How to pick a cam

The guys above are actualy giving the best advice. Talk to a pro. Someone in the feild. But if you want to try yourself, the first thing your going to have to do is be honest about what you want, what you want the car to do and what can be done realistly.

First thing is to look at your part on the car and realize there has to be a balance. Follow the idea Edelbrock has put forth in the excellent marketing idea of "Power Packages" and note that everything is put toghter in a RPM powerband range. In example, the Performer is idle to 5500 and the RPM is a 2500 - 6500 rpm range and the Victor is higher and so on and so on....

Duration
When you look at a cams specs, the duration of the cam must fall into this range of parts intended to be used along with the gear ratio of the car. As well as your intended driving RPM range and what you plan to cruise at on the Hwy. The longer the duration, the higher the cruise RPM, the higher the gear ratio should be.

Also, split duration cams help the exhaust side of the engine breath. This exhaling is good for the inhaling for a fresher , fresh air and fuel charge with less comtamination. (SP!?) It helps increase power with the better air/fuel charge and extends the RPM range a few hundred RPM's.

Lift

High lift isn't really important to a daily driver or one with some teeth. If your looking to push the engine in the power department, use as much lift as the head can handle and yeild in lift when the port stalls in terms of it's air flow.

Centerline Normal HP cams are ground on a 110. This is a good centerline and it is most often ground in my the grinders. You need not worry about this really. Going higher produces a melloer idle and lower produces a ruffer idle. Theres more to this, but I'll stop here.

Also, when looking on line or in a catolog, stay in the section of street cams. If you start looking all over at different cams in different sections, even though your looking at a similar spec'd cam, there ground very differently and will react very differently in a engine.

Choose a oval track cam and you'll be very disapointed in a few areas like sreet abilty, idle, throttle response, narrow powerband, low torque.

Download Comp Cams "Cam Quest" for a few ideas. Follow the menu on the left and be honest about what you select and the choices given to you via the program are preety good with a few to select from.

Don't go crazy, according to anyone else you tell on what cam you selected, your wrong even if a pro helps. It's just one of those things.