mild cam
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From: Merritt Ils Fl
Actually a tough question. In very broad terms a cam is judged by two factors, lift and duration of that lift. That is how high off its seat does the valve go and for how long. How high is measured in inches, how long is measured in degrees of crank shaft rotation. A "hot" cam would be one with lots of lift, say .60 inches and 290 degrees of duration. Mild would be something on the order of .48 inches and 260 duration. Please understand these are for illustration only. A cam which is considered hot for a 305 could be mild for a 327 and downright weak for a 350. A cam is nothing more than an iron stick with a bunch of lopsided circles on it but it is by far the most technically exacting piece of an engine. Colleges will devote full semesters to the study of the :Lump Stick".
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From: Overland Park Kansas
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Isn't a mild cam one that could/should have been bigger! 
IMO, a mild cam is one where the intent is to gain something other than maximum power. Some reasons for that may include emissions, driveability (which is a term to describe smoothness off idle), and/or longevity.
To get specific, I'd pick betwen 218-222 duration and .480"-.520" lift as the breakpoints for mild to moderate.
IMO, a mild cam is one where the intent is to gain something other than maximum power. Some reasons for that may include emissions, driveability (which is a term to describe smoothness off idle), and/or longevity.
To get specific, I'd pick betwen 218-222 duration and .480"-.520" lift as the breakpoints for mild to moderate.
Last edited by GREGGPENN; Apr 30, 2010 at 12:57 AM.
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great explanations. clear enough to be understood and enlight the topic. Now, in more specific terms, how would a 219/219 cam work in a 350 engine? would you call that mild or is it too agressive for the job? would you go with something milder and what that would be? I never learned so much about any car I have owned than this corvette and that thanks to this site and the member that makes it.
Thanks guys.
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Thanks guys.
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From: Merritt Ils Fl
How are you measuring the duration? Is that seat to seat, .006 or .050? All of these are measurement points used by different cam grinders. As a check point, for years and years the classic cam was the "three quarter cam" that is 3/4 rotation of the crank or 270 degrees. By this standard 219 is very anemic to the point I would suspect the number to be wrong.
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How are you measuring the duration? Is that seat to seat, .006 or .050? All of these are measurement points used by different cam grinders. As a check point, for years and years the classic cam was the "three quarter cam" that is 3/4 rotation of the crank or 270 degrees. By this standard 219 is very anemic to the point I would suspect the number to be wrong.
It is a LPE 219/219 .560/.560 HR112 cam.
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Here is what I consider a mild cam:
218/224 @.050/495/503 lift with 1.5 rockers 112 lsa
yours has more lift
here is what it sounds like in a stock l98 car with flowmasters