Cam too big for heads?
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Cam too big for heads?
How do you know if you are running too big a cam for a given set of heads?
Symptoms?
Can tuning still get a gain from a really big cam with insufficient flowwing heads?
Symptoms?
Can tuning still get a gain from a really big cam with insufficient flowwing heads?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,372
Likes: 51
From: New Milford CT
Re: Cam too big for heads? (SpinMonster)
You will know because you won't get the power that others are getting when they DO have the big heads to match the BIG cam. The car will run great, have a lumpy idle, but won't thrust you forward like you want.
My friend and I put a 1965 375 horse "fuely" cam in his stock 270 hp 327 c.i. 1968 El Camino. It ran great, but it made Zero more power. This is a classic example of mismatched heads and cam.
[Modified by CJS, 4:55 PM 4/25/2003]
My friend and I put a 1965 375 horse "fuely" cam in his stock 270 hp 327 c.i. 1968 El Camino. It ran great, but it made Zero more power. This is a classic example of mismatched heads and cam.
[Modified by CJS, 4:55 PM 4/25/2003]
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,928
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Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Cam too big for heads? (SpinMonster)
yOU NEED TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE PISTON TO VALVE CLEARANCE AND THAT YOUR VALVE SPRINGS WON'T BIND AT THE NEW LIFT( OOPS ,SORRY i LEFT the caps lock on ...everybody deaf now?)
Duration and LSA will effect piston to valve clearance.
For a given set of heads a "bigger" cam will increase air flow for a given time interval.Doesn't mean it will be optimal flow. You can increase the airflow by installing better flowing heads (ported etc.) Basically you don't want the heads to be a bottleneck. Hope this helps some. :steering: :steering: :cheers:
Duration and LSA will effect piston to valve clearance.
For a given set of heads a "bigger" cam will increase air flow for a given time interval.Doesn't mean it will be optimal flow. You can increase the airflow by installing better flowing heads (ported etc.) Basically you don't want the heads to be a bottleneck. Hope this helps some. :steering: :steering: :cheers:
