Cam question.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 275
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
That will knock over a second of your quarter mile time and really improve your mid range torque, if you want more power you will need to upgrade to short runner LT1 style inlet manifold and install some AFR heads to take full advantage of a wild camshaft profile.
Depending on the camshaft you select say goodby to the idle to 4000rpm torque you will need a higher stall converter and of course a camshaft suited to 3000-8000 rpm will mean steel crank and conrods.
Then the auto trans will want to spit the dummy
Keep it fairly stock unless you have the value of the car to spend doing it properly, remember it is about combinations of what works with what. There are a lot of great combinations on here if you do your research with proven results. A hot cam in a standard TPI engine may make your car actually slower
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 60
From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
A looong time ago when I was still a teenager I wanted the baddest sounding engine I could come up with. I found a cam with lobes that were unreal so I plugged it in & fired it up. That thing was the wildest sounding car in town and not too many wanted to square off against it. It was a good thing too because that cam did not even start making any resemblance of power until after 4000 rpm. That car couldn't get out of it's own way.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
A looong time ago when I was still a teenager I wanted the baddest sounding engine I could come up with. I found a cam with lobes that were unreal so I plugged it in & fired it up. That thing was the wildest sounding car in town and not too many wanted to square off against it. It was a good thing too because that cam did not even start making any resemblance of power until after 4000 rpm. That car couldn't get out of it's own way.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
Just for grins, Summit racing has a TPI cam for about $100, it is just a little better than stock for HP, does not shoot the bottom end in the foot, and gives the exhaust a little (operative word..LITTLE) change in the exhaust note.
They only recommend the cam for 85 and 86 cars.
It is also a great torquer cam for a flat tappet carbureted engine.
If the OP had a roller engine, the 383 high torque cam from Chevrolet would be a good choice.
It is also the 350 ram jet cam and the marine cam everybody talks about. I have one in the 89 TPI engine in my 57 chevy truck.
They only recommend the cam for 85 and 86 cars.
It is also a great torquer cam for a flat tappet carbureted engine.
If the OP had a roller engine, the 383 high torque cam from Chevrolet would be a good choice.
It is also the 350 ram jet cam and the marine cam everybody talks about. I have one in the 89 TPI engine in my 57 chevy truck.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,062
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Remember sticking an Isky 305 mega cam in a friends stock compression 289 (63 meteor) just to make it sound tuff;we knew it would be a pig and it was
Sure sounded good lol Bet it wouldnt crack a 14 on a good day
Sure sounded good lol Bet it wouldnt crack a 14 on a good day
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,220
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
So, you can get OVER 100hp with headers, a cold air intake, and more fuel pressure?
I should have skipped the AFR heads and customized, large-bore intake -- if I'd known a cold air intake would do THAT much!
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
4k rpm big-cam stories are funny but I am surprised no one commented on the statement above. Gaining over a second means adding about 100hp, right? (I typically think of 10hp = .1 sec.)
So, you can get OVER 100hp with headers, a cold air intake, and more fuel pressure?
I should have skipped the AFR heads and customized, large-bore intake -- if I'd known a cold air intake would do THAT much!
So, you can get OVER 100hp with headers, a cold air intake, and more fuel pressure?
I should have skipped the AFR heads and customized, large-bore intake -- if I'd known a cold air intake would do THAT much!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
4k rpm big-cam stories are funny but I am surprised no one commented on the statement above. Gaining over a second means adding about 100hp, right? (I typically think of 10hp = .1 sec.)
So, you can get OVER 100hp with headers, a cold air intake, and more fuel pressure?
.
I should have skipped the AFR heads and customized, large-bore intake -- if I'd known a cold air intake would do THAT much!
So, you can get OVER 100hp with headers, a cold air intake, and more fuel pressure?
.
I should have skipped the AFR heads and customized, large-bore intake -- if I'd known a cold air intake would do THAT much!