Flathead Isky Cams: Story and Pictures of the 505-A Radius Cam

[Bored&Stroked]

Hi Gang: Just wanted to share a fun Ed Isky story with you.

The story is about a cool dude (Ed) a flathead obsessed kid (me) and a couple cool cams -- one is the legendary Isky 404-A, radius lifter cam, the other is one that was a special "Ed" project . . . a big-brother to the 404-A, which is the 505-A. Here is the scoop . . .

How the Isky 505-A Cam to Be:

I used to hang around Isky's shop in the early 80's -- was always working on new flathead cams, and Ed, his sons and T. Willy used to put up with my stupid questions, my cam charts, ideas, etc.. Ed and I used to talk flatheads all the time. I even managed to get him to build me a couple custom roller cams -- as long as I made the billets, he'd grind them (and he did).

Anyway, one day he tells me that he actually made a "505-A" radius lifter cam -- that had a .505 lift. I asked him how the hell he did that (given the base cirlce of a flathead and the bearing size) . . .

So Ed says, "I made a 8620 steel billet that had larger bearing sizes -- so I could take the bearings completely out of the block and run it directly against the cast iron. Heck, people have done that for years with Model A's, no big deal not having bearings. It has a huge lift and a huge duration. "

So I ask Ed . . . did you ever run it? Who did you make it for?

Ed says "I made it for a racer named Jazzy Nelson . . . he ran it at the dirt tracks and it really ran.".

So I asked Ed . . . did you only make 1? He said "I only finished one, but I made two others that were done to the first grind, but not completed. They'd already been heat treated and needed the last finish grind." (about the last .030 or so).

So I say . . . what did you do with these other two?

Ed says "I lost em! They're somewhere in this dang manufacturing plant - haven't seen them for 20 years . . ."

So . . . everytime I'm walking through his plant - I start looking for flathead cams - stuck someplace where you wouldn't see them easily. If you've ever been to Isky's . . . there are piles of stuff everyplace even in his car.

So . . . one day a year or so later . . . Ed and I are walking through the plant and I spy the ends of two flathead cams, sticking out of some dark hole, crap stacked on top of them for years. I go and grab one and said . . . hey Ed, I think I found the 505s! He grunts and says, not a chance. So I lift one up, dust it off and see that it was billet and Ed says "I can't believe it . . you've found my 505's!".

Just as he said, they needed the last finish grind - so you couldn't run them. So I ask Ed . . . "Hey Ed, can you finish grind these?". He said "Nope . . . don't have a small enough cam grinder to handle that profile and flank pattern." I was a bit bummed, but he says hey "Here, I'll give you one, since you found them . . . I'll keep the other".

So . . . I had this unfinished 505-A all these years and recently I was talking to another flathead cam grinder friend, and he got all excited when I told him about this cam. He said "I'll finish it for you . . . if I can have it for a few days to checkout/record the pattern" . . . the deal was done . . . and 35 years later, this cam is finally finished.

===============

I mapped the cam profiles on both the 505 and the 404 for comparison - here are the general specs:

Isky 505-A:

Lift: .515
Duration @ .050 = 250
Lifter = radius

Isky 404-A:

Lift: .420
Duration @ .050 = 218
Lifter = radius


Here are pictures of the cams - as well as the "jig" I made years ago to map profiles and compare one cam to another (via graphs I make).

Hope you enjoy them:

[Flat Ernie]

Holy cow! That's some cool shit there.

The obvious question - whatcha gonna put it in?

[HotRod28AR]

wow...thats pretty badass. bigger lift then I'm putting in my 429! ya what'cha gonna put it in? make sure to give us some sound clips when its done, open headers of course
-Dean

[GaryL]

Originally Posted by Flat Ernie

Holy cow! That's some cool shit there.

The obvious question - whatcha gonna put it in?

Can u tell me where to find a 404 cam with the radius lifters and the lifter guide tool? Gary

[Pete1]

Originally Posted by GaryL

Can u tell me where to find a 404 cam with the radius lifters and the lifter guide tool? Gary

I have all the goodies...Email me for details.

[GaryL]

Originally Posted by Pete1

I have all the goodies...Email me for details.

What is your email address? Gary

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by GaryL

What is your email address? Gary

Hey Gary: Just talk to Pete . . . he is the man on this and has been doing this for more years than I've been alive! (sorry Pete ). The 404-A is a wonderful cam - one of the best that has been made . . .

Keep us posted . . . want to know if you're moving forward with Pete!

Dale

[GaryL]

A 59 AB that I run on the race track.....Legendary Flathead Ford Racing group in NC.

[34fivewindow]

Ed must have brought this special flathead grind over to the small block chevy, because i have an Isky 505-T roller for the small chevy in my garage. This was a killer grind for the 301 chevy, in the 60's, and a pretty good junior fuel cam...Ed

[Psychobilly Boi]

Man,

I love it!!!!!

Danny

[rat bastad]

Mate...thats a killer story and an even bigger outcome. Are you gonna rn that nasty cam in a 300+ci flatty??

Rat

[8flat]

That's the best story I've read on here in a long long time. You gotta keep us posted.....I would love to hear a wav file of an engine running this cam....

[slim53]

Hanging out with one of the Greats. Can't imagine what that shop looked like. Can't wait to see what it goes in and what it sounds like. Too cool.....slim

[Automotive Stud]

That is one killer looking cam, not to mention the story! I couldn't imagine it being streetable, but I'd sure like to see it run!

[junkbrick]

I am almost overrun with questions for ya! I have stared at the pics for the past few minuites....very cool.

What kind of data did you record when you had it set up in the cam jig....I would love to see some more specs...say duration at different lifts, overlap spec....I could ask a million questions right about now...never dreamed you could get that aggressive with a flattie cam....

Very cool...very cool indeed.


now about all that data you have .

Thanks for sharing--
reed

[Flatdog]

Thanks for sharing.

[STEPHEN FIELDS]

......amazed.....

[racer5c]

I remember Isky coming to my dad's shop when I was a kid, he always was driving a Cadillac that was stuffed full of junk, I don't remember ever going to his shop but if they woulda been in his Caddy you would have had just as much trouble finding them.

[side_valve]

Outstanding!!

[97]

Two questions
What are the profiles and specs on the "Custom Roller Cams"
and will the "other" cam grinder make and sell copies of the 505?..if not , why did he want the specs...oops thats three questions.