My point being, with all the loose stuff you found so far, how could you trust all the rest. (short block) unless it was never messed with.
Camshaft suggestions
- Thread starter Michael Paselk
- Start date
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My point being, with all the loose stuff you found so far, how could you trust all the rest. (short block) unless it was never messed with.
If your goal is just to be able to cruise around the rest of the summer, I'm going to suggest a different direction for the time being. If your not going to track the car and just enjoy it for now, you'd probably be best served to find a garden variety 318 and swap your present distributor to it to keep the HEI. I'd even stay with the two barrel. Not everything has to be a hot rod, yet... And here's why. Until you find a good 8-1/4 rear axle with 2.94 gears, you don't need a lot of 360 right now, the 7-1/4 will be a ticking time bomb... This would give you free time to get an axle to put in this winter, and get into your 360, because it sounds like it needs going through. Once you get into it, see what you have inside that is salvageable. If it's good, reuse it. Whatever you can, save $$$ for the important stuff. If you want to learn, go to Rusty Rat Rod's article on hot rod bliss and also check out 318willrun's page for porting directions on your 675 heads. Most of the time, unless they've had a heavy cut, 675 heads have a lot larger chamber than they are supposed to, as in 63-68cc's instead of 58-62cc. Measure them and find out. If the bores are round and straight and still have most of their cross hatch, get some garden variety flat top four relief pistons and a set of rings, and dingleberry hone. Plan on a head gasket for a 9:1 compression. Summit Racing has a compression calculator that will get you close, but look up the advertised gasket volume, add it to the piston dish/valve relief volume and use a zero in the gasket thickness. The gasket will have more volume than the calculator will show based on the bore and the compression will come up lower than targeted. With 318 heads, 2.94 gears, and air gap with the QT carb, you'd have a happy cruising street engine, I'd use this handy grind from Lunati, about right for a set of mildly ported 318 heads, 360 street cruiser. It's on the mild side, but good with stock converter 2.94 gear combination. Street Master Hydraulic Flat Tappet Cam - Chrysler 273-360 266/266
If your wanting to stay on the mild side of a good driver/street combination with good and keep the budget down, this may be the best route to go, depending on how much time and $$$ you want to invest.
If your wanting to stay on the mild side of a good driver/street combination with good and keep the budget down, this may be the best route to go, depending on how much time and $$$ you want to invest.
I’ll just say be careful of head and cam envy. I run my 360 with 318 heads and a 256 comp. I’m no expert but my wallet and opinion says it runs awesome up until 5k then it’s done. However, when I turn the key it fires right off without hesitation and purrs like belly rubs on a kitten. Built with the only resources I had at the time. I do have 915’s sitting in the garage, but the engine runs so good right now I’m reluctant to switch them right now. If it’s a cruiser I would run the 318 heads. Save the money for a good set of aluminum heads later on.
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Michael Paselk
Member
Gotcha...I agree. Thanks!
Yes, it's easy to overcam with stock 318 heads. Cam recommendation based on porting 318 heads and 9-9.5:1 compression. It would like a quality factory type high stall converter. Nothing wrong at all going down to a smaller split grind cam, just keep a lot of area under the curve. If it were me, I would either lose the flowmaster 40 cans and the associated drone and put a set of magnaflow 3.00 inch mufflers on or install a set of 3 inch dynomax race bullets after the Max's for resonators (the cheaper way until paper thin flow diverters rust out in the Max's), but that's a matter of personal taste... Your car, do what makes you happy on the details.
Michael Paselk
Member
Garrett, that’s the biggest problem I think on my end. So many cam choices. I have a hard time with the importantant aspecs and how they will affect the application. A little overwhelming at times. Example:
Advertised Duration
Duration at .50
Lobe Seperation
How all of the various values come into play and depending on the value...affects performance. Again knowledge is somewhat limited When it comes to the internals and matching everything up.
Advertised Duration
Duration at .50
Lobe Seperation
How all of the various values come into play and depending on the value...affects performance. Again knowledge is somewhat limited When it comes to the internals and matching everything up.
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I think you would be happy with one of the Comp DEH grinds. The 275 I believe would be a "little big" although that's what I would choose for me lol........but I think you would like the 265 DEH a lot. Get on the Comp site and check it out.
Desk top dyno is all ways fun to get an idea of cam selections.
ir3333
Well-Known Member
for a stock lo compression 76 360 i think the the old generic 204 214 429 444 would be about the best choice for a driver and should perform well everywhere.
...but you didn't want to hear that.
...but you didn't want to hear that.
Ma Mopar engineers got it right . . .
Make this easy call your favorite cam manufacturer or the top three brand x, let them know your combination and use for the vehicle. Then compare the three and report back with your selection and let’s us know how it works out once it’s in. I bet they will recommend anywhere in between .430 to .470 lift and 250* to 280*duration mostly likely with a 110 lobe separation. Anything in between is so subjective it’s like splitting hairs. Mostly all the cams mentioned are within same operation range for your combination. Any bigger and your most certainly stepping up to more converter and gear swap. “RRR’s guide to hot rod bliss” is a good read that keeps a humble approach to enjoying the process.
A comp XE262-268H or Voodoo 02-03 cam would be fine for that build. Springs are the biggest consideration with either of these.
Get the idle tune up right and it will run great. Plenty of them running and the idle manners are just fine.
Get the idle tune up right and it will run great. Plenty of them running and the idle manners are just fine.
If you are going to go soft on the camshaft, at least put the old 214/224 grind in it. 
Wyrmrider
Well-Known Member
hey rusty
lotta exhaust duration with those dual energy profiles hurts both power and mileage
that one is even long for stock heads and exhaust manifolds
Intake on the 255 DEH gets the valve closed early enough but you can get that same duration with more area under the curve
same problem with the 204-214 or comp 262 where the intake closes much later
lotta exhaust duration with those dual energy profiles hurts both power and mileage
that one is even long for stock heads and exhaust manifolds
Intake on the 255 DEH gets the valve closed early enough but you can get that same duration with more area under the curve
same problem with the 204-214 or comp 262 where the intake closes much later
That was the whole purpose of my recommendation. You're preaching theory. I'm preaching experience.
paralysis by analysis is what this place has become. JMO.
There is no place for any suggestions that actual work in the real world because some number crunching says it's not optimal is a realm of decision making. ACKKKKK
There is no place for any suggestions that actual work in the real world because some number crunching says it's not optimal is a realm of decision making. ACKKKKK
Use the numbers for guidelines but real world "what works" is where it's at.
ir3333
Well-Known Member
The only info that is valid is when it is from actual experience.Far too often advice is given based on what someone heard, read or assumed.But we all mean well..
famous bob
mopar misfit
I didn`t read all these posts: but I always match my cams to my convertor . Nuff said !
Wyrmrider
Well-Known Member
I helped design the KB Moapr quench dome pistons back when John Erb was their chief engineer. We have lots of dyno time on BBM and SBM and have a pretty good idea on how to maximise a low compression build. The advantage of that 204 cam or the 214 is that they are cheap- that's why edelbrock and others sell them. They leave low and midrange AND TOP END on the table-
anyone not think that a modern CNC grinder and a 7 digit profile can't top a 50 year old hand calculated one profile fits all design?
Designing a master took too long to do one for every combination
Now you can get them in 2 degree intervals for both intake and exhaust- heavy or light valve train- etc
You can input head flows and other data and get a custom
Could not do that in the 60's and 70's when the "Detroit" cams and the Mopar 340 were designed
anyone not think that a modern CNC grinder and a 7 digit profile can't top a 50 year old hand calculated one profile fits all design?
Designing a master took too long to do one for every combination
Now you can get them in 2 degree intervals for both intake and exhaust- heavy or light valve train- etc
You can input head flows and other data and get a custom
Could not do that in the 60's and 70's when the "Detroit" cams and the Mopar 340 were designed
lead69
hopeless car junkie
Ya know who designed those right?
lead69
hopeless car junkie
To the op I built a cheap 360 quite a few years ago with the same pistons as yours and home ported (nothing exotic) 318 heads with stock valves milled .020. I used a comp xe 274,thin head gaskets and cheap headers,performer intake and a 600 holley. Dam thing was good for high 12's in a dart with 3.23 gears and 245 60 14 tires,the 318 heads can be made to work its all about what you want to do.
Inquiring minds want to know!
PRH
Well-Known Member
Low CR 360 mild street combo?
My default cam for that is the Comp 268H.
It’ll need a spring upgrade.
My default cam for that is the Comp 268H.
It’ll need a spring upgrade.
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