hey one of the guys at comp cams reccomended this cam 35-231-4 for my 84/302 what do you guys think. he said that it would have good torque and hp.

 

You must mean the 35-321-3, if so then yes I agree. Be aware this cam uses the 351/HO firing order.

 

well paul i copied it just like he wrote it. i was waiting on your input just to be safe. because you recommended the 35-230-3 & 35-234-3 i think that i'm going to stick with one of your choices just to be safe!

 

That cam is very similar to the 35-230-3 and will deliver about the same performance from the drivers seat, the 230 models a little better in DesktopDyno and that's why it was my choice.

 

35-231-3 is the one he just replied back to me with so i think that i'll go with the 35-230-3

 

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 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. 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 $.

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 ......., just transferred operations overseas.

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.

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. 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.

 

wow! so i understand what you are say so i'll look into this company. i just want one that won't fail thanks. i'm sure somebody with more knowledge will chime in..

 

Iskenderian & Crower cams are still excellent companies- family owned & operated. Isky still physically inspects/test every valve spring before it leaves the shop.

Both families love to talk with their customers directly- you will see the difference.