Camshaft Which is best?

[broncoman6524]

In your opinion what is the best camshaft for most of the time on-road drivng but having good low end power and torque.

What do all the numbers mean lol I know that lift is how far open the valves go and duration is how long they're open. But which is a better, i guess number , for all of this

Any help would be appreciated. As well as argumentative points for why i need one. lol. My dad says "no you dont need that" lol

 

[theperfectgarage]

First off, we need a LOT more info about your ride. Engine, tranny, t-case, gear ratio, approx. weight, tire size, computer controlled or not. Also, details of It's intended use. With the right info. we can help with arguments for dad. There is no one correct cam for mixed driving, in fact imo the oem cam is closest to " best all around". Post more info, I'm bored and I have Comp, Crane and Isky catalogs right here.

 

[broncoman6524]

ALright its a 84 k-5, 350, th400, 208, 3.08 gears?(stock) and 33s like i said mostly DD but its off road will be mud and pulling. Not realy crawling.

Im bored too lol watching lost and deciding it sux compared 2 last season. Although this episode is *better*

 

[sled_dog]

In your opinion what is the best camshaft for most of the time on-road drivng but having good low end power and torque.

What do all the numbers mean lol I know that lift is how far open the valves go and duration is how long they're open. But which is a better, i guess number , for all of this

Any help would be appreciated. As well as argumentative points for why i need one. lol. My dad says "no you dont need that" lol

all the numbers are equally important.

way too many people look at lift or advertised duration. Advertised duration, just don't look at it, it is junk. Lift, is not nearly as important as people make out(it matters but too many people don't care about anything BUT their valve lift).

Duration is, the amount of time the valve spends off of the base circle of the camshaft. The base circle is the portion of the camshaft that does not move the lifter or valve.

Valve lift is maximum amount the valve lifts off of the seat. It is Cam lift x rocker arm ratio(standard Chevy being 1.5, 1.6 a common aftermarket setup).

Then you have Lobe Seperation Angle(LSA) and Intake Lobe Centerline. Also important parts of camshaft choice, though much less talked about and worried about by most.

All of these are important in choosing a cam.

The more duration you have the more high RPM power the engine will be capable of producing. However you need to make head, intake, carb, and exhaust flow to the duration of the camshaft. Also with more duration comes more valve overlap. Valve overlap being the amount of time measured in degrees that both the intake and exhaust valve are open at the sametime(there is some of this in most 4 stroke engines). This makes for a less efficient engine but at high RPMs its allows for good flow characteristics and makes good power(no more overlap isn't what you are really looking for, it can however be used to make more than 100% volumetric efficiency out of an NA engine, that is another topic though).

Lower duration numbers are better for efficieny and torque. By lower I mean numbers like 200-220 at .050 valve lift(the far better way to judge duration and industry standard at this point).

Got that? haha....


so yeah, what do you want to do? what have you got? your dad is right, you don't NEED it, you just want it. And that is just fine.

 

[broncoman6524]

i've already got a different intake and heads although i dont know what i dont even know what year my motor is. The PO built a 350 from the block up. I know i dont have smog heads, and its a 4 bolt main. Other than that i Realy dont have a clue lol

 

[sled_dog]

well you won't want much duration, so what heads and intake you have aren't a big issue(well intake is a good way to add a few HP and lose some weight. If you have a cast iron intake its just the QJet manifold. Some small simple camshaft would be worth a few HP. if it were me I'd just do some simple bolt on stuff vs spending money on a camshaft for now. You'll find more of the power you want with stuff like, a new carb, an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, and a set of headers. Being a DD I wouldn't cam it much at all. Find more power in those few upgrades than a mild camshaft would I think. At least the kind of cam I'd run in that engine. Then you are really ready for a cam too(increase intake and exhaust flow to really take advantage of it).

 

[theperfectgarage]

Sled Dog, bravo ! that was an excellent basic overview of camshaft tech you posted for Broncoman, he can use it as a great starting point for learning more about how cams work. Also great advice re. basic engine mods and not overcamming. I loved the simplicity and impossability of Broncomans first post. So, having said all that and givin the limited facts about the engine, I pick Comp's High Energy cam # 12-300-4. Check it out at at www.compcams.com . A mild little cam that can pull your tires and gears.
Hope this helps, dont go buying a cam without knowing what you have for heads and intake manifold.

 

[sled_dog]

decent choice, but I prefer the technology in the Xtreme Energy. The High Energy stuff is more dated designs.

Something like the 12-230-2. Its close to pushing it for max lift on a stock engine, but as long as you keep the RPMs down I think you'll be fine. If you really wanted you could just do valve springs(Always recommended with a bigger cam IMO).

 

[theperfectgarage]

decent choice, but I prefer the technology in the Xtreme Energy. The High Energy stuff is more dated designs.

Something like the 12-230-2. Its close to pushing it for max lift on a stock engine, but as long as you keep the RPMs down I think you'll be fine. If you really wanted you could just do valve springs(Always recommended with a bigger cam IMO).

Good choice, I run a extream energy myself. I picked the high energy playing it real safe.This was all in fun for me. At one time I was a service advisor/writer for a machine shop and I spent about half my day talking people out of getting way too much cam. I tend to reccomend the extreme's when I know more about the valve train. Good job, Dog I think guys like you and beater k-20 are the future, I cant believe how few young guns I meet who are really into anything but neons with wings and thumpin, crappy sounding audio systems. Keep it up.

 

[sled_dog]

thanks

 

[broncoman6524]

lol yeah i realy dont know much about my motor I realy am lost as to figure out what intake and heads i've got. Is there a way i can refenece(SP) them?.

As for exhaust 2 1/4 into a Flowmaster Series 50 w/a single 3" out dumping in front of the tire. Sounds a *little* different than stock

Cant wait to be a Senior! (Senior Projects) Cough rebuilt za new SBC Motor Cough

 

[theperfectgarage]

Lift a valve cover and look for a casting # on the top, also take some good pictures of the intake and post em.

 

[broncoman6524]

Lift a valve cover and look for a casting # on the top.

Of the heads right? Ya im kinda slow heres some pics.

And one of the truck...In a *cleaner State*

 

[sled_dog]

stock cast iron QJet manifold with some sort of Holley, probably a 600cfm unit.

I'd slap an Edelbrock Performer or RPM under it, set of really nice headers(money spent on headers really pays off in quality and lasting leak proof seal).

Good looking rig.

 

[theperfectgarage]

what kind of emissions testing/laws in your county/state ?

 

[theperfectgarage]

stock cast iron QJet manifold with some sort of Holley, probably a 600cfm unit.

I'd slap an Edelbrock Performer or RPM under it, set of really nice headers(money spent on headers really pays off in quality and lasting leak proof seal).

Good looking rig.

Young grasshopper Dog, is that not a Q- jet carb ?

 

[sled_dog]

hahah, doh... he said it was aftermarket so I just didn't think about it, saw the front bowl and went with it. Yeah that is a stock Qjet. So its a stock manifold and carb.

 

[broncoman6524]

Dammit lol As for emissions...I dont give a Sh*t lol. One of the first things I did after getting my truck (besides remove running boards ) was attempt to get the Cat. off, but instead got pissed off and punched a hole in the stock muffler

I would really like to get a set of Hooker Headers but i realy dont know.(500ish is a bit much for me) Like I said my dad doenst want me to spend TOO much money on this truck. (he thinks I'll get rid of it soon) If i had my way this weekend I'd be order a New carb, Intake, MSD, and Getting tow hooks...still need them. I've got PLENTY of money to pay for it all but, just no way to spend it w/o using parents credit card. No debit card sux!

 

[theperfectgarage]

Dammit lol As for emissions...I dont give a Sh*t lol. One of the first things I did after getting my truck (besides remove running boards ) was attempt to get the Cat. off, but instead got pissed off and punched a hole in the stock muffler

I would really like to get a set of Hooker Headers but i realy dont know.(500ish is a bit much for me) Like I said my dad doenst want me to spend TOO much money on this truck. (he thinks I'll get rid of it soon) If i had my way this weekend I'd be order a New carb, Intake, MSD, and Getting tow hooks...still need them. I've got PLENTY of money to pay for it all but, just no way to spend it w/o using parents credit card. No debit card sux!

Well, if it were me I'd go with a duel plane intake manifold, aimed at lower rpm's, A holley truck avenger carb, The best hedders I could afford ( and if cheap hedders, good gaskets ), a cam for power between about 600 and 4600 rpm's and as much as I like Msd I would skip that and make sure my oem dist. was in good shape and add a accell cap and coil kit. Get her dialed in and you should be good for a while.

 

[Z3PR]

In your opinion what is the best camshaft for most of the time on-road drivng but having good low end power and torque.

What do all the numbers mean lol I know that lift is how far open the valves go and duration is how long they're open. But which is a better, i guess number , for all of this

Any help would be appreciated. As well as argumentative points for why i need one. lol. My dad says "no you dont need that" lol

Call up Comp Cams, give them your info, tell them what you want too be able too do, and see what they recomend.