Newbie cam question...
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Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2010
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Newbie cam question...
How original, I know. Anyway, I know what you guys recommend and I know unbolt things and bolt them back in to place, but my question is, I'm looking to put in a Comp Cams XE262 ( COMP Cams: Xtreme Energy™, XE262H <BR> Strong Torque, Excellent Response. Good Mid-Range ) in my Bronco with a 400. Now can I just get the new cam and throw it in there, or will there be failures within the system and I really do need to put new springs, lifters, push rods, etc. in? and in that case, I should just go ahead and buy the cam kit.
So basically, I have a stock engine and I'm looking to throw the XE262 in there, what all do I need to it runs well for a long time? Thanks in advance.
So basically, I have a stock engine and I'm looking to throw the XE262 in there, what all do I need to it runs well for a long time? Thanks in advance.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 898
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From: southeren Oh
No you can't just "throw it in there" You absolutly have to use new lifters. And then I predict you will have real problems if you try this with stock valve springs.
That is a nice profile for a perfomance engine, however if you mainly use your truck as a truck and the rest is stock I'd back down the next smaller cam. And any hyd cam like this one requires new lifters.
That cam would work quite well with a perfomer intake, 4bbl carb and a set of headers.
If you were to install a set of headers, intake, 4bbl carb, and a cam like that one a 400 will really wake up.
That is a nice profile for a perfomance engine, however if you mainly use your truck as a truck and the rest is stock I'd back down the next smaller cam. And any hyd cam like this one requires new lifters.
That cam would work quite well with a perfomer intake, 4bbl carb and a set of headers.
If you were to install a set of headers, intake, 4bbl carb, and a cam like that one a 400 will really wake up.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 242
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From: Westerville, OH
If you're stuck on the Xtreme Energy cam, there's an XE256H ought to work well for you. I'm more interested in the Dual Pattern DE265H cam for me but that's because I don't want to change out a lot of parts. I'll probably get the cam/lifters/timing set kit and hope the rest of the goodies (springs, rockers, pushrods) are up to the task.
The Xtreme energy line works best when all parts are changed. Look for the complete kits. The complete kit for the XE256H has a part number of K32-241-4 and includes pretty much everything you need. The bumpstick, lifters, valve springs, valve spring retainers, locks, and keepers, timing chain and gears are all included. About $440, not a bad deal at all. Buy a new set of pushrods and rocker arms, a cylinder head gasket kit, and figure in $200-$300 in machine shop work on the heads with a 3-angle valve job and you'll have this licked.
The Xtreme energy line works best when all parts are changed. Look for the complete kits. The complete kit for the XE256H has a part number of K32-241-4 and includes pretty much everything you need. The bumpstick, lifters, valve springs, valve spring retainers, locks, and keepers, timing chain and gears are all included. About $440, not a bad deal at all. Buy a new set of pushrods and rocker arms, a cylinder head gasket kit, and figure in $200-$300 in machine shop work on the heads with a 3-angle valve job and you'll have this licked.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 242
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From: Westerville, OH
Felpro makes a cam change gasket set and it doesn't include head gaskets. I'm guessing this is the kind of job you want to do, and it's a $30 gasket set in most places. Part number is CK4012 for my '76 Gran Torino 351M, I looked up a '78 Bronco 400 and the part number is CK4006. That $30 gasket set, a $10 bottle of cam lube, a $10 bottle of break-in oil, oil filter, a few more quarts of your favorite flavor of engine oil, and a cam/lifter/timing set ($138 for the DE265H I'm leaning towards) should be enough *IF* your rockers, valve springs, and pushrods are in GOOD condition. You know how to check pushrods, right? They should all be like 9.65 inches long and if you roll them on a perfect flat surface (I use my dining room butcher block table but YMMV), the ends shouldn't bob up and down. That's $200-$210 in parts, add your labor to do a cam change and yes, it will wake up the motor.
Then when you want more, it's time to pull those heads and get busy with the port/polish, milling, decking, whatever...
Then when you want more, it's time to pull those heads and get busy with the port/polish, milling, decking, whatever...
Last edited by occupant; Jun 13, 2010 at 02:38 PM. Reason: wrong pushrod length
