Cam Help
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 101
Likes: 7
Cam Help
I'm looking to put a cam in my bone stock 351 windsor 4 barrel. I just want a nice chop sound and a little extra power. I'm looking at the Lunati barebones and want to know if anybody knows about it or if this will work good with factory internals. I'll have to replace springs of course but I'm hoping to just do springs and the cam. I can pull up the specs of the cam but any help is appreciated as I dont know much about cams and lift and duration and all of that
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,875
Likes: 30
one time I bought the smallest Crane Energizer they (Summitt) had for SBC put it in a 305 and had it in three different vehicles 77Nova, 70 Nova then if you can beleive it a 76 3/4 ton C20 and really it was amazing to say the least. it totally spanked the 383 that was previously in there.
so my point being chill out on the duration and get away from the factory timing set
so my point being chill out on the duration and get away from the factory timing set
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,992
Likes: 2,741
From: Virginia
I'm looking to put a cam in my bone stock 351 windsor 4 barrel. I just want a nice chop sound and a little extra power. I'm looking at the Lunati barebones and want to know if anybody knows about it or if this will work good with factory internals. I'll have to replace springs of course but I'm hoping to just do springs and the cam. I can pull up the specs of the cam but any help is appreciated as I dont know much about cams and lift and duration and all of that
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 101
Likes: 7
Your valvetrain is not adjustable, so you may run into problems there. They make little kits to convert it so you can adjust the valve lash, so there is some additional cost. And I know the rough cams sound good, but if that is your priority you will actually lose power using a cam for just the sound. The reason it makes the sound is the reversion back into the intake, because the valves are hanging open so long. They do that to gain upper rpm power. But you have a heavy truck with the stock torque converter, stock rear gears and most likely big fat tires. If you do have oversize tires and the stock gearing, I dare say you will have a hard time even getting the truck to move out on it's own with a choppy cam in it. Not to mention you won't have hardly any brakes if you do get moving. The choppy cam kills your engine vacuum, so your brake booster is not going to work correctly.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 472
Likes: 104
call Summit auto Racing Tech line. there is a cam manufacturer that makes street cams that have the hi performance lope, i cant remember the name of the company BUT they are designed to be good street cams but give the sound your looking for.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,992
Likes: 2,741
From: Virginia
I worked on a 1970ish 4x4 f100 longbed that had a 390 in it a long time ago. Some racing shop had it, and it was a rust bucket. They had a used but good 390 they had been racing with sitting around, so they stuck it in this truck and sold it to a friend of mine. He took it over to his brother's to get some work done to it, and then it would not start. They called me over to look at it. It had a dual point distributor in it and who knows that else it had. I found out one of the condensers in the distributor had shorted out killing the ignition. We got it started, and that thing would give you goose bumps just sitting there idling. It sounded very cool.
But a few weeks later he sold it. We had some snow storms, and he took it out to run it, and he could not drive it. He said it was all or nothing. You could not ease into it, you were either idling, or wide open to get it to run and all it would do is spin, even in 4x4..
But a few weeks later he sold it. We had some snow storms, and he took it out to run it, and he could not drive it. He said it was all or nothing. You could not ease into it, you were either idling, or wide open to get it to run and all it would do is spin, even in 4x4..
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 4,491
Likes: 26
From: Algona,WA
You are not going to want a big lumpy cam with stock heads and low compression ratio. Yeah, it sounds cool but you will not be happy with it otherwise. I have a Comp Cams XE250H in my 351W and it runs like a scalded ape, tons of low end torque and it'll rev to 5500 no problem with power all the way there. I can recommend that cam, or the XE256H which isn't much bigger and a popular option. It may look and sound small, but it makes a good amount of power. Lunati of course also makes comparable cams of the size, but are cut on a 112 LSA.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,738
Likes: 217
From: Northern VA
I have a Comp Cams 35-349-8 Magnum cam in my 351w. It is a roller, so not compatible with yours. The consensus seems to be that extreme cams aren't worth while on a street driven truck unless maybe you are building an all-out racing machine and then you would probably not be asking this question.
Apparently lower duration is better for trucks. Also greater valve lift is where most of the power increase comes from?
Cam Style: Hydraulic roller tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,500-5,500 RPM
Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 212
Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 218
Duration at 050 inch Lift: 212 int./218 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration: 264
Advertised Exhaust Duration: 270
Advertised Duration: 264 int./270 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 in.
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 int./0.512 exh. lift
Lobe Separation (degrees): 114
Intake Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Exhaust Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Computer Controlled Compatible: No
Grind Number: FW XE264HR-14
Quantity: Sold individually.
If you are replacing cam, put in a double-roller timing set and roller lifter retrofit. Budget for new springs and push rods as well. You will also have to verify pushrod length and spring pressures are correct for your specific set-up. Alex's Parts was very helpful to me and he set me up with exactly what I needed.
Apparently lower duration is better for trucks. Also greater valve lift is where most of the power increase comes from?
Cam Style: Hydraulic roller tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,500-5,500 RPM
Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 212
Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 218
Duration at 050 inch Lift: 212 int./218 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration: 264
Advertised Exhaust Duration: 270
Advertised Duration: 264 int./270 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 in.
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.512 int./0.512 exh. lift
Lobe Separation (degrees): 114
Intake Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Exhaust Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Computer Controlled Compatible: No
Grind Number: FW XE264HR-14
Quantity: Sold individually.
If you are replacing cam, put in a double-roller timing set and roller lifter retrofit. Budget for new springs and push rods as well. You will also have to verify pushrod length and spring pressures are correct for your specific set-up. Alex's Parts was very helpful to me and he set me up with exactly what I needed.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,992
Likes: 2,741
From: Virginia
You can run a wild cam and have it give you some benefits if you modify the engine, put the correct stall convertor, and change the gearing in the front and rear diffs. It all has to work together. The easiest way to gain horsepower numbers is to increase the rpm capability of the engine. But it's not cheap.
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,935
Likes: 4,124
From: Angier, NC
You can run a wild cam and have it give you some benefits if you modify the engine, put the correct stall convertor, and change the gearing in the front and rear diffs. It all has to work together. The easiest way to gain horsepower numbers is to increase the rpm capability of the engine. But it's not cheap.
Go big or go home LOL
Dave ----
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