EDIT: Got the cam!

Street/strip car but mostly street. Need a cam that idles nicely without "excessive" lopy, choppy, rough sound...a little to moderate is ok. Looking for power at lower to mid range rpm's, say 2000 to about 5500-6000. I'll be doing some bracket races and the last engine (350) took me to 103 mph in 13.9 secs at the 1/4 mile. I don't want to go faster than 11.50 without a cage. My friend, mechron in this forum, is helping me put this together and we're mulling over all the wonderful choices of roller cams in the world. I've narrowed it down to keeping the LSA to within 110-114, and the lift to about .500-.510 or so. All the durations available at .050" is what's killing me softly.
I don't want to have to get flow numbers on the heads to get it so precise...ballpark is fine. (I do have flow numbers though at .100" intervals).
Here's what I have:

My '65 Corvette Sport Coupe 383 build

Components of my 1965 Corvette Sport Coupe 383 stroker build.

* Original standard air cleaner with standard filter
* LT 1 aluminum 7 finned valve covers with PCV system
* Holley model 4150 4 bbl 750cfm DP carburetor (list # 4779-9)
* Holley 12-801-1 Red electric fuel pump 7psi / 97gph with emergency shut off and anti theft
* Edelbrock CB3X dual plane aluminum intake manifold with oil fill tube (plugged PCV port)
* Original harmonic balancer
* Original timing chain cover
* Original water pump (short style)
* 5 bladed offset fan with clutch
* Original Harrison aluminum radiator
* Hooker side exhaust headers with sidepipes, JCL spiral turbo baffles and sidepipe heat guard
* Original Muncie M-21 4 speed close ratio manual transmission
* Original 4.11 posi-traction rear end
* BFG 245/15/8 fronts and BFG 275/15/10 in rear
* Power front and rear disc brakes, no AC, no PS, using original alternator

All the above came with the car and will be re-installed as serviceable. New heads and short block follow.

J & C Enterprises assembled ProComp (Australia) Pro Series aluminum high performance heads
* latest designed performance flow Pro Series
* pressure cast aircraft grade 356A aluminum heat treated to T-6 specs
* .200" thicker deck
* 190cc intake runners
* 64cc dual quench combustion chambers
* 2.02 stainless steel one piece swirl polished Intake valves
* 1.60 stainless steel one piece swirl polished Exhaust valves
* all 16 bronze guides
* +.100 7.3" push rods
* 1.260 dia. .600 lift valve springs with hardened valve keepers
* machined to accept large 1.43 dia. springs
* screw in studs and guide plates
* new viton positive fit valve seals
* accepts centerbolt and outside valve cover bolt patterns
* .750" gasketed Autolite straight spark plugs
* standard composition head gasket

M&R Engines assembled GM all forged Street Thunder 3.750" Stroker 350 (383 Stroker)
* seasoned GM 4 bolt main, internal balance, 1 piece rear seal, passenger side dipstick
* thermal cleaned, shot peened, magnafluxed, bored/honed w/ torque plates, deck planes squared w/ BHJ fixture
* new forged steel nitride hardened 3.75" stroke crankshaft
* new 6.000" 4340 H-beam connecting rods w/ ARP bolts and silicon bronze bushings
* KB Premium forged CNC aluminum 12cc dish pistons (10.1 to 1 compression ratio)
* Akerly and Childs extreme moly piston rings
* Clevite P- series bearings and Durabond cam bearings
* ARP bolts and main bolts
* OEM factory weighted flywheel 87-up (external balance rear)
* Skip White Performance 7 qt. race oil pan with pass. side dipstick
* new Melling oil pump and pickup
* double roller timing chain set
* bronze pilot bushing
* Crane PowerMax hydraulic roller cam 222/230 .509/.528 112 2000-6200

 

With your 6000rpm and .510 lift limits. You probably wouldn't need more than about a 230 duration roller cam with a 1.5 roller rocker using a Compcams Extreme energy type lobe. 112LSA seems to be popular spread among some of the 383 stroker crowd. With your muncie, 4.11 gear,and dual plane intake helping to support and compensate for any minor low end torque loss,I would probably tighten up the LSA to about 110LSA.The engine should still have a nice sound and lope without being too much. I would guess vacuum is not as much of an issue with your car either? I would look at increasing lift to at least .550 or 560 depending on your head flow numbers. Small blocks like to breath and increasing lift can be a fairly big performance variable.Your free flowing headers/side exhaust should make a dual pattern cam unnecessary.
So my overall guess choice would be 230/230@110 w/.550 lift on IN./EX. set on a 106LCA. Just my opinion as asked.
Rick

 

Thanks Rick. I'll look into that cam right now

 

You might want to Google M&R for feedback from hobbyists outside this forum. These guys seem to get great feedback from magazines, but less so for us average guys.

I bought a long block with the setup you list. Pumped 2-3 quarts of antifreeze into the pan in ten minutes. They ground into the water jacket when they clearanced the block. They honored the warranty, but took 6 weeks to get it back. When received I noticed it had an external balanced flex plate. The one I shipped to them was internally balanced.

Tore the thing apart. Not the same rotating assembly I sent. Different make of pistons (Probe) and rods. Even a novice could tell that the rotating assembly had been run but not in this block. Took to very experience local builder of performance engines. Replaced the spring seats, fixed an issue with the mains, rebalanced the engine, and now that I installed the thing, it has a leaking freeze plug.

Send me a private email if you want to see digital photos of the inside of the replacement.

 

No problems here! Just got my short block and it's SWEET! Here are a few pics. Now to fit a cam and put it all together when I'm ready.

 

ZZ409 maybe.
Runs great in my 383 ,195 heads ,
muscle car idle sound , pulls over 6K

Duration @.050 226/226
Gross Lift .520/.520
Lobe Seperation 112
Little expensive new from TPiS but often available cheaper on the Forums

quote from TPiS
" great cam for a stick car"

 

Comp Cams

224/230 @ .050 .503/.510 112 LSA w. 1.5 RRs (no spring upgrade)
(spring upgrade required)1.6 RRs give you around 530/540 a nice idle sound & good power band. Also works WELL with nitrous oxide!

 

If you need performance use a 1970 LT1 camshaft and valve springs.

 

CC 503 is mid range cam for a 350 ;bigger motor tames cam so 383 can handle alot more
I would be looking at a lot more lift to get the best out of those heads
Better off getting lift from cam rather than 1.6 rockers if installing new.

Old skool.
long duration , low lift. 242/254 .435/.455
Big overlap so #@&%8 idle
Trend now is for shorter duration / higher lift.

70's LT1 is flat tappet and he has roller bock

 

.
How was I to know he had a late model pickup truck engine? I didn`t see Vortec...

He has a 65 Vette, dont he?,....:

 

Now, now
Brad (lacko) hit it on the nose. I like that duration and the lift won't wear out my .600" lift springs. 112 LSA is OK although I would not mind a little wider to spread the power wealth. I wonder what the RPM range is...looking for about 2K-6K.
I've also got these in mind. Pipe in if you dare ha ha. BTW, that old 350 I had in there was a 1970 LT1.

All @ .050" duration:

Comp 224/236 113 LSA .502/.520 2000-6000
Comp 224/230 112 LSA .503/.510 1500 or 1800 to 5800? (Brad's)
Isky 225/234 112 LSA .505/.530 2500-6400
Crane 222/230 112 LSA .509/.528 2000-6200

 

That Comp Cam RPM range is 1,800 - 5,800

sorry forgot to give the RPM band

 

crower 00467 or crower 00468 high lift hyd. roller would be a great choice for you app. crower cat. page 40. http://www.crower.com/misc/m_cat.shtml

221* 230* @.050 / lift .525 .544 / adv. dur. 273* 284* rpm 2100-5400 110 lsa.

225* 232* @.050 / lift .535 .550 / adv dur. 277* 286* rpm 2200-5600
110 lsa. this is my pick but would have it done on a 112+4 lsa or 113+4 lsa. it will smooth out the idle and spread the power out a little more. i think you would be very happy with this.

 

Heres my new cam:

Edelbrock#2204 Performer RPM Cam

ENGINE: CHEVY 283-400 V8 (1987 & Later) Non-LT1 / Non-GEN III
RPM RANGE: 1500-6500

Duration at 0.006" Lift: Intake: 296° Exhaust: 300°
Duration at 0.050" Lift: Intake: 234° Exhaust: 238°
Lift at Cam: Intake: 0.359" Exhaust: 0.365"
Lift at Valve: Intake: 0.539" Exhaust: 0.548"
Timing at 0.050" lift: Open Close
Intake: 10° BTDC 44° ABDC
Exhaust: 56° BBDC 2° ATDC
Centerlines: Lobe Separation - 112° Intake Centerline - 107°

 

Oooh, wow, you guys are wound tight! Thanks for all the replies. I decided to be laid back some and got the Crane PowerMax 222/230 .509/.528 112 LSA good for 2000-6200. I'll enjoy the streets better with this one although it'll be no slouch on the strip. I paid $200.00 for it new. Race on!

 

Your choice is similiar to the cam that I am presently running. It is very streetable. Peak h.p. is apprx. 5500 RPM.
You should be able to make around 360rwhp with a decent tune.

John

 

I think that cams power band was under rated I shifted at 6250 RPM on the spray.

 

The 5500 rpm peak was on a dyno. I believe nitrous will raise the peak h.p. vs n/a. A 224/230 duration cam is too small for a 383 if your looking for peak h.p. around 6000rpm. mid 230's is the duration you'll need for that.
Cheers

 

My first 383 used the crane solid roller 232/238 They sell it as a h-roller also. It is about the smallest cam I would use in a performance 383.

Also get a 6.250 SFI damper like fluid damper or ati and get rid of that junky power robbing fan clutch.


You need to buy better springs and I'm not sure why your hung up on wimpy near .500 lift. You are never going to crack into sub 12 seconds with a small headed, small cam, small intake 383

 

Thanks everyone for every bit of input. These numbers are good for future use if the cam I just bought turns out to be the wrong choice. My rationalization for getting this milder cam is because..."been there, done that".
My old 350 had the Crane Fireball 286 flat tappet cam (it's for sale ) with hydraulic flat tappet lifters. Almost everything else was the same as indicated in my writeup at the beginning of this thread. It was lopey (my kids loved that), but rather soggy driving on the streets. I saw only some strip time. So now that I have a 383, I wanted to make it easier and more enjoyable to drive every day in stop and go traffic, which it constantly sees. My mechanic friend, Ron, advised me to start with a mid duration cam to keep the peak power at midrange, not higher as for racing, and the lift at a little over .500, so as not to overburden the springs over time. He said that up tp .530 was ok. LSA at 112 spreads the power curve over a broader range, rather than concentrating it at a certain band. It was tough finding these numbers from off the shelf production cams, since I didn't want to pay extra for a custom grind, and the Crane came close. If I decide that this one turned out to be too wimpy for me, I'll go with LSA 110, a little higher lift up to maybe .550, and possibly a slight more duration up to mid 230's. If that's the case, I'll go with an Isky!