Whooorayy...another cam choice thread.
As always, your expert advise and input is requested for my 406.
The car will NEVER see the strip, so maintaining drivability is important. I was hoping to come as close to 475HP as I can. Still want to fry the Firestones and take on all comers when the need arises.
4-speed car, 3:08 gear
400 bored .030 over
Keith Black dished Hypers 10:2.1 (checked & confirmed)
Protopline 180cc 64cc chamber In 2.02 ex.160 valves (small runners I know, but that's what I have "for now") Spring pressure good to .550 lift.
Flow chart:
Intake Valve Test Data @28" of water
.100 .200 .300 .400 .500 .600 .700
73.88 150.89 206.86 242.68 257.90 263.27 270.12

Exhaust Valve Test Data @28” of water
.100 .200 .300 .400 .500 .600 .700
56.9 100.99 156.94 176.85 186.34 190.13 194.87

Scat 9000 crank
Eagle forged 6" rods.
Port matched Edelbrock EPS intake with divider reduced to 3/4"
Holly 750 Vac secondaries
Block is clearanced for rods and probably will never see 6k RPM. .010 deck. I feel I have enough low end torque for my application and would like peak HP around 5,500rpm. What do you think of this Lunati hydro roller.
Grind Adver @.050 Lift LSA/ICL RPM
60111 270/278 219/227 .515"/.530" 112/106 Hyd/Hyd 1800-6000
60111 Description- Retro Hydraulic Roller: Strong power increase in mildly modified engines with excellent throttle response. Will work with stock converter in 383-up cubic inch. Likes 2000 RPM converter in 350 or less cubic inch applications. Likes 3.23-3.73 gearing. Largest choice for inboard/outboard marine applications. Has noticeable idle and likes headers.
Cam card:
http://www.holley.com/data/Products/Technical/60111.pdf

Any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks guys
Eddie
P.S. Darn...my charts did not post like I typed it. No spaces in text allowed here????

 

This month's issue of Chevy High Performance had a test of $1000 heads. The test isn't on their website yet so you'll have to buy the mag to see it. Their mule was a 383 with a Comp Cams Extreme Energy 274 cam. Peak horsepower ran around 450 - 470 for most of the heads and torque was around 475 - 490 lb. ft. Your 406 should probably deliver similar performance with a cam in the same duration range as this. I believe one of the heads in the test was from RHS and if I remember correctly they took over the ProTopLine heads. I might be wrong on this but if correct you can get a good idea of the dyno results using those heads and the Comp Cams 274. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the info Vettefixer. I'm kind of basing my build on this article, but with a bigger cam. The Pro heads flow VERY close to AFR's 190's so I'm hopeing to get close to this.
http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te...imp/index.html
Eddie

 

my build is close to yours but I went with the 60112

 

Good choice. I looked at that one as well, but that lift would be pushing the limit on my springs.
Eddie

 

Just remember two things. Cam company ratings are for medium built 350 ci motors. 400+ ci makes the numbers 500+ rpm lower and very mild.

the second thing is that car rags inflate all the dyno numbers so they always have the best build up.

the difference between 219 degrees at .050 and 230 degrees is substantial. roller helps some, but consider that 350 ci L-82's had 222/222 duration and they were real dogs

 

I am not a 'bigger is better' kinda guy when it comes to cams but with a 400 sb I would go with another 10 deg of duration esp when pluncking down $200-300 on a cam

For reference GM uses a 222/230 @ .050 duration cam on in its ZZ383 and it puts out about 425 hp.

 

I guess I misread your misaligned flow chart

I would also go about 10 degrees more duration, 406 is a big motor and makes small block cams smaller

 

In almost all "off the shelf" retro hydro cams, 10* more duration will put the lift well over .550, so I'll need different springs installed. You guys make a good argument for more duration, not only from a performance, standpoint but for my future plans to purchase larger intake runner heads.
Thanks for the recomendations...back to the cam drawing board....
Eddie

 

man a 180 runner head is way to small for a 406 they belong on a
barely warmed over 350. think about this what good does it do to
put in a better cam with an engine that is strangled to death with
heads that wont flow air, answer very little. sell those heads to
someone with a small engine. 242 airflow at 500 257 at 600 those are
**** ant nos that belong on a 350. get rid of your heads.

 

Little Mouse is spot on! Those heads won't support a high-prerformance 406. Sell them to a tow-truck owner.

I'd go with at least a 195 (AFR's flow great) or even bigger. Also,..small heads and a big cam is a bad combo,..cam won't work low,..heads won't work high.

I'm a huge fan of bigger head, smaller cam. For the street, something in the 224-230 @ .50 wtih good heads will put a huge smile on your face.

Good luck!

 

I've compared both factory provided flow charts between the AFR 195's and the Protopline 180's. There is only 5 cfm difference at the top end. As I said in my first post, I know the heads are a bit small for a 400.
Need more $$$$
Eddie

 

[QUOTE=MotorHead]I guess I misread your misaligned flow chart

QUOTE]

Yeah...the Forum would not post the proper spacing between the #'s like I typed. I tried twice
Eddie

 

Cam it now...for better heads later when more $$ becomes available. Just want to get that car on the road. Been down since October '05.
Got me thinking Mouse...might just wait longer and get the right heads right from the start. Wanna lend me your car to drive this summer??
BTW: 257 @ .500 263@.600 Sorry...misaligned chart....
Eddie

 

In head comparison you have to be looking only at your valve lift numbers and the head intake port determines the type of manifold you have to use.

i've got a whole set of AFR 1.46 H-roller springs. Good for .600 lift. They came on my AFR 210 heads. I never used them. It was a missed comunication between myself and AFR. If your interested e-mail me.

I'm going out to the AFR site to find exactly what they are.

 

Hi Eddie. I would also recommend more duration. Your heads will probably be fine for your intended use. The smaller runners give you better velocity and more low end and midrange torque which you definetly need with a 3:08 gear. Put too big of heads on it with that gear you won't be happy Check ryanscarpage on a search. There are over 100 dyno'd builds there. Build # 17 is what I based my 383 on. That cam is .520 intake .540 exhaust with a 236 242 duration at .50. Your cubic inches will allow a bigger duration cam than what you are looking at. If you want better idle and a little more on the bottom end widen the LSA to 112 instead of the 110 instead of dropping the duration. The duration determines how long the valve is open. With the small runner heads you want duration. I went to 114 LSA on mine. The bigger lobe seperation will reduce vave overlap slightly. It will idle smoother, better response at lower RPM and my nitrous likes a wider LSA It basicaly flattens out your torque curve a little instead of minimal low end peaking at say 5500 and dropping you wil see higher torque at the bottom a little less at the peak and not dropping as much at the top. The new LS engines have a wide LSA I believe around 120. Nice flat torque. They pull real hard on the bottom, idle smoother and don't lack for high RPM torque. I would change the rear end to a 3:55 or 3:70 before I spent the $ on different heads. Good luck on your build.

 

edzred72 I picked up a rag awhile back because they were testing
an aluminum 180 AFR head against an old bow tie iron head I have
that I never did use. I was just interested to see how they compaired
I did not want a 180 runner head for anything. They tested these
two heads on what they belong on a warmed over 327. Are any
light bulbs going off a 327. You have a 406 size air pump. put a
210 runner on it no matter how small or big a cam. a 195 port
is still to small for a 406.

 

Thank you all for the great info and insight. Been studying, learning, and absorbing all I can. This is my first "bottom up" engine build and without this great Forum and you great guys, I would have had to pay someone to build it. AGGGG...perish the thought!! Is this stuff fun or what?
Eddie

 

If I go thru with my big block build (as it looks now), I'll have a good used hydrauilc roller for sale. It's 230/238 @ .050 with lift in the mid .500's. Small base circle for stroker clearance, 112 LSA. I got it for a 406 build, looking for about as tough as I cared for on the street while still making ample vacuum. There were a lot of folks who had run this cam with great success, really liked it.

 

Kevin: I was under the impression that once you hit 236 & over duration, intake valve closing late reduces compression. I didn't want to reduce my 10:2.1. Am I way off track on this train of thought????
Eddie
Aww heck, I'll Just call ya