I totally agree he posted in another thread that he intends on rippen up the road so the E303 is in the ball park but thats why I suggested the 941 cam because it is almost the same cam but it will give him more torque to get that full size moving faster.

 

Myself, I went with Cranes 444211 compucam and I have nothing but good things to say for it. I did alot of searching and came up with that one. It idles nice, has great bottom end, great top end and makes wild fuel mialage. (I didn't mention that it's a carb conversion). I would highly recoment this one.

 

Its actually very similar to the one I posted...Im thinking about that one for my 92. ITs 10 degrees less duration and just a little smaller on the lift but almost the same cam.

 

Sure, it'll work, but that doesn't mean it's the optimal cam choice.

The E cam is not all that great of a cam.

I'm sure plenty of people are happy with it, I'm sure plenty of people would buy it, put it in, and think it's great. But the fact of the matter is that even in a mustang it's not a great cam. There are better choices out there.

Do what makes you all happy, but realize that the cam is the most important choice you can make and the goal of any engine builder is to make the most power possible and spending money wisely.

An E cam wouldn't be a wise choice...

This is exactly why there are people out there who run businesses as cam designers. If you really want to know what the optimal cam is for your setup, talk to someone like Ed Curtis or Jay Allen, etc...cam designers who really know the indepth puzzle we call a camshaft.

While the everyday normal build engine would definitely benefit from a custom cam grind, an off the shelf cam will probably do the trick and make the owner happy. But my 393 will be using a custom cam because an off the shelf cam is not made that will suit my build.

It is absolutely foolish to just look through a catalog and pick a cam. You spent whatever you spent on your engine and you're going to cheap out on the cam?? Do yourself a favor and put a lot more thought into what camshaft is right for YOU. Don't just pick one because the idle is said to be "nice" and that it'll "work"...CHOOSE one that makes the right power and the most power for YOU.

I've said my piece...take it for what you wish...

 

But all that said, who's to say the custom cam you picked is optimal ? Unless you take several choices, install and run them all on the street and on a dyno, you'll never know or can say with 100% accuracy what cam is best. Just becasue it's a custom cam, doesn't mean that it's the 100% best choice. Very few people have that kind of time and money to pick and choose a cam to figure out what's the best choice. A custom cam designer that's succcessful is simply one who's got a lot of satisfied customers, something that the off the shelf cam companies have as well. So picking a custom cam is just as big a crap shoot as going with an off the shelf cam. You don't think Crane, Comp (not to mention Ford, and the other auto makers) and the rest haven't done their homework too in designing cams ? I can tell you this, they've spent tons more money and time designing what they sell than any other custom cam company has. What I've mostly noticed, from reading what those who tout custom cams, is that they somehow think they've got an edge and superior intellect over those who use off the shelf designs. Sort of the "hoity-toity", almost wine and cheese crowd of hot rodders.

 

Well, you are rite in saying that what's good for one may not be good for the other. I had mine on a chasis dyno after building and tuning and was amazed. 340 rwhp. But as was said, what's good for one may not be good for the other.

 

The 444211 is just a step or two bigger than Ford's F4TE hyd roller. Which I'm running with a carb in my 89 Ranger. I can't say what the fuel mileage is though, but it ought to be good, even without overdrive ( Toploader 4 speed and 3.73 rear) This is also a carbed motor. One thing I have noticed over older cams is the ease in which it starts, you don't have to prime the motor before bumping the starter. Just hit it and it idles right off the bat, even without a choke (don't have chokes on any of mine) on cool mornings. I think its lack of overlap (like the compu cam) lets it build vacuum right off the bat giving the carb an instant vacuum signal to work with.

 

Do whatever ya wannnnt.....

 

FYI, when I did my "research" on cams, calling Edelbrock, FRPP, Crane, Comp and a couple others, I did find one thing out that was interesting. Crane actually grinds their own cam that is the exact same grind as the E303. What was even more surprising is that Crane also grinds the Edelbrock 3722 for Edelbrock, which is the same grind as the E303, and the most surprising of all.......Crane actually grinds the E303 for Ford! I don't remember Crane's number but some of you might have been duped into buying their exact same cam as the E303 but paid about twice as much. Food for thought.

 

Finding that Ford doesn't actually grind their own performance cams isn't surprising in the least (for me anyway) Lots of companies "outsource" their parts, not just Ford. Crane also made the Ford "Cobra" roller rockers for the 90's Cobra Stangs as well. Also not surprising that Edelbrock also uses Crane for their cams. Summit sells a particular grind RV type cam under their part # that has the same specs that other companies sell as well. I know Summit doesn't actually grind their own either. Nothing at all wrong with that cam either. I stuck one in a stock 400M and ran it in my Kid's 77 F100 after we pulled the built 400 and it was a pure pleasure to drive with nothing other than the headers and Holley 500 2 bbl on the stock intake.

 

uHaving a custom cam ground is done to alleviate all those details. You can mathematically derive the EXACT cam you want to produce your results. Due to tolerances and ineffeciencies, you will have variations, but you get what you pay for. Many custom cam grinders use $25,000 software programs to test every possible value on a cam using the list of parts you've given them. They aren't always going by word of mouth.

Your right in saying the larger companies have spent a lot more money in research and design. Thats probably very true. However, their goal is producing mass market equipment. When you get a custom cam, it suits YOUR needs, and your needs only. It will do what you want, without needing minor details changed to suit 3 million other people.

For what it's worth, I'm with Justin on this...talk to the designers, tell them exactly what you want, and they will make you glad you did.

 

Crane did make the E303, they made them all...thats no secret but may be news to some.

 

the reason i chose the E-cam was that it has a power range of idle to 5500 and valve float arond 6000.
this is for a 89 f150 efi

 

I'm sure it'll make you happy, but that's not to say there arn't other cams out there that would make you much happier.

 

mustanggt 221 was wondering what your opinion is of this cam for a truck? comp cams extreme energy 4X4 cam. link to the cams specs. sorry link i previously put didnt work for some reason. heres the specs

Camshaft Specification Table
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=0% align=center bgColor=#999999 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 align=left bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Part Number</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2>35-243-4 </TD></TR><TR bgColor=#dddddd><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Engine</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2>1969-1995 Ford
351ci,
Windsor,
8cyl. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Grind Number </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2>FW X4 270H-11 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Description</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=3><HR noShade></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Intake</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Exhaust</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Valve Adjustment</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Gross Valve Lift</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0.512 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0.531 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Duration At 0.006 Tappet Lift</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>270 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>278 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=3><HR noShade></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Valve Timing At 0.006 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Open</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Close</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Intake</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>28 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>62 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Exhaust</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>74 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>24 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=3><HR noShade></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=3>These Specs Are For The Cam Installed At 107 Intake CL</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Intake</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Exhaust</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Duration At 0.05 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>226 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>234 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Lobe Lift</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0.32 </TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>0.332 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Lobe Separation</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2>111 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=3><HR noShade></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>Recommended Valve Springs</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap colSpan=2>986-16</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>