Help me choose my cam
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Wildwood IL
Help me choose my cam
I am thinking about replacing my 327/350hp crane blueprint cam. Help me choose. Here's what I have:
L48 .030 over, stock heads, 8.5:1
Performer intake with stock Q-jet.
True dual exhaust
TH350 with shift kit, 3.08 rear (planning to replace with 700R4)
Here's what I want out of my cam:
Silky smooth idle, good vacuum
I want "passing power" vs. "off the line"
i.e. I want to go from 50 to 80 real fast (1800-3500 power range)
I have no idea what to get. There are just too many choices out there. I'm going to call the comp and crane help lines, but I was just wondering what some of you experts might recommend. A mechanic I trust said to use something with more exhaust duration than intake.
Right now, I'm thinking Comp XE262.
thanks, tom
ps... cruisin season is right around the corner! :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
L48 .030 over, stock heads, 8.5:1
Performer intake with stock Q-jet.
True dual exhaust
TH350 with shift kit, 3.08 rear (planning to replace with 700R4)
Here's what I want out of my cam:
Silky smooth idle, good vacuum
I want "passing power" vs. "off the line"
i.e. I want to go from 50 to 80 real fast (1800-3500 power range)
I have no idea what to get. There are just too many choices out there. I'm going to call the comp and crane help lines, but I was just wondering what some of you experts might recommend. A mechanic I trust said to use something with more exhaust duration than intake.
Right now, I'm thinking Comp XE262.
thanks, tom
ps... cruisin season is right around the corner! :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 169
Likes: 2
From: Glen Aubrey NY
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I know a lot of people recommend the comp cam. But I am currently running a Crane energizer 266 H 10 in my 77 L48. I am mostly stock except for the cam and chambered exhaust. Car pulls good off the bottom and still has good mid range torque for passing. Quite a difference over the stock L48 cam in the way it feels.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 7
From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I had a similar setup on my car. Same Crane cam, higher compression 10.25-1, same 3.08 rearend. I chose the XE262, but I'm not convinced that it is the best cam (I haven't run the car yet, health problems have stopped me from working on the car, for now.) I wouldn't have chosen the cam if I didn't have a set of 3.70 gears and a TH200-4r setting in my garage (I'm going with a 2200-2400 torque convertor when I go in with the 200-4r.)
If you don't plan on changing out your rearend or torque convertor then I'd take a look at the XE256.
With the Crane cam the torque band was too far up the rpm band for my stock torque convertor and really made the car sluggish up to 3000 rpms. I don't want the same scenario with my new cam.
If you don't plan on changing out your rearend or torque convertor then I'd take a look at the XE256.
With the Crane cam the torque band was too far up the rpm band for my stock torque convertor and really made the car sluggish up to 3000 rpms. I don't want the same scenario with my new cam.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 0
Re: Help me choose my cam (Smokehouse69)
I really like my CompCam 260H...silky smooth idle (which U want), and pulls strong from idle to well past any legal speed limit :jester . That XE-262 U R considering would need different valve springs too......the 268H is the limit on stock springs......Good Luck no matter what you choose :yesnod:
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 61,415
Likes: 478
From: Here to make friends
St. Jude Donor '11, '16-'17
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I have the comp 268H with recommended springs and stock heads. It's got a slight lobe at an idle but gives great passing power. :cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 0
From: Manassas, VA, USA
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
Given your low compression (8.5:1), I think you'll like the Comp Xtreme Energy cams best. They are ground to make your engine "think" it's getting more compression. In short, they give you a better air/fuel mix fill at lower compression and mid-range rpm. You probably want either the XE256, XE 262, or XE268.
Personally, I think the 268 is kind of stretching things for what you say you want - it performs better at a bit higher rpm. And I think the 256 is a little weak - it makes good torque at the low end, but kind of falls off at higher rpm (I'm talking 4500-5000-ish). The 262 is a good compromise, and for most street use you probably wouldn't notice the difference the 268 gives you at the higher end.
Just my opinion, I don't by any means claim to be an expert. :cheers:
Personally, I think the 268 is kind of stretching things for what you say you want - it performs better at a bit higher rpm. And I think the 256 is a little weak - it makes good torque at the low end, but kind of falls off at higher rpm (I'm talking 4500-5000-ish). The 262 is a good compromise, and for most street use you probably wouldn't notice the difference the 268 gives you at the higher end.
Just my opinion, I don't by any means claim to be an expert. :cheers:
Racer
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I am running a Crane Powermax 2030 in my '84 with 1.6 roller-rockers. It is ALOT smaller than the XE262 and I have all the passing power I need! I was pointed to the XE256 on my '71 by some very knowledgeable people and have one in the garage, but I got such a good deal on a hydro-roller, that I couldn't resist. The XE series is a split-pattern cam and should run much better than the L-79 cam that you have now. I have a friend that put an L-79 cam in a stock L-48 and didn't have much luck with it. It was real soft off the line and he had problems with pulling the rocker studs after some high RPM runs (new big springs with the stock push-in rocker studs). Anyway, after about five pages, my opinion would be for the XE256 or a 260 High Energy.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
Hi Tom.. long time no see!! I've had a string of bad luck lately, and now need to tear off my cylinder heads..so I'm in the market for some performance upgrades too. I'm going with headers, intake, heads and cam. Gonna do it all at once to wake up this ole' dog of a motor. Drop on by if ya have a moment.. I promise I won't put ya to work :jester :jester :jester
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,160
Likes: 0
From: Ajax Ontario
Re: Help me choose my cam (Silvr77)
I think you would find the XE262 too much like the L79 (soggy in the bottom end) for your combo. The 256 would be better, but if you want smoother idle you would probably want 114 lsa not the XE series 110 which gives a slight (but very nice) lopey sound. The L79 engine option wasn't available with automatic for that very reason.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Wildwood IL
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
Ok, this is good. Thanks for all the opins. Great stuff. I'll let ya know what I go with. Damn this is tough.
That cam I have isn't bad, it does sound great, idles ok, and passin cars is no problem... but then again, maybe I WOULD like to spin the tires every now and then :D
That cam I have isn't bad, it does sound great, idles ok, and passin cars is no problem... but then again, maybe I WOULD like to spin the tires every now and then :D
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: Brisbane, Australia 1985 Coupe
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I have the XE256 and am a little disappointed with the low end (TH350 & 3.08), but it really gets up and boogies from 2500 up. I also have improved 882 heads and port matched edel intake.
I'm getting headers this weekend so if you want to know if the bottom end improves drop me a line.
:cheers:
I'm getting headers this weekend so if you want to know if the bottom end improves drop me a line.
:cheers:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,252
Likes: 6
From: The Colony Tx
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
I did a rebuild on a 72 and used the CC 260H. This was recommend thru the tech line at Comp Cams due to all the vaccum accessories on the car. I think it lives up to what the said and it seems to fit what you are looking for.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,418
Likes: 1
Re: Help me choose my cam (trs77)
Quote:
(Here's what I want out of my cam:
Silky smooth idle, good vacuum
I want "passing power" vs. "off the line"
i.e. I want to go from 50 to 80 real fast (1800-3500 power range)
The Crane Energizer 266 or the Comp HE 260 Is what you need then.
Will be fairly efficient at cruise speed with the 700R4.You don't want it loping at 60 mph with the converter locked up.
(Here's what I want out of my cam:
Silky smooth idle, good vacuum
I want "passing power" vs. "off the line"
i.e. I want to go from 50 to 80 real fast (1800-3500 power range)
The Crane Energizer 266 or the Comp HE 260 Is what you need then.
Will be fairly efficient at cruise speed with the 700R4.You don't want it loping at 60 mph with the converter locked up.
