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New cam for gutless gm crate motor

D

Dieselmech52

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Sep 6, 2008
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Location
New Hope, Kentucky
Parts are on their way for my K5!
Should be here tomorrow.
Finally got my truck back on the road and was very unimpressed with the motor. It's the gm performance parts 290 horse 350. It just has no low end power what so ever.
Have a new Howards cam and lifters, Wiend dual plane intake, and a Holley truck avenger 670 carb, along with lots of other needed upgrades.
I really hope it helps my truck out with some more usable torque.
Will post pics up when I start on it next week.
 
what size tires and what gear ratio do you have.
 
Good catch. I know that was coming.
That's one of my problems. 33's with 3.42 gears. 35's are coming soon and I have a set of 4.10 axles that will soon be going in, just need rebuilt first.
Just taking care of the cam first.
The gm 350/290 is way over cam'd for a 8.5 compression pump gas engine.
The powerband is just way too high for a 4x4.
Going to do the engine next week and axles will come this spring.
 
Now comes the question as to what trans you have?
 
with 4.56 and 35's I was in the 2075 rpm range at 65 MPH. I am now running 32's and have even more off the line acceleration.
 
Powerband is crucial for a 4x4. I looked at the specs when I bought my crate motor, and for quite a bit of extra money all the 290 horse offered over the 260 base model was a cam more suited to a passenger car. A good 4x4 cam will make a difference. I ultimately upgraded to Vortec heads to take advantage of the the airflow of the cam. The low compression smog heads aren't helping. In all reality, the biggest difference is going to be realized by optimizing your gearing for your tire setup.
 
I sell tons of the #10067353 standard 260hp GM crate motors! I will NOT sell the 290hp version after selling about a half dozen of them when they first came out. The cam they put in that engine is the old L82 camshaft from the mid-late 70's corvettes. Horrible cam for those cars, and even worse in a truck. Had to change the cam in every one we ever sold to keep our customers happy. We used the Comp 268 to replace them with and everyone was super happy with the results. Good luck with the re-cam!
 
image.jpeg Sorry!
I waited weeks for my new intake from summit. It unfortunately was back ordered. I finally got it yesterday and mocked it up with spacer and carb today at work to see if my studs and everything would work. Very happy with the manifold, just wish it didn't take forever!
 
image.jpeg image.jpeg Been very busy at work also. I work on all the snow equipment at Louisville Airport. This is the aftermath of my Friday night after 2 Oshkosh snow brooms T-boned eachother.
Doesn't look too bad from the pictures, but the broom head is totaled, nothing but scrap now. Truck seems to have frame damage and of course some cosmetics. Took to frame shop this morning to see how bad.
 
Off topic: My shop has a Shenandoah "convention" wood stove almost exactly like the Ashley in your picture. It's gotta be 30+ years old. Wish I could get a thermostatic damper control for the "modern" one in the house.
 
Ha! I love my Ashley! I'm sure mine is that old. I'm 30 myself and bought my grandparents old farmhouse and that stove has been here since I can remember. I stripped and painted it a few years back. Still the same thermostat dampener, works like a charm. I'm sure you can do a google search and find one that will work, that type of stove is still very popular, I see them for sale at tractor supply and rural King. Always look at them and say it won't last as long as my Ashley.
 
I mounted a blower on mine with a speed control on the wall. There's a ceiling fan over it to help distribute the heat. The concrete floor may never heat up, but in winter, burning scrap wood, my shop hits 65* easy. You can flip the lid up on the stove and cook on it I guess, but I've never had any use for that. It's also rated to burn coal, but I never find coal laying around the property like I do with wood. The outside is much cooler than a regular wood stove, but for constant burning in the house I'll take something more efficient with secondary burn tubes or a catalyst. When I bought the place, the ash tray in the stove was filled with mouse nest, so I make a point to turn the temp control to minimum before I leave. There's no path in there but the draft door.
 
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