To CAM? or Not to CAM? That Tis the ????

Dahoopd

Registered User
Just wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade my cam or if there is even a step up to run with stock heads.

I bought my car with 122k on it and blown headgaskets. I am not sure how much the guy drove it with blown HG's and the bearings were never checked when i replaced the oil pan.

The car was bone stock when the slave blew. Since then (slave still gone) I have added a ported Gen II blower, MP plenum, 42# injectors, 75mm TB, 76mm MAF, CAI w/cone, UD's, FMIC (building stage), griffin rad and 3:27 gears. I will be adding a Meth kit and a tune in the next few weeks.

I have no idea what all thats going to give me and I am not really looking for any gains just a well running car. Would it be worth it to add a small cam with stock (mildly p&p'd) heads now. I am too anxious at this point to turn around and do a full rebuild. I had planned to just drive it with what it has now until the motor granades. (Yes Dave D it will grenade because I am a car beating machine).

So any imput from you veteran racer/builders would be nice.
 
I wouldnt add a small cam, somewhere down the road you will just want a bigger one. If I was you I wouldnt put a cam in unless it was what I wanted for my end all project, same with the heads. These cars will suck the monies right out of you wallet so I would do it right the first time or not do it at all

Ken
 
what cam would be recomended? my 89 with 50ths off the bottom is getting old i want to upgrade now that new cams are being made .

who makes em and which one for a 12 sec sc i want high 12s out of mine

with modified stock parts ive gone high 13s but i have a new engine with welded ported heads main gurdle good rods pistons ect i dont want 11s i want hign 12s car an everyday driver with guts what cam? dont like lopy cams and need to pass calif smog. which i did with flying colors with my 89 cam modified.

sorry to highjack your post just chiming in on the ?
 
I'm doing a small cam on my 94/95 to see if the theory of poor cam in 94/95 is correct haha....May want to do some head work but it isnt in my budget as imma po boy..Bust based on even stock flow numbers an aftermarket cam should wake a motor up in our cars
 
You don't need a big cam to run high 12's. My 95 SC will run high 12's with a .210/.210 duration .493/.493 lift 114 LS Comp regrind. I don't think I'd care for a real loppy idle a big cam would make but there is a small amount of lope with this cam which I do like.
 
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You don't need a big cam to run high 12's. My 95 SC will run high 12's with a .210/.210 duration .493/.493 lift 114 LS Comp regrind. I don't think I'd care for a real loppy idle a big cam would make but there is a small amount of lope with this cam which I do like.

what heads are you running?
 
what heads are you running?

That would have been my next question.



Ken,

That was pretty much what I was thinking. It would just be another item and a waste when another motor is built. I just figured something small may wake up what I have. In the end with no idea what the bearings look like. It may just cause more issues sooner.
 
If you plan on doing a motor then doing a cam now is alot of extra work for a little...Unless of course you already have it apart..That cam is sim to what Im using in my 94
 
what heads are you running?

The heads were done by Cultice Race Engines, a local engine builder in my area. Nothing really special about them that I know of. They have stock valves with a three angle cut along with being ported. I gave him a junk head to cut open and he went from there.
 
The heads were done by Cultice Race Engines, a local engine builder in my area. Nothing really special about them that I know of. They have stock valves with a three angle cut along with being ported. I gave him a junk head to cut open and he went from there.

would you mind PMing me their contact number and what you paid to get them done? Thanks
 
Up to 224 dur and .580" lift will not generate much lope at all. 230 duration starts to lope pretty decently. Auto's tend to idle smoother than 5spds though. A 5spd with an aluminum flywheel will lope pretty easily.
 
Up to 224 dur and .580" lift will not generate much lope at all. 230 duration starts to lope pretty decently. Auto's tend to idle smoother than 5spds though. A 5spd with an aluminum flywheel will lope pretty easily.

Cool. I like lope. What cam would someone get to get decent performance and not kill mileage, and still have lots'a lope?
 
I'm going to confirm what Jimmy says. I've got a .493/.493 lift, 200/204 duration reground cam and I run high 12's with mine also. And yes my heads are ported along with lots of other stuff. Eventually I'll build a new engine and will go with a bigger cam for that one as my goal is low 12's. One advantage to the smaller cams is that you can run stock valve springs.
 
So its uselss at this point to change cams? With stock heads it wouldnt net any real gain or make what I have already added any better?
 
So its uselss at this point to change cams? With stock heads it wouldnt net any real gain or make what I have already added any better?

I don't think anyone is saying it would be useless. If it were me, I'd do the cam while you have it apart. You can always sell it when your ready for something more agressive.

Suggest contacting Dave Dalke about specing and suppling the cam. I got my last cam from him and I'm very happy with it. BTW, I'm on cam #4 now.

David
 
A decent cam will always help. Even if it were to only give you 10rwhp, with use of stock heads, it will still move your power band up a little bit which is even better.

Just get a good cam that Dave recommended, put it together, and see what it does. You can always take the stock heads off and put a good set of ported, large valve heads down the road.
 
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