Replacement 68 340 four speed cams

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Dan the man said:
0.015 lift and 8* more duration make that much more of a difference? Just asking
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I don't think so but apparently some do. If you are going to reproduce a 340 cam why not the 4 speed cam?
 
66fs said:
Nothing, just a nice all around street cam. I am not impressed with new whizbang stuff. I like stuff I know works. There is a lot more to cams than numbers...
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This is true. I'm trying to learn more about cams.
 
Johnny Dart said:
I'm interested in having one for the shelf, however.

With shipping, this is close to $300 for an hydraulic camshaft.

Is this such a Holy Grail camshaft, or end all be all that a mild modern day camshaft for much less can't accomplish ?

What say you ?
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No, it's just a one year, one model only camshaft everybody makes too much a big deal over. There are so many modern grinds all around the same size that will blow them away making power. People just want the "340 4 speed cam" for bench racing prowess. Although I fully admit it's nice to have someone that grinds them because they are a decent grind even by today's standards.
 
toolmanmike said:
I don't think so but apparently some do. If you are going to reproduce a 340 cam why not the 4 speed cam?
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I've always wanted do bulid a 340 on the 71 platform to use the iron TQ intake, but build all the rest to 68 4 speed specs. It'd probably run really well.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I've always wanted do bulid a 340 on the 71 platform to use the iron TQ intake, but build all the rest to 68 4 speed specs. It'd probably run really well.
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Basically what is done in Stock class, stock lift but any duration, iron intake and 71 TQ. What I’m setting up now.
 
I spoke to Ken at Oregon Cam Grinders and made the purchase for my 70 340 stick car. Ended up playing with the preload on my adjustable rockers and screwed up a couple of lifters. Sent the cam back to Ken to have him make sure it was not damaged. I ended up buying a second one from him identical to the first just to have one on the shelf. Got a nice sound at idle and the car is running better than it did for the first 6 years I've owned it. Still haven't changed the 741 center section back into the 8 3/4 with the factory 3.91's. That will happen before I put her away for the winter.
 
gtgto said:
I spoke to Ken at Oregon Cam Grinders and made the purchase for my 70 340 stick car. Ended up playing with the preload on my adjustable rockers and screwed up a couple of lifters. Sent the cam back to Ken to have him make sure it was not damaged. I ended up buying a second one from him identical to the first just to have one on the shelf. Got a nice sound at idle and the car is running better than it did for the first 6 years I've owned it. Still haven't changed the 741 center section back into the 8 3/4 with the factory 3.91's. That will happen before I put her away for the winter.
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Any videos? it would be fun to hear one idle/run just to see how mild or aggressive it is. Everyone has their own opinion of that level.
 
@Dan the man

It's a larger cam, shows more port, filling cylinder better, make a bit more power. Is it going to be night and day better, no. It will make more power and stretch to a slightly higher RPM when making that power.

The old school 214/224 camshaft that is available through a bunch of vendors is essentially the same camshaft as a 340 4 gear cam.
 
crackedback said:
@Dan the man

It's a larger cam, shows more port, filling cylinder better, make a bit more power. Is it going to be night and day better, no. It will make more power and stretch to a slightly higher RPM when making that power.

The old school 214/224 camshaft that is available through a bunch of vendors is essentially the same camshaft as a 340 4 gear cam.
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That makes sense
 
Pretty sure the generic 214/224 cams are made for Chebby 0.842" lifter diam. So you would be missing out on some 'area under the curve' with those cams.
Also, certain vacuum/emission requirements would have to have been met which compromises performance with a production cam.
With an aftermarket cam, those are not a consideration.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Point evidence where a regrind is the devil. Chrysler cores according to Ken Heard are hardened almost to the center of the core. I've talked to several (more than five) cam grinders and they all say there's no one in this country making new cores. So either you're mistaken, or you know something no one else in the industry does.
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So there still is USA made blanks.
 
davescuda said:
So there still is USA made blanks.
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There are still USA made cores available. You have to buy a very large amount for the supplier to provide. Again, to make this worthwhile we need a large number of people willing to buy. Based on what I'm seeing, only a handful are interested.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yes, they take YOUR stock core and regrind it.
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I keep hearing what you say by regrinding a stock cam and it becomes new again. My common sense tells me, you can take away some metal, but you can not add to it. So how can you get back to stock specs? I had a 350 chevy truck that had a cam with "0" lobs on two that I replaced. I don't see how it could of been reground to factory specs, unless I wanted a "0" lift.
 
Swinger 340 said:
I keep hearing what you say by regrinding a stock cam and it becomes new is again. My common sense tells me, you can take away some metal, but you can not add to it. So how can you get back to stock specs? I had a 350 chevy truck that had a cam with "0" lobs on two that I replaced. I don't see how it could of been reground to factory specs, unless I wanted a "0" lift.
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Simple. You're only thinking in two dimensions. The cam grinder can grind the new lobes anywhere on that core he wants it. He moves the entire lobe in relation to the core to make up for what he grinds off. Get it? And no, there's not a thing wrong with that and it doesn't hurt a thing. The only caveat is you may need longer pushrods to make up the difference. Sometimes you do not. It simply all depends on how much he has to "move" the base circle.
 
Swinger 340 said:
I keep hearing what you say by regrinding a stock cam and it becomes new again. My common sense tells me, you can take away some metal, but you can not add to it. So how can you get back to stock specs? I had a 350 chevy truck that had a cam with "0" lobs on two that I replaced. I don't see how it could of been reground to factory specs, unless I wanted a "0" lift.
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Don't bother on a chevy, their cams and lifters are junk. A regrind can only go so far and would be limited on lift and center with what was left on a lobe and minimum base circle.
 
66fs said:
Don't bother on a chevy, their cams and lifters are junk. A regrind can only go so far and would be limited on lift and center with what was left on a lobe and minimum base circle.
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Exactly, you can't always make something out of nothing.
 
66fs said:
Don't bother on a chevy, their cams and lifters are junk. A regrind can only go so far and would be limited on lift and center with what was left on a lobe and minimum base circle.
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That's my understanding too. GM didn't use the same hardening process as Chrysler. Every machinist (including myself) has always said Chrysler engine parts were all harder than any other make. Ken Heard has backed that up about cam cores as well. And we all know from experience how much more nickel content Chrysler used in their blocks than any other make.
 
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