383 Cam Suggestion
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 336
Likes: 42
From: Grand Ledge, MI
383 Cam Suggestion
Hey guys, so i'm at the point where I have to choose between these 2 cams, my motor is a 383 (actually a 388) with 10:1 Pistons, Scat Crank, Aluminum Heads (flow 205), air gap rpm intake, mighty demon 750 carb. Wish I knew more to give more info on heads and block but I dont at the moment. I am deciding between these 2 intakes and am not sure which I should get. I want the car to have good street manners and i'm not sure if the second is too aggressive. Also have set of flowtech headers. Just let me know which one you guys would pick! Thanks!
Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,097
Likes: 4,027
From: New Braunfels Texas
Definately the second one......the first is barely a 350/350 L46 cam.......I would put a lot more lift in this....like .500 or so......the .050 numbers are good.......108 centerline is great for the street and will sound snotty.
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 336
Likes: 42
From: Grand Ledge, MI
Originally Posted by Jebbysan
Definately the second one......the first is barely a 350/350 L46 cam.......I would put a lot more lift in this....like .500 or so......the .050 numbers are good.......108 centerline is great for the street and will sound snotty.
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 10,736
Likes: 2,192
From: Golden Colorado
About .030 in lift give or take but do the math to know for sure. Depending on the heads and pushrod guide plates clearence can be an issue with 1.6. Also check piston to valve clearence just to be safe.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 5,775
Likes: 585
From: Texas
Go with the 2nd one. It's not THAT radical. My last daily driver had a 234/242 cam with 112 lobe separation angle, and I loved it. Pull up to the light, the whole car rocking slightly from the cammy idle... A state trooper once complemented me on the car while he was giving me a ticket, can you believe that?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,233
Likes: 657
From: Thunder Bay
Definitely the second cam. Not too much cam for a manual trans. If the budget will allow, consider a roller hydraulic cam. It will allow for more lift with a given duration. They are expensive, but definitely make a difference.
Last edited by drwet; Dec 17, 2018 at 08:07 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 336
Likes: 42
From: Grand Ledge, MI
Originally Posted by drwet
Definitely the second cam. Not too much cam for a manual trans. If the budget will allow, consider a roller hydraulic cam. It will allow for more lift with a given duration. They are expensive, but definitely make a difference.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 10,736
Likes: 2,192
From: Golden Colorado
Just be sure to use correct oil and breakin with flat tappet and buy a good cam core from a reputable company or you will be wasting money and doing it over again if/when cam goes flat.
Ask me how I know.
Ask me how I know.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,532
Likes: 1,185
From: Arizona - If you don’t know CFI, STOP proliferating the myths around it...
Definately the second one......the first is barely a 350/350 L46 cam.......I would put a lot more lift in this....like .500 or so......the .050 numbers are good.......108 centerline is great for the street and will sound snotty.
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
If you do run the second cam......go with 1.6 rockers.
Jebby
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 336
Likes: 42
From: Grand Ledge, MI
Originally Posted by cuisinartvette
2nd cam is a good choice for a street 383 that still sounds decent but way driveable. The first will sound like stock and run out of breath quick.
Pro
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 708
Likes: 150
From: Minnesota
Good Choice - You'll like that cam. Just follow the break-in advice that you find all over here... lube it up with moly paste lube on the lifters, lobes and disti gear, use proper oil, prime the oil system until there is flow through the rockers (buy a tool on Amazon if you don't have one), run it in for that critical 20 initial minutes, and change the oil after the first 30 minutes or so of break-in. I know you're keeping your budget within reason, but if you can swing a dyno session for the break-in and initial tune, it is well worth the $fewhundred to spend a 1/2 day and have the combo sorted before it goes into the car. They will help get your carb and timing sorted and will optimize the tune, plus you'd know what your numbers look like.
Last edited by JoeMinnesota; Dec 19, 2018 at 03:09 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 336
Likes: 42
From: Grand Ledge, MI
Originally Posted by JoeMinnesota
Good Choice - You'll like that cam. Just follow the break-in advice that you find all over here... lube it up with moly paste lube on the lifters, lobes and disti gear, use proper oil, prime the oil system until there is flow through the rockers (buy a tool on Amazon if you don't have one), run it in for that critical 20 initial minutes, and change the oil after the first 30 minutes or so of break-in. I know you're keeping your budget within reason, but if you can swing a dyno session for the break-in and initial tune, it is well worth the $fewhundred to spend a 1/2 day and have the combo sorted before it goes into the car. They will help get your carb and timing sorted and will optimize the tune, plus you'd know what your numbers look like.
Pro
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 708
Likes: 150
From: Minnesota
Good Deal... Even a chassis dyno tune after you have it installed and running is a good idea. With real world air and your powertrain hooked up, you will at least make sure you don't have a tune that is too lean, you can check function of secondaries opening on the carb, still optimize timing, etc. In my case, a chassis tune put about 40hp back in the car vs. the moment I drove in. Cheap HP.