What cam should I get?

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On the vacuum advance this is what I believe-if the dist. mech. advance is right, theres no need for vacuum. You need to pull the dist. and put light weight springs in with some needle nose pliers, not easy but can be done just hard to get the tiny springs on the posts. Much easier to buy a MSD dist. if you can. I found a new old stock Mopar dist on E-bay and use Accel cap & rotor-its all brass. If the motor does not ping with the quick avance great, if it does you need to use one heavy stock spring and one light spring to slow the avance down. My adavnce is all in by 2000 rpm's and there no spark knock so I just set the timing about 38 dergress at high rpm's and leave it alone.
 
The way it sounds far as the above oil changes on this thread it sounds like the break-in stuff should be removed imediately or you will suffer engine damage. I mean that's the way they made it sound.lol. I don't know about it I never add anything to my oil.[/QUOTE]


Thats to get rid of the moly lube you coat the cam lobes with. This bottle that you add to the oil has zinc and other anti-wear stuff that the EPA had remove from most motor oils in the past few years. Thats what I am talking about. You add 1 bottle of that at each oil change it help boost the oil so the cam will last longer. I am sure the EPA would not like Comp's to tell everybody to use it all the time so the cam last longer, cause its "bad" for the air, like it really make a diffence. They need to shut down these coal burning energy plants if they want to clean the air up.
 
In the end, so long as you're happy, it really doesnt matter what we use...lol. It's all opinion. IMO, Mopar makes some good cams, my issue is they dont make them very well. If your's runs well and it didnt need serious adjustment to get the centerline right, count your blessings. I install cams that work, and the are made well. MP can only get 1/2 of that right consistantly. The last MP cam I used needed 8° of advancing offest keyway to get the installed centerline to where MP recommends it. Nevermind the additional 2° I wanted it at. That took another offset keyway on the crank. The same timing set on that engine was 1° off with the Comp I installed after the MP. That was 5 years ago. I have run one since then, that required 4° to get right. With Comp and Crane, i have neever had to move it more than 2° to reach what the manufacturer spec'd. I figure, I am checking the centerline, I cant check everything. And that's fairly easy to get right..If they cant get it to match the cards they print, what else is wrong that I cant check?

You should be running deisel grade oils. Standard 10-40 Valvoline is not good for your valve train. Either run deisel (Fleet grade) or the "race" oils, or add a can of Comp Cams' additive or GM EOS. I also only use Wix produced oil filters. They are about $6 each, from Car Quest, Napa, and various retailers. I also run CQ 15w-40 Fleet oil in all my cars with flat tappet cams. It's like $1.29/qt by the case IIRC.

As far as vaccum advances, they dont help peak power at all. That's because at full throttle the addvance does nothing, no matter what vaccum source it has. But, at part throttle, say cruising in hilly areas, light throttle accel (like passing without flooring it), and straight cruising rpm/load the vaccum advace keeps plugs cleaner, and adds a ton of gas milage. Those are the times it's noticed. Street driving. Not racing. At some point, the cams used are so far out of the adjustment range of the std vaccum dashpot that it will only hurt the way the engien runs. So you find more "racey" packages with it not used. It's another thing to tune and properly set up. It hurts nothing, only gains. That's a fact. It's an oversight if someone doesnt run it IMO. But again, that last part is just an opinion.
 
My spark plugs have never been cleaner since I install a MSD 7al box and a MSD 8251 coil. They are so clean theres nothing to sand or clean after 6000 miles on them. They do wear out faster, cause I install them at .040 gap and after 6000 miles the gaps were almost .050 so I got new plugs. My gas milage does stink however.
 
moper said:
You should be running deisel grade oils. Standard 10-40 Valvoline is not good for your valve train. Either run deisel (Fleet grade) or the "race" oils, or add a can of Comp Cams' additive or GM EOS. I also only use Wix produced oil filters. They are about $6 each, from Car Quest, Napa, and various retailers. I also run CQ 15w-40 Fleet oil in all my cars with flat tappet cams. It's like $1.29/qt by the case IIRC.
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Why is standard 10-40 not good for my valve train? Or if I just add Comp Cams additive or GM eos to the 10-40 I will be alright? What does the CQ stand for? Is there any other additive that has the zinc in it that I can get at the parts houses?
 
mullinax95 said:
Why is standard 10-40 not good for my valve train? Or if I just add Comp Cams additive or GM eos to the 10-40 I will be alright? What does the CQ stand for? Is there any other additive that has the zinc in it that I can get at the parts houses?
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That should be because of the lack of zinc. Get some of the EOS or Comp's stuff and you should be OK.
 
Well EOS stuff is cheaper but its hard to believe that it still has zinc in it cause you can buy right with the brand new cars and it does not say off road use only or not for newer cars. Most of the motor oil's have been cleaned up why not that EOS stuff ? Just cause the name is the same does not mean it is the same old stuff. I am staying with Comp's since I have no way of checking whats in EOS today.
 
I have a few bottles of Comp's stuff. I'm not going to use the EOS just because I don't like the idea of putting some GM made stuff in my Mopar. :)
 
Yeah well we have a Buick LaCross over here for everyday use--yeah, yeah I know its a wimpy car but it does get 24 mpg at 75-80 on the freeway :thumbup: and has a hands free phone, that 2 things my tank does not do--anyways I changed the oil and filter last week and use a ACpf47 oil filter. I always use a band wench to tighten it on and this time a tiny mark like a dimple happen. The next day a very tiny steam of oil started to piss out of it! No big deal, I got another new fitlter and put it on but this time I kept the wench on the very bottom. Its A ok now, but I have been using AC filters for 20+ years but the last 1 or 2 years I notice they leak very easy while taking them off. The shell is paper thin now of days. I am using another brand from now on. I am lucky I notice it at the time and kept a eye on it. IDK were AC filters are being made now but they are not the same from years ago, thats for sure. Sorry the the long post but point being it seems like everything these new car makers have now are made cheaper than before, so why not make the EOS stuff cheap too ?
 
I like to use WIX filters myself. Saw a lot of filter's negative traits when I worked in an express lube a few years ago.
 
I use K & N on my Mopar but at $10 a piece and being I change the oil every 3000 miles thats every 2 months here, I got cheap and always use the $3 AC for the other cars but yeah I going to look at Napa's I hear good things about them. I work the lube lane at a GM dealer ship in the late 80's and I can recall being able to dent the filters really good taking them off and no leaks, now they rip right open. Thanks for the tip.
 
OK I understand now that I should use an oil that has anit-wear additives for my flat tappet cam. Now I have recently changed the oil using Valoline 10w-40 and was wondering what should I do now. I am going to change the oil and filter when I have put 1000 miles on the motor since I changed the oil to get rid of the moly based cam lube. Now should I immediately change the oil to a racing oil or Rotela 15w-40 or just hold out until I get to the 1000 mile mark for now. Or should I throw in something just to make it to the 1000 mile mark. I am concerned now that I have made a mistake on the oil I chose and don't want to harm my new cam. I think I will eventually just run the racing oil but not 100% sure of that either. I have just got done reading on Hot Rod that the racing oil is better than the Rotela T and in 2007 Rotela is not going to have as much of the anti-wear additives because the big rigs are going with cataylic convertors. That's what they said any how. What do you think I should do at this point?
 
How about this!? Change the rockers NOT the cam! Rockers available in 1.6 and 1.7 or 1.75 ratios right? Do the math and discover the magic of higher ratio rocker arms. Used to the big deal was high lift short duration which was the big reason for roller cams. The steep ramps would eat regular lifters so the mushroom tappets were developed to help with radical profiles. With the higher ratio 1.75 rockers a cam that would normally have .400 lift now has .466 with little effect of duration characteristics. This will require possible spring changes and pushrods as well but hey.... you can do this without loosing water.
 
I would get a few bottles of that Comps "break in additive" They say its for break in, but its loaded with zinc and maybe other stuff. Just put in 1 bottle but I say get a few cause I would keep adding 1 bottle at each oil change and forget about it. Nothing last forever, but that should make it last a long time. Summit Racing has it, like $15 a bottle. Its a name brand oil, I leave it in there. It justs needs some zinc added to it. Might not be needed but it can not hurt I would think. If you like call Comp cam up and ask them yourself, hey just say you got their 280 magum cam and want it too last, well it is a 280 cam so.
 
"CQ" is Car Quest Auto Parts. The GM EOS is what the dealerships use in older flat tappet or early roller cam engines. You may find many dealerships dont even carry it. I know rotella will be going "green" too...But I heard '08 as a date. Not like it really matters. Comp came out witht he stuff because so many cams were failing and they had to. I'd wager there will be more brands coming soon. I'd just add a bottle to your current oil, and every oil change after that.
 
Well I've became paranoid about just running straight 10w-40 Valvoline and bought some Rotella-T 15w-40 and now going to change the stuff out so it will have the anti-wear addivtives. I'm not sure what I'm going to run after the 1000 miles after the cam swap. The Valvoline 20w-50 is like $2.49 a quart and the Rotella-t is like $9.00 for four qts. The Rotella is cheaper but do you guys think it is as good as the Valvoline or would be better? The oil wieghts are different too so what you think would be the best out of the two?
 
VR 1 racing, it has anti-form addivtives for high rpm use. Not sure how much zinc is still in it-used to be alot, but that comps stuff-12oz bottle-should make sure its good.

I think you are worrying too much-first it was what cam to get, now its what oil. Get out and enjoy that car. You know how to change a cam youself in the car so if it does wear out--and they all wear out--you can just change it agian. It should last, even with the cheapest oil 1 year, maybe longer. Yes it alot work but then again not really. Its not like a new car, were you have to pull the motor out and spend thousands of dollars to change the cam.

Heck you should be more worry about your own health, does not sound like you are in your 20's or 30's. I am in my 40's now and it stinks. My back gave out last night and I was just bending for a while-no lifting. Feel better today but whats going to happen to me say another 10 years. Might just have to buy a new Buick and forget about all this.
 
dodge freak said:
VR 1 racing, it has anti-form addivtives for high rpm use. Not sure how much zinc is still in it-used to be alot, but that comps stuff-12oz bottle-should make sure its good.

I think you are worrying too much-first it was what cam to get, now its what oil. Get out and enjoy that car. You know how to change a cam youself in the car so if it does wear out--and they all wear out--you can just change it agian. It should last, even with the cheapest oil 1 year, maybe longer. Yes it alot work but then again not really. Its not like a new car, were you have to pull the motor out and spend thousands of dollars to change the cam.

Heck you should be more worry about your own health, does not sound like you are in your 20's or 30's. I am in my 40's now and it stinks. My back gave out last night and I was just bending for a while-no lifting. Feel better today but whats going to happen to me say another 10 years. Might just have to buy a new Buick and forget about all this.
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I just wanted to make sure there is some kind of anti-wear agent in the oil that will keep the cam happy. Yeah I worry to much always have but I like to stay on the safe side of things I guess. I'm 36 and sometimes I don't think I've got out of the 20s lol.. I do enjoy the car however. I just got back from going on a short trip and I goosed her up after pulling out on the highway and she went side ways until I left off because I thought I was going to go around more than I wanted! lol.

Where do you buy just single bottles of the Comp stuff? I went to the web site and all they have cases. I went to Summit and I wasn't sure if I found the right stuff or not. It was made by Comp Cams however.
 
Yes thats it, Summit discp.. of the item is wrong. Summit is like that, they have the wrong picture or discp. and their salesmen stink also. But they are great on shipping and returns, you just need to know what you want. They charge the same shipping fee no matter how much you buy so maybe get more than 1. But you have only 90 days to send them back and you have to pay at the post office. 36 ? you are still young, sorry. Read this again in another 10 years.
 
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