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Can you ID a cam?

the_blaze

the_blaze

Nightmare / Plan B
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hey guys I tore my 454 down trying to get all the information i could from it in order to swab my cam or something to gain more power.
here is what i found. My engine casting number is 361959, my heads casting numbers are 336781. I also found i have flat pistons with little groves for the valves.
Here is where I got lost. I pulled out my camshaft, on the butt (opposite end from the timing gear) it has MP K stamped on it. between the rear lobes it says EP2 up towards the front ( by the end with the timing gear) between the lobes on one side it has J5 and the other side 06. in the middle of the camshaft one side it says D2 and the other side says C2 those are all the marking on this thing... i have no clue what it is??? any thoughts?:confused:

Camshaft info.png
 
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any usable numbers will be stamped on the end of the cam.....opposite end of the timing gear........usually when you see an m it is a solid lifter cam and an h will be hydraulic.....
 
Yeah all it has on that end is the MP K. So I'm guessing I'm not going to be able to really figure out what this is
 
The old cam really wont pertain to picking up more performance from your motor. Call comp, tell them what you have and what you want. Spring for roller and you'll get more out of it and retain the same manners. You're biggest thing will be determining the compression ratio of the engine as its key in just how big you can go on a cam.
 
The only real reason I'm trying to figure out what the specs of this cam are is so I don't spend money on the same or lesser cam. If that makes sense. I'm going to guess it has stock compression but that's a guess. The motor didn't come with much information when the shop built it. I'm not sure how to find out the ratio especially with it all torn apart
 
73 to 85 on the block and oval port heads. You will need to cc the heads to get the compression ratio. 119cc is the most common, but they did vary in those years. Buy thats all I have for you.
 
116 cc is what those heads are pulling up as . I have no clue what that means or how to check the compression ratio
 
I haven't done it in 30 years. Those heads could beup to 121cc also. I am sure there are calculators out there. Top of the piston. Stroke top out locationall acount for final chamber volume. Which affects compression.
 
Sounds like a stock cam made by Melling Performance hence the MP stamping. If you have a cam grinder local they cam "profile" the cam for you (means they can tell you ALL the specs on it by measuring it).
 
Thanks for the advice. I plan on calling around tomorrow to see what local machine shops can do it. I am leaning towards it being a stock cam. (Even though the shop that built the engine said they put an RV cam in it. I think they may have cut corners, they went out of business just months after doing my build which has left me with little faith in what was actually done)
 
Turns out the cam is way bigger than what I need. So I'm going to get a cam that matches the application better and I'm thinking of milling the heads to up compression. What else can I do to get a bump in power while it's torn down.
 
Can you get better heads rather than having work done to what you have? Not sure what's available for the big blocks, if there are better heads available (that are reasonably priced for this) that might be a better option. You know, similar to the small block 70's smog head swap to a Vortec design?
 
What were the specs on the cam? Iirc you were complaining of a lack of power (I assume from idle to WOT). Did it have a rough, choppy idle?
 
It had a decent idle it's just my low end and off the line sucked... I have been told to do the roller cam and rockers a few times now. I didn't know they really helped but now it seems like it's worth looking into.
 
The 350 I am building for my classic boat will be roller. Less friction means more HP, faster rev and more fuel efficient.
 
Did you ever check out the tune of the engine before dis assembly?
That can make a hell of a difference in how an engine responds.
What were the specs of that cam?
 
I don't have the exact specs with me but I will post asap. And I plan on checking timing curve and jetting again once it's put back together. I allowed a local shop to do that stuff once before and I don't think they got it dialed in like it should have been. I plan on learning how to do that stuff and doing it myself. That way I know what I have and what I'm working with
 
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