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Whats a good cam for my stock 454

M

MEGALADON

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I have a 82 4X4 pickup, I pulled a 454 out of a 78 3/4 or 1 ton PK, not sure what it was, but had a lot of lugnuts.

This is my plan, weiand stealth manifold, 600 or 650 holley vac secondary,
already have headers, but not sure on the cam. I want a good torqe cam.
I was going to go with the edelbrock performer, but sure someone here
might have a better plan :bow: .

I have a stock motor now, and am not looking for a race cam. Just an all round strong cam. I may pull a trailer at times, I have large oval ports, not
the little peanut type, So I know thats helps to.

So give me some input, I'm listening :D
 
From what I have heard the performer is a good all around cam. Summit has the same grind and one with slightly less lift for about $86 and they are made by Crane. Just wondering why you would use a 600 or 650 cfm on a 454 instead of 750cfm or larger? Curious cause my truck came with a 600 vac secondary Holley when I bought it and it would run but not well just assumed it was too small and got a q-jet.
 
Gas is pretty high write now, will be used alot on the freeway, maybe later I'll go to a 750 vac sec, and using a stock 700R-4 I need to live long enough to get a performance built one. :D
 
If you use anything more than a RV1 cam you are going to break springs and and all of the small parts inside your head. Then all of the parts will end up in your oil pan. I have seen alot of the older motors come into our shop that guys have put in bigger cams and the older valve train just wont hold the bigger lift. My advice is run it like it is until you can afford to have the whole thing.
 
Brand: Summit
Product Line: Summit Camshafts
Cam Style: Hydraulic flat tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,500-4,000 RPM
Intake Duration 050 inch Lift: 208
Exhaust Duration 050 inch Lift: 218
Duration at 050 inch Lift: 208 int./218 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration: 266
Advertised Exhaust Duration: 276
Advertised Duration: 266 int./276 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.475
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.500
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.475 int./0.500 exh. lift
Lobe Separation (degrees): 112
Intake Valve Lash (in): 0.000
Exhaust Valve Lash (in): 0.000
Computer Controlled: No
Quantity: Sold individually.

Camshaft, Hydraulic Flat Tappet, Advertised Duration 266/276, Lift .475/.500, Chevy Big Block, Each

thats a good cam for you ;) :waytogo:
 
sum-k1300 1500-4000 208/218 @.050 .475/.500 lift
sum-k1301 2200-4500 218/228 @.050 .500/.500 lift

They do recomend a spring set from crane as well but I don't recall the # at the moment
 
like above listed if you change from stock cam in bbc you need to change all valve terain parts like springs and stuff. mountainexplorer had this happen a bit ago. a few of his head parts when boom!!!!
 
The Crane spring set is about $100 plus the $86 for the cam and lifters and $25 for timing set and youre set unless you need new pushrods and rockers, Northern Auto has a rocker/rod set for about $75 IIRC. I am looking at the same setup with the lower rpm cam from Summit over the winter.
 
GM #14097002 dual hi-performance valve springs for up to .560 lift. $39.95
1.480 diameter
110# @1.88"
345# @1.320
coil bind @ 1.270

Severe duty rockers $59.95

HERE
 
I am running a 454 30 over with edelbrock performer intake and cam, 750 carb 67 427 heads makes mounds of power!!!!!
 
Dont use a "full race" cam!...

A stock or mildly built 454 on the street will make better use of a "Off Road and Towing/ RV " Cam than one desigened for higher lift and duration used for drag racing..I see many big blocks in trucks that hardly idle,load up,and are a gereral pain in the but to drive at lower speeds,and foul plugs often--because the owner put in a cam designed for high RPM use,which off road and street vehicles with highway gears (like 3.08's) never see very often..

I drove my brothers 82 K30 flatbed with a 1970 454,all stock,except for a Competition Cams Off Road And Towing/RV Cam (I think it was a 262H series)--it had only a mild lift and duration slightly more than stock,was designed to produce maximum torque and HP at 1200-4500 RPM--it also has a Wieand intake,that had an open plenum(not the best for low rpm street use,but it was all we had at the time!)--and the Holley 750 double pumper was mounted diagonally on the intake..all stock other than those 2 parts!

It would light the tires up in third gear when you went around a corner like nothing!--just a bit past idle,and the tires would smoke!--it was a great truck for pulling our heavy swap meet trailer we made out of a G10 van,cut off behind the doors,and it was HEAVY--we loaded it with 3 tons of parts often,and the truck pulled it like it was empty.. plowed snow nice too,lots of low speed tourque .With a SM465 in it,I felt I could tow a house with it! :laugh:

Other similar trucks I drove with "hot" cams were doggy and jerky at normal speeds,and were a pain to use for towing--had to wind them out to 3 grand before you got any power!..I think the cams ground for lower rpm use and more torque and gas mileage far outperform the "3/4" or "full race" cams on the trail and street by far...I'd guess 90% of all engines that get "hopped up" have too much camshaft lift and duration for normal street driving or off road/towing use...too much is not always better,just like carb CFM sizes.. :crazy:
 
THANKS, for the write up DIESEL4ME, I already knew about using a larger
cam for street, or offroad use. It was still a good write up for some that did not know. :waytogo:

THOR, thanks for the part #'s :waytogo:
 
MEGALADON said:
THANKS, for the write up DIESEL4ME, I already knew about using a larger
cam for street, or offroad use. It was still a good write up for some that did not know. :waytogo:

and everyone else, thanks for the part #'s :waytogo:
Click to expand...
I guess I should wait till I get a head job with better springs.
I'm thinking the 1500 to 4000 would be good, would I need a stall
for a cam like that???????????
 
Would those springs work with the cam grind, the springs from crane recomended by Summit have slightly lower spring rates than the ones you listed would that affect things any. Also is that the price for spring only or sprongs and retainers/locks or could the stock ones be used?
 
I tested nearly 20 cam profiles in Desktop Dyno for my low rpm torque 460 Ford. Yes it's a Ford, but it sounds as if you wanted the same thing I did....more power where you use it most: down low.

I had a new Summit cam, number K-3501….specs are the same as the "218/228" Summit cam for the BBC. I was going to use it, but after "testing" several different cams. The 218/228 duration cam made 475 foot pounds of torque at 2000 rpm with my setup. The Comp cams 255 DEH, and the Comp Cams X-treme 4x4 256 made 525 foot pounds of torque at 2000 rpm. The larger cam made about 30 more peak horsepower than the smaller torque cams……all over 3000 rpm. I didn't want to sacrifice 50 foot pounds of torque (likely more than that under 2000 rpm) for top end horsepower. For your setup, I'd recommend the any of the following three cams:

1. Xtreme 4x4 256
2. 255 DEH
3. Summit's smallest in house cam.


Roy
 
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