Cam selection for a 502
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
IMHO the compression ratio is killing your engine. If you did nothing but raise the compression to 10-10.5:1 or even 11:1 that motor would be a monster 
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,299
Likes: 93
From: Tri-Cities TN
I have big-port Trick Flow 340 heads and would like to increase my bottom end power, since they're pretty lazy down low. I also have a Hogan sheet metal intake with a huge plenum and short, big runners. So it needs some help down low.
I want to improve driveability without killing performance; I'm not looking to add power.
My heads have great high-lift flow, over 350cfm, but the ZZ502 cam (due to the stock heads I don't have) is pretty short on lift. I thought I could tighten up the duration, add some lift, and come out with similar power but better manners:
The ZZ502 cam is
224/234, .527/.544, 110 centerline
Crane makes a cam:
214/220, .553/.564, 112 centerline
If it were up to me I'd want the ramps as fast as the springs can take, and I'd like more lift.
If anyone knows of a cam that has a LOT of lift but not much more than 220 degrees of duration, please let me know. I know they can only make the ramps so steep, so I haven't found much. But I'm not a cam guru!
I want to improve driveability without killing performance; I'm not looking to add power.
My heads have great high-lift flow, over 350cfm, but the ZZ502 cam (due to the stock heads I don't have) is pretty short on lift. I thought I could tighten up the duration, add some lift, and come out with similar power but better manners:
The ZZ502 cam is
224/234, .527/.544, 110 centerline
Crane makes a cam:
214/220, .553/.564, 112 centerline
If it were up to me I'd want the ramps as fast as the springs can take, and I'd like more lift.
If anyone knows of a cam that has a LOT of lift but not much more than 220 degrees of duration, please let me know. I know they can only make the ramps so steep, so I haven't found much. But I'm not a cam guru!
