Well its been a while but im back at it working on my 77 f100 302 and i almost have all the stuff i need to do a EFI swap but i have hit a snag. The fireing order of the efi system is for ho or 351w so im going to have to do a cam swap( Hydraulic flat tappet ) . So my qustion is whats a good all around cam to use in a street driven 302 with gt40 heads and intake. Also the efi is going to be useing Mass Airflow system.

 

Thre are lots of good choices here but it depends what kind of powerband you want and the gearing and trans in the truck.

 

sorry for the lack of info , its a 3.50 gear , c4 trans , im not looking for a race truck , just someting with a nice rumble , i woukd like to keep the power band in 1200 - 5500 rpm ranger

 

I agree! SBF's love to breathe and love to generate tq! I would call and chat with Iskenderian cams- they are family owned still to this day & are the only company I know of that still checks every valve spring befor it leaves the shop!

They do have a web site but it only shows a fraction of the grinds- and they do like to chat on the phone with customers- so I would highly recommend calling.

 

Still lots of good choices including the summit 4400 or Comp 35-238-3.

 

Conanski , the summit 4400 and comp 35-238-3 says that they are not computer controlled compatible but im guessing that is for speed density only and the mass air will be fine with these cams ?

 

i got a question smbikes how does your truck run with that C4 & 3.50 gears. i have a 84 with a 302, C4 and i was told that the 3.50 -3.55 gears would be a good choice. but how is it on the Hwy????

 

Yes that's right this rating refers to SD for the most, mass air may need some minor tuning with a really radical cam to produce best results but it's not something that would prevent it from performing.

 

well i dont want to have to retune

 

Conanski, do u think that the sum-4400 cam would need to be tuned in ? And how can you tell what cams would give you a problem ?

 

Here's the probelm 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 inthe oils. Is it a factor yes, but I highly suspect that they are also using chinese cam billets & are not 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).

2. Who actually is the supplier for summit, I don't know and i doubt they will tell you, but knowing summit's pricing structure, I will bet their cam billets are chinese based as well.

3. 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 nill- especially considering it's 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 $.

 

Can't argue with anything Beechkid posted it's all good advice. As for tuning requirements it all depends what you're willing to live with in terms of a balance between power, drivability, and idle quality. In general cams with tighter lobe seperations and longer durations make more power but sacrifice idle quality to do it. If that's not a problem then you don't need any tuning, but if for example you need to pass emissions tests then it is a big problem because those same cams that give you a lumpy idle are guaranteed failures at the sniffer station unless there is some fine tuning done.

 

Ive had comp cams, and Summit cams and never had a problem with them. Right now I am running a Crane soild cam in my 66 F100 with out any problem. I think the biggest issue with cams is that they are not being broken in correctly. <-Dave<-

 

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- require 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 happend and the eventual outcome of several of the staff.

While there are some cam failures cause by start-up/breakin 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 ofchinese origin with inferior properties.

Given the critcality of the component- IMHO, I don't like speaking to a catelog 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/avaiable octane, most cam mfgs will vary a "core grind pattern" to match the external impactors in addition to the internal impactors- which to day 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.

 

Crane still had there doors open when I bought my cam, but yeah i heard about it. I Agree totally with you on the inferiority of some chines metals. We run into it all the time at work with Disc Brake rotors. Most of the rotors that come from over seas are always pitted and warp easy. The US manufactured ones are always top notch. I thought it was funny that you never talk to talk to the Sales men at the cam company, cause i am the same way. I have never picked a cam based on recomendation of the Sales people. Any It always take me a very long time to deside what the perfect cam is. Always choose carefully. IMO there is nothing like a cam that just sounds perfect and runs good.
OH and just cause the cam lopes due to the amount of over lap doesnt mean the engine will rock, shake or vibrate. i cant tell you how many people have told me "The cam is so big it shackes the whole car".