Cam Selection

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dstan

dstan

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I recently spun a few bearing in my 440. I picked up most of a used 383 from a guy about a month ago and I'm now purchasing all the parts to put it together. The bottom end is all together, looks good, and turns over smoothly. I am about to purchase a cam to put in it and I was hoping to get some suggestions from you guys since this is my first car and I don't know everything about cams.
Here are the specs and the cams that I am considering right now.
Vehicle: 1989 D100 Will see maybe 1000 miles a year as it's mainly a toy
Block: 1968 383 bored 30 over
Pistons: Flat top @ zero deck NO valve relifs
Head Gaskets: Steel .020 crush
Heads:1968 250 casting code. Have 2.14/1.81 valves installed and are not shaved.Will be home ported
Intake: Torker 383 with gasket match porting
Carb: Holley 4160 750cfm Vacuum secondary
Gearing: 3.55 posi 9.25"
Stall: 3000 B&M Holeshot in a 727
Weight: About 3800 with me in it
I plan to rev it no higher than 6000
I need something that will give me good power, but not have too large a lift at 50 and cause a piston to strike a valve.
I'll attach the ones I am currently looking at.
Thank you for any suggestions.

Cam_Options.JPG
 
I originally built my 400 with flat top pistons with no valve reliefs at zero deck. I think you are going to need to stay under 500 lift with that combo. I ran an old Crane grind which was 467/494 lift, 222/234 duration, and 114 lobe centers with no trouble. It made 415 HP and 450 TQ on the engine dyno with basically the same parts you are using. Summit still sells essentially the same cam under their brand name SUM-6401. It had a decent idle and a very flat torque curve.
 
I called Hughes earlier today and they suggested I run their part number SEH2832BL-10. This is one of the ones I was looking at anyhow so I will probably get that and take their advice and run a slightly thicker head gasket.
 
dstan said:
I called Hughes earlier today and they suggested I run their part number SEH2832BL-10. This is one of the ones I was looking at anyhow so I will probably get that and take their advice and run a slightly thicker head gasket.
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With the thicker head gasket that will lower your compression some. They maybe telling you this for more valve clearance. Did you look at the Edelbrock RPM cam. Very good duration and lift for a flat top motor.
 
I later put a MP 292/509 cam in my 400 and the piston to valve clearance was very close. I would be nervous with that much lift.
 
dstan said:
I recently spun a few bearing in my 440. I picked up most of a used 383 from a guy about a month ago and I'm now purchasing all the parts to put it together. The bottom end is all together, looks good, and turns over smoothly. I am about to purchase a cam to put in it and I was hoping to get some suggestions from you guys since this is my first car and I don't know everything about cams.
Here are the specs and the cams that I am considering right now.
Vehicle: 1989 D100 Will see maybe 1000 miles a year as it's mainly a toy
Block: 1968 383 bored 30 over
Pistons: Flat top @ zero deck NO valve relifs
Head Gaskets: Steel .020 crush
Heads:1968 250 casting code. Have 2.14/1.81 valves installed and are not shaved.Will be home ported
Intake: Torker 383 with gasket match porting
Carb: Holley 4160 750cfm Vacuum secondary
Gearing: 3.55 posi 9.25"
Stall: 3000 B&M Holeshot in a 727
Weight: About 3800 with me in it
I plan to rev it no higher than 6000
I need something that will give me good power, but not have too large a lift at 50 and cause a piston to strike a valve.
I'll attach the ones I am currently looking at.
Thank you for any suggestions.

View attachment 1715133379
Click to expand...
personally camwise I like to stay with around .480 lift -using the mopar purple shaft cam. been a long time but they sound great- run awesome. valve reliefs in the pistons would be required-with the composite -thicker head gaskets the valves just touched the pistons, -my bad. consider the thicker head gaskets. I put one (.509 lift) in my '69 Cuda 440 (factory) with headers, tunnel ram .holley 660 carbs and 4.30 gears it was an 11 second car at 118 mph. right up to the time I blew the begeesus out of it. yes- I ruined a perfectly good 440 factory cuda fastback, but in 1970 it was only $1600.00
 
Geri said:
personally camwise I like to stay with around .480 lift -using the mopar purple shaft cam. been a long time but they sound great- run awesome. valve reliefs in the pistons would be required-with the composite -thicker head gaskets the valves just touched the pistons, -my bad. consider the thicker head gaskets. I put one (.509 lift) in my '69 Cuda 440 (factory) with headers, tunnel ram .holley 660 carbs and 4.30 gears it was an 11 second car at 118 mph. right up to the time I blew the begeesus out of it. yes- I ruined a perfectly good 440 factory cuda fastback, but in 1970 it was only $1600.00
Click to expand...
I don't want to hijack this thread but I have a quick question that somewhat coincides with what dstan is asking. I have nearly the same set up dstan has and I like the Comp Cam 21-227-4. I confirmed the selection with Comp Cam. That selection included the running of Edelbrock AL Rpm Heads. It was mentioned that going over .5 lift is a bit concerning. Is it for the RPM heads? I have never been able to assertain how much more lift the RPM Heads would allow me vs the stock heads. Also, I am told by the builder that the compression is 9.7 The comp cam spec says it is best on a 9.1 compression engine. Is this difference in compression that critical on the selection of the cam? If so, how much and in what Spec? Also, Comp Cam says the 21-227-4 gives extra lift for Upper RPM Power. What is I want mid-range power? Any suggestions? Again, I apologizes if you feel I hijacked dstan's thread.
 
There is more to it than just gross lift. I've run many cams in the .540-.550 range and all of them had plenty of clearance. You need to VERIFY p/v but most guys do it with checker springs and they don't get an accurate measurement.
 
space duster 383 said:
I don't want to hijack this thread but I have a quick question that somewhat coincides with what dstan is asking. I have nearly the same set up dstan has and I like the Comp Cam 21-227-4. I confirmed the selection with Comp Cam. That selection included the running of Edelbrock AL Rpm Heads. It was mentioned that going over .5 lift is a bit concerning. Is it for the RPM heads? I have never been able to assertain how much more lift the RPM Heads would allow me vs the stock heads. Also, I am told by the builder that the compression is 9.7 The comp cam spec says it is best on a 9.1 compression engine. Is this difference in compression that critical on the selection of the cam? If so, how much and in what Spec? Also, Comp Cam says the 21-227-4 gives extra lift for Upper RPM Power. What is I want mid-range power? Any suggestions? Again, I apologizes if you feel I hijacked dstan's thread.
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I'm a bit -rusty on cams as I haven't been into a B engine for several years , the cam in my new1963 SS426 Wedge was .528 lift and lived well on the street and the races. it was my only car at the time. thinking the rocker arm geometry ,length and angle would set the limits on lift -perhaps why the racers have gone to longer valves?
I really don't have any intelligent information to help you, better to give no opinion than bad opinion eh?
as an FYI the cam in my 392 Hemi fueler is only .505 lift. ( no one is hijacking the thread- all things are relevant.)
 
yellow rose said:
There is more to it than just gross lift. I've run many cams in the .540-.550 range and all of them had plenty of clearance. You need to VERIFY p/v but most guys do it with checker springs and they don't get an accurate measurement.
Click to expand...
good point ,perhaps I was assuming to much.
 
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