In addition to Isky & Crower, I use to very highly recommend....
Sig Erson & Crane...
Both became part of corporate entities, eventually leading to periodic quality issues and closing their doors- I think Crane re-opened, but with a different staff. Typically the staff is very, very young and well- requires a learning curve.
If you do a search on the net, Harvey Crane has posted a little summary of the history of the people who made the cams at Crane, his opinion of what happened and the eventual outcome of several of the staff.
While there are some cam failures cause by start-up/break-in error, cam lobes that are of a street type profile should not be completely worn out in 10,000-30,000 miles- and while just about every cam mfg recommends adding ZDDP (and sells) to the oil, I still highly suspect Parkerizing is not done by some and the billets are of Chinese origin with inferior properties, specifically low carbon- which would explain the proneness to lobe failure (lack of carbon reduces the harness of the steel)
Given the criticality of the component- IMHO, I don't like speaking to a catalog parts sale person- they really don't know any more about the cam than what they are reading- companies like Summit, while their bulk purchase agreements are great for price, when it comes to making an engine breathe, there are so many variable including elevation, humidity, fuel blends/available octane, most cam mfgs will vary a "core grind pattern" to match the external impactors in addition to the internal impactors- which today IMHO makes the different between and engine that runs well, to one that just seems to run a little bit better, smoother and gets better mileage than expected.
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#8
08-26-2011, 07:52 PM
Here's the problem as I see it.....
1. Comp has by appearance - seems to be a company that has experience more cam lobe failures than most and places the blame on the low ZDDP in the oils. Is it a factor yes, but I highly suspect that they are also using Chinese cam billets & they do not include Parkerizing their cams (Parkerizing is the final step and a crucial step to help break the cam in- a heated acid bath that microscopically etches the metal surface and adds a very thin layer of graphite coating which allows the cam lube to hang onto and penetrate into the cam surface during cam break in) unless you specifically request and pay additional money for it.
2. Considering the cam has such critical importance to the engines performance and life, to me it makes sense to use a cam grinder who will talk with you directly- even modify the cam grind to fit your needs even better and to address the possibility of cam lobe failure with the new oils. With regards to price...the difference is nil- especially considering its cheap insurance to know exactly who is machining such a critical part for your engine. And remember, advertized lift/duration/lobe separation is just that- advertized and not the specific grind including ramp profile that is used on the cam.
That is why I highly recommend Iskenderian & Crower...both are family owned, been grinding cams for decades, and both will even re-grind your oem cam if possible- saving you even more $.
As you are probably aware, many of the cam mfgs in the past few years either sold, closed their operations to re-open elsewhere (typically with new staff) or .......
In addition to Isky & Crower, I use to very highly recommend....
Sig Erson & Crane...
Both became part of corporate entities, eventually leading to periodic quality issues and closing their doors- I think Crane re-opened, but with a different staff. Typically the staff is very, very young and well- requires a learning curve.
If you do a search on the net, Harvey Crane has posted a little summary of the history of the people who made the cams at Crane, his opinion of what happened and the eventual outcome of several of the staff.
While there are some cam failures cause by start-up/break-in error, cam lobes that are of a street type profile should not be completely worn out in 10,000-30,000 miles- and while just about every cam mfg recommends adding ZDDP (and sells) to the oil, I still highly suspect Parkerizing is not done by some and the billets are of Chinese origin with inferior properties, specifically low carbon- which would explain the proneness to lobe failure (lack of carbon reduces the harness of the steel)
Given the criticality of the component- IMHO, I don't like speaking to a catalog parts sale person- they really don't know any more about the cam than what they are reading- companies like Summit, while their bulk purchase agreements are great for price, when it comes to making an engine breathe, there are so many variable including elevation, humidity, fuel blends/available octane, most cam mfgs will vary a "core grind pattern" to match the external impactors in addition to the internal impactors- which today IMHO makes the different between and engine that runs well, to one that just seems to run a little bit better, smoother and gets better mileage than expected.
1. Comp has by appearance - seems to be a company that has experience more cam lobe failures than most and places the blame on the low ZDDP in the oils. Is it a factor yes, but I highly suspect that they are also using Chinese cam billets & they do not include Parkerizing their cams (Parkerizing is the final step and a crucial step to help break the cam in- a heated acid bath that microscopically etches the metal surface and adds a very thin layer of graphite coating which allows the cam lube to hang onto and penetrate into the cam surface during cam break in) unless you specifically request and pay additional money for it.
2. Considering the cam has such critical importance to the engines performance and life, to me it makes sense to use a cam grinder who will talk with you directly- even modify the cam grind to fit your needs even better and to address the possibility of cam lobe failure with the new oils. With regards to price...the difference is nil- especially considering its cheap insurance to know exactly who is machining such a critical part for your engine. And remember, advertized lift/duration/lobe separation is just that- advertized and not the specific grind including ramp profile that is used on the cam.
That is why I highly recommend Iskenderian & Crower...both are family owned, been grinding cams for decades, and both will even re-grind your oem cam if possible- saving you even more $.
As you are probably aware, many of the cam mfgs in the past few years either sold, closed their operations to re-open elsewhere (typically with new staff) or .......
In addition to Isky & Crower, I use to very highly recommend....
Sig Erson & Crane...
Both became part of corporate entities, eventually leading to periodic quality issues and closing their doors- I think Crane re-opened, but with a different staff. Typically the staff is very, very young and well- requires a learning curve.
If you do a search on the net, Harvey Crane has posted a little summary of the history of the people who made the cams at Crane, his opinion of what happened and the eventual outcome of several of the staff.
While there are some cam failures cause by start-up/break-in error, cam lobes that are of a street type profile should not be completely worn out in 10,000-30,000 miles- and while just about every cam mfg recommends adding ZDDP (and sells) to the oil, I still highly suspect Parkerizing is not done by some and the billets are of Chinese origin with inferior properties, specifically low carbon- which would explain the proneness to lobe failure (lack of carbon reduces the harness of the steel)
Given the criticality of the component- IMHO, I don't like speaking to a catalog parts sale person- they really don't know any more about the cam than what they are reading- companies like Summit, while their bulk purchase agreements are great for price, when it comes to making an engine breathe, there are so many variable including elevation, humidity, fuel blends/available octane, most cam mfgs will vary a "core grind pattern" to match the external impactors in addition to the internal impactors- which today IMHO makes the different between and engine that runs well, to one that just seems to run a little bit better, smoother and gets better mileage than expected.
#9
08-27-2011, 12:26 AM
Posting Guru
beech kid is on the money!
I personally use Mpgheads for all my cam grinds anymore, (thundermaker). On the 268 hi energy its a good grind to learn from. If you call one the reccomended companys you won't go wrong. with many companys trying to save a buck, sometimes you don't know what you get? definetly get up to speed on the oil addatives. good luck and yes a lot to learn and you've came to the right place. 
#11
08-27-2011, 02:18 PM
Posting Guru
more info!
MPGheads is cam research company(thundermaker cams). Scott can cut you a cam for your application. also once the cam is cut for you he can run your cam on his cam king machine. Break in your camshaft for you! What this consist of is cam being mocked up and lifters being ran on your camshaft and pressure being applied to lifters. Its another procedure to help keep things simple for you. I use this procedure for my solid grinds and just did a 429 with a solid here acouple months ago. Just more info to get the best results.
#12
08-27-2011, 05:41 PM
Don't forget about Jack Engle (recently died but not the company)
Engle Racing Cams
Engle Racing Cams
#13
08-27-2011, 05:43 PM
MPGheads is cam research company(thundermaker cams). Scott can cut you a cam for your application. also once the cam is cut for you he can run your cam on his cam king machine. Break in your camshaft for you! What this consist of is cam being mocked up and lifters being ran on your camshaft and pressure being applied to lifters. Its another procedure to help keep things simple for you. I use this procedure for my solid grinds and just did a 429 with a solid here acouple months ago. Just more info to get the best results.
#14
08-27-2011, 08:45 PM
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Yes you are lucky in that respect. I am not in the higher racing/performance circles here in oz but I will stand corrected if proven otherwise in saying that there isn't a a service like that over here. And if there is it would certainly be more than most average guys would pay just to put a cam in. How much would they normally charge for one of their cams? I have a 265 deh comps cam in my 400 and it goes pretty well. I read about all thr problems people seem to be having AFTER I bought it. Never mind.
#15
08-27-2011, 09:11 PM
Yes you are lucky in that respect. I am not in the higher racing/performance circles here in oz but I will stand corrected if proven otherwise in saying that there isn't a a service like that over here. And if there is it would certainly be more than most average guys would pay just to put a cam in. How much would they normally charge for one of their cams? I have a 265 deh comps cam in my 400 and it goes pretty well. I read about all thr problems people seem to be having AFTER I bought it. Never mind.