Can anyone direct me to some useful information on cams? I always hear people talking about different cams and their profiles for performance improvements and would like to learn more about them.

I drive a 96 F150 if that is of any help.

 

Welcome to the forums.

Go to the engine forums and ask around, depending on what motor you have(300 or 302).

"Lift", "Duration", and "Overlap" are three of the big terms that are used to describe a camshaft.

Lift is the amount the camshaft opens the valve.
Duration is how long it holds it open.
Overlap is how much both intake and exhaust valves are open at the same time.(this also gives you that "rumpty-rump" sound at idle).

Depending on what rpm range you plan on running your engine will determine what specs the cam needs to be. It is quite a science to use the right camshaft, as the wrong specs can really hurt the performance more then it helps.

That's the basics in a nutshell.

 

Thanks for the advice, Lately, I've been enjoying the mass amounts of information on FTE and felt it's time to join in.

I was able to find a good article in the engine forums and realized how much there is to this topic

here's the article
Engine Camshaft Basics - Popular Hot Rodding Magazine