Feel like 360 should have more power

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Could guesstimate cam size by measuring cam lift and along with idle quality.

But deal with tuning First and go from there.
 
Thanks for the help everyone. I will get cracking with new wires, plugs, and set timing and report back. I will dig more into the cam if the basics don’t do much.
 
Thanks for the help everyone. I will get cracking with new wires, plugs, and set timing and report back. I will dig more into the cam if the basics don’t do much.
Give us a clue about the camshaft. Don't tell us you don't know. Of course you know if it's stone stock, has a little lope or sounds like a top fueler. Throw us a bone here. While you may not know exactly what cam it is, you can certainly give us an idea. You HAVE heard hot rod cams before, right?
 
Give us a clue about the camshaft. Don't tell us you don't know. Of course you know if it's stone stock, has a little lope or sounds like a top fueler. Throw us a bone here. While you may not know exactly what cam it is, you can certainly give us an idea. You HAVE heard hot rod cams before, right?
Haha I’d say it has a pretty aggressive lope to it, not the wildest Ive ever heard but a good bit more than a little.
 
Haha I’d say it has a pretty aggressive lope to it, not the wildest Ive ever heard but a good bit more than a little.
that ^^^ (aggressive lump) + your low compression + your high altitude = a dog.
 
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Haha I’d say it has a pretty aggressive lope to it, not the wildest Ive ever heard but a good bit more than a little.
Ok, that's a start, thanks. Now how hard was that? Now we know that "probably" your short block is in decent condition, but it's stock with a big for stock cam. I would agree with a good hot timing curve, BUT, unless you "somehow" get that cylinder pressure raised, you're not going to see a huge improvement.

Now, if you were to say, get the front of that engine off and put a degree wheel on it you could find out lots of info. But that's a story for someone who really wants to dig in and really make a difference. Is it worth that to you, or will you be happy cruising it like it is? Kinda a question only you can answer.
 
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that ^^^ (aggressive lump) + your low compression + your high altitude = a dog.
Kinda where I was going with my response. In order to do that, he'll need to figure out "what" cam he has now using a degree wheel and that will require some work. Because just opening it up and "advancing it 4 degrees" may not do much if it's say 12 degrees retarded. Know what I mean, Vern? So IF he's up for it, he needs to find out "what" he has now and "where" it's installed.
 
.....and having said all that ^^^^^^ If it was ME, I think I would just choose another (smaller) and better matched cam. If he's going to pull the front of the engine off, that's half the labor to recam, right there.
 
Kinda where I was going with my response. In order to do that, he'll need to figure out "what" cam he has now using a degree wheel and that will require some work. Because just opening it upi and "advancing it 4 degrees" may not do much if it's say 12 degrees retarded. Know what I mean, Vern? So IF he's up for it, he needs to find out "what" he has now and "where" it's installed.
Too much here.
  • If it's lumpity lumpity lumpity camshaft, then it needs better compression than 104-108 psi
  • Is the converter even remotely close to supporting the cam??? Who knows, could be stock for what we know
I personally would replace that cam with a smaller one. Simple, not that expensive, and can be done in the car. This may help with everything, including the psi per cylinder.
 
.....and having said all that ^^^^^^ If it was ME, I think I would just choose another (smaller) and better matched cam. If he's going to pull the front of the engine off, that's half the labor to recam, right there.
I see you just posted what i was typing
:lol:
 
There's a guy down the road that use to build and dyno at 5500 ft, do a search, check out IQ52, he's done a little with low compression engines.
 
248* @ 050 in a stock engine and stock converter
:lol:
and then wonder why a guy running a stock teener topped with a swapmeet 4bbl intake and junkyard holley is blowing doors off at the saturday night stop light eliminator contest.
 
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At 6200ft I’d throw a stock 318 cam in that 360.
That would probably set it on fire compared to what it is now. That or maybe something like a 252-260 range. That's about as much as I would go.
 
That would probably set it on fire compared to what it is now. That or maybe something like a 252-260 range. That's about as much as I would go.
with that compression pretty much anything closer to stock would be night and day. 360 4bbl cam would probably run real good, or an aftermarket RV cam...

but man, that's a double whammy: dog water compression and altitude just magnify the problem.
 
Pull that 360 pig and replace it with a 318 if you want performance! :poke: :poke::poke::rofl:
How many times have we heard the opposite of that?
 
Post #1, white smoke.
White smoke would be coolant getting into the combustion chamber...or brake fluid via the brake booster.
I see nothing wrong with the mixture looking at the spark plug pic.
The low compression test #s are worrying but without knowing the cam specs, they might be as good as it gets considering the elevation.
 
Sounds exactly like every 360 I have ever had, I seem to have much better results with 318s.
 
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