1970 Dodge Dart 318 upgrades

Now THAT is interesting... that 23-26 degrees extra duration for the .004" vs .008" duration is pretty important. Which number is best for DCR - .004" or .006" lift at closing - is something that has to be guessed at... and it changes with RPM I am sure, being that we are wanting to know when the cylinder 'effectively' stops leaking any significant pressure.

I always wondered about the symmetry opening vs closing, and always assumed they were equal. I am a bit confused as to the reference to the '440 cam', with all that assymetrical closing vs opening ramp. Which cam is that?

IMHO the valve has to be completly shut to start building compression
I've posted elsewhere how slow the factory cams are (noise, longevity, no bounce after the springs weaken)
Most of the newer aftermarket cams are Asymetrical
but the DCR simulations are invaluable even if not perfect
I'll go backover the thread later and try and address a couple of your other questions
Rick Jones Controlled Induction software is much more sophisticated but the one AJ uses makes great contributions