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3404spdfish

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i am looking to pick some brains out there, I have never bought a cam without springs so I need some help. this grind was a gift to me and I would like to use it, any suggestions on sp
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rings, this cam is going in a 74 360 with j heads from a 340
 
also has anybody used a cam plate with chain tensioner on it?

View attachment 1716283270
I like the cam. Itt sould work well in a 360 with decent heads. I have also used a tensioner. With a quality double roller timing set, it is really unnecessary. They were originally designed for a stock single chain.
 
What heads are you using them on and what does your installed height looking like it's going to come in at? Engle recommends their #833 springs. But according to the specs on their page, you're looking at something in the 120 pound seat and 310 pound open range.
 
I usually like to start by measuring the installed height of a couple of valves to give an idea of how much room I have to work with.

“Generally”, std LA heads with factory type valves can be tough to get much more than 1.700” height…….which limits the spring choices that will accommodate lifts over .500”

If you have 1.680” height available, something like a Howard’s 98412 should do the job.
 
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correct, J heads from a 70 340, for now it will have stock rockets unless i need to get adjustable rockers now just trying to get a drive in and out of the garage, been pushing this 65 barracuda around on and off for like 5 years.
 
You may want to port those J heads. From what I have read, there is not much extra flow around .500 lift in stock form, if anyone can confirm or correct me please do.
 
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That's a big cam for a low-compression 360, and it's gonna need a decent compression ratio, for the bottom end not to go soft.
But, you know, a soft-bottom360 in a lightweight A, I suppose it could be a lot worse......
 
If you're using stock compression pistons in that 360, you'll want to advance that cam on down to probably about 102 ICL.
 
The easy way to tell if the cam is for an A or LA is to look and the middle two lobes of the rear 4.
An LA cam will have those two lobes just about parallel with each other, while with an A cam they’re way apart from each other.
 
ok it is time heads are done but not on i am new to degreeing a cam. i put it in straight up because that's what i know, i watched some videos and checked a few things. as is the intake lifter sits up about .020 more than exhaust which as i under stand that slightly retarded right? which says i have to degree cam. based on my compression is 8.5-1 ish. i have read here at A bodies it should be advanced 6-8 degrees to help low end, any inputs on this would help
 
If you lined it up dot to dot, you have no real idea where it is installed without verifying using a wheel.
 
ok it is time heads are done but not on i am new to degreeing a cam. i put it in straight up because that's what i know, i watched some videos and checked a few things. as is the intake lifter sits up about .020 more than exhaust which as i under stand that slightly retarded right? which says i have to degree cam. based on my compression is 8.5-1 ish. i have read here at A bodies it should be advanced 6-8 degrees to help low end, any inputs on this would help


If the intake is higher than the exhaust it’s advanced.

This is the problem I have with YouTube hacks that teach **** like you are doing.

Tools are pretty inexpensive today, and if someone is endeavoring to build even one engine then they need to buy a degree wheel and a dial indicator and actual time the cam.

We know your cam is advanced but how far is it? All you know is it’s advanced. Could be 1 degree. Could be 8.

I don’t like guess with expensive engines. Not getting the cam correctly timed is just not worth it.
 
ok i have arranged a shop to do do a home visit and degree cam so when its all done should i see? i do hope to learn from this and after i do i will get a degree wheel and dial indicator so i know what to do on the next build which at this time i have 3 on the back burner.
 
If my bad math is right that is installed per card at 108.5. You might want to put it in a bit ahead of that like 103-105 with a lower compression short block. JMO

Depending on over the nose spring pressure, it might be on the brink of a stock stamped style rocker arm breaker.
 
Isn’t the A engine a wide block 318? Then the LA is 273,318,340,360. Kim
All my LA cams from Engle were marked Mopar A I can't remember what they marked the Poly ones. But that's how all my LA cards looked. I will look for some cards tomorrow and shoot a picture.
I have a few of their 904 cams one close to that.
.504/.515 230@50 110
And a few solids.
This one is for my 422

20230210_121945.jpg
 
If my bad math is right that is installed per card at 108.5. You might want to put it in a bit ahead of that like 103-105 with a lower compression short block. JMO

Depending on over the nose spring pressure, it might be on the brink of a stock stamped style rocker arm breaker.
with advancing the cam to lets say 105 will i need to redo the dree if i put magnum heads on or the equivalent in aluminum heads in the future
 
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