Two questions, will this work well with my 5.2 block or should I source a 5.9?
Also how much H.P are we looking at, trying to get in the 375-400 Range lol
That's a great cam for a 5.9 hi-torque engine, or
not bad in a 5.2, but you'll need to get the Dcr up to about 8/1. That will run great the 2800/3.91s , altho it will pull any gears with the 5.9; and even down to 3.23s with the 5.2; which I'm not advocating for, jus-saying..
In a 5.2
For street;
horsepower means almost nothing, because 275 is already enough to burn thru two gears in your small-tub chassis. So unless you're willing to spend say $2500 or MORE, on the back end, 400 hp is, IMO, an unrealistic target, and way overkill. I mean, think about it; 65 mph in Second gear with 3.55s, is like 4700; for a 5.2/400 hp combo, this rpm is at the bottom of the power curve, and you won't get to peak power 'til around 75/80 mph. and with 245s in the back, there's a good chance they'll still be spinning over half way thru Second ..... So, if yur gonna run 3.55s, then you want power at 4700, and, you ain't even gonna get close to 400@4700 with 318 cubes, no matter what street-friendly cam you put in it..
But if you already have the cam for say a 5200 peak, which you do, just run it but with the 3.91s for best street performance. This will make 65mph to be about 5150, which is, right on the money..
>As is almost universally recommended; Forget chasing a big overbore for street power, you'll never feel it. Bore the teener out, the minimum it needs to go for the holes to be round without taper.
>For best results with iron heads, you'll need 8:1 Dcr, and a tight squish, in the window of 030>040. This will likely require an Scr of 10/1; flat-top pistons, and closed-chamber heads; so the Magnums are a good start..
>IMO the 750carb is also overkill, but if you already have it, just bolt it on, and use the 3.91s, it'll be fine ..........
>Before you start anything, Figure out what Scr you need to run, with chosen top-end, and see if you can even get pistons close to that . The biggest complaint I hear from the Teen-Crowd, is finding off-the-shelf pistons. If you gotta go custom, then it will most likely be cheaper to just grab a 5.9 short.
Happy HotRodding
