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how many have used a Chet Herbert cam?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by flathead31coupe, Jan 26, 2008.

  1. flathead31coupe
    Joined: Mar 23, 2006
    Posts: 1,596

    flathead31coupe
    Member
    from indpls, in

    i remember back in the 80s calling and ordering one for my s/b ford that worked great...
     
  2. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,368

    brandon
    Member

    i ordered a small solid roller for a sbc back in the early 90's....even talked to chet :D it worked nicely in my little flat top 383 .....till a rod bolt decided to part ways with a rod......:rolleyes: it nicked a lobe pretty good....and pretty much ended the cams future.... brandon:D
     
  3. john56h
    Joined: Jan 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,760

    john56h
    Member

    Yes, I've had at least one of his cams.
     
  4. usedall9
    Joined: Oct 30, 2006
    Posts: 423

    usedall9
    Member

    You can't go wrong. Especially for the price and service.
     

  5. GMC BUBBA
    Joined: Jun 15, 2006
    Posts: 3,420

    GMC BUBBA
    Member Emeritus

    I Have Used A Couple And They Ran Really Good.
     
  6. I ran a Chet Herbert roller tappet cam in my Cadillac powered Henry J in the late fifties and early sixties. Worked for me.
     
  7. buick320a
    Joined: Jan 21, 2006
    Posts: 449

    buick320a
    Member
    from indiana

    I've got one in my Olds Dragster, it's work OK, for the last 48 years !
     

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  8. Topless Ford
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 560

    Topless Ford
    Member

    Balanced and blue printed 12:5:1 sbc with M/T aluminum rods and a 9500 shift point. It opened and closed perfectly.!!!:D
     
  9. tmacracin
    Joined: Aug 23, 2007
    Posts: 825

    tmacracin
    Member

    I had Chet Herbert grind me a cam for my last blown alcohol SBC. Donnie from Chet's shop knows his stuff! He has been grinding cams from 40+ years
     
  10. Scotch
    Joined: May 4, 2001
    Posts: 1,489

    Scotch
    Member

    I had an SR1 (solid roller, .505 or so lift, 300 or so duration) in a SBC 350 for a few years. It ran really well and pulled hard in a '65 A-body. It busted a rod but the cam worked great. Definitely worth looking into for the personal service at Herberts, especially if you're in SoCal and can stop by there.

    ~Scotch~
     
  11. 48fordnut
    Joined: Nov 4, 2005
    Posts: 4,215

    48fordnut
    Member Emeritus

    first ran into Chet in the 50s when I used his roller in a dragster. then in the 70s when I was building engs. many a flat tappet cam of his in the southeast, because I liked them. he was the one that told me in the 80s there were only 3 companies making lifters. Great man.
     
  12. Bass
    Joined: Jul 9, 2001
    Posts: 3,354

    Bass
    Member
    from Dallas, TX


    Yes, Donnie is Don Johansen, son of the Howard Cams founder, Howard Johansen.

    I had the pleasure of meeting him this weekend while I was out for the GNRS. I bought a Herbert billet solid roller cam from him for my 392 Chrysler....it's a beautiful piece. I'm sure that he has the means to grind pretty much any cam from looking at their equipment.

    He told me that he started in the business at 6 years old! He's super knowledgable and just a genuinely nice guy.
     
  13. Speedi D
    Joined: Sep 5, 2009
    Posts: 23

    Speedi D
    Member
    from Calif

    Used a Herbert roller in an Olds engine in a '52 Ford "whiskey car" in W.Va. in the mid1950's. Was a good engine - good power and very reliable. Would run really hard for long periods and still maintain power.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2009
  14. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,822

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Had one re-ground for a 312 ford. $35.00.:D
     
  15. jamesgr81
    Joined: Feb 3, 2008
    Posts: 283

    jamesgr81
    Member

    In the 70's had some Herbert stuff and it was just fine.

    But in the last few years had a hydraulic Chet Herbert cam in my El Camino. Cam went flat and mushroomed lifter ruined block. Herbert would not honor warranty.

    Also had roller cam in drag racing engine. The rollers wore grooves into cam lobes. Herbert himself would not warranty but one of the guys who worked there took care of me anyway.

    I don't think they make anything anymore. The roller lifters were made somewhere in the midwest. Lifters are now made in China.

    Cams are junk nowdays..don't use 'em.
     
  16. retromotors
    Joined: Dec 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,045

    retromotors
    Member

    That's all well and good, but how's it gonna hold up in the long run! :D
     
  17. RAY With
    Joined: Mar 15, 2009
    Posts: 3,132

    RAY With
    Member

    I have used Chets cams for many years and all rollers for the BB Ford.I imagine I have at least 20 different profiles over the last several years and they all made good HP. I didnt like the springs he had but the cams were as good as most and better that a lot of cam grinders. One great point was Chet was always available and had the knowledge to have the answer as soon as you ask the question..
     
  18. OoltewahSpeedShop
    Joined: Oct 18, 2007
    Posts: 3,103

    OoltewahSpeedShop
    Member

    I've used a couple different SBC and BBC roller cams and lifters from Chet Herbert. They all ran very good with no problems. We even sent one back and had it re-ground and it was better.

    Kevin
    Ooltewah Speed Shop
     
  19. gas pumper
    Joined: Aug 13, 2007
    Posts: 2,957

    gas pumper
    Member

    Speaking of Don Johansen, I met him at the Red Garter in West Wendover this year during Speedweek. What a great guy. His customers are like a who's who of racing and hot rodding.

    He's still making cams and will make anything for any engine, all his cams are made one at a time. And the price is reasonable for what he's doing.

    Here's a picture of his business card, it's aluminum and laser engraved!
    If you can't see the small print, the phone # is: 909-815-9185.

    Frank
     

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  20. Screamin' Metal
    Joined: Feb 1, 2009
    Posts: 506

    Screamin' Metal
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    Good Cam,.......Good Cam!
     
  21. pishta
    Joined: Mar 25, 2007
    Posts: 36

    pishta
    Member
    from Tustin, CA

    I ran one in a 318 back in 1994. Took all my top end off a stock 273 4bbl that spun a rod bearing and moved it to a junkyard 318 short block. Pulled the 318 2bbl cam and put in a "stage 2" Chet Herbert cam recommended to me by some old dude in a wheelchair behind the counter (yeah, that guy!) 'new' 318 ran way stronger than the 273 4bbl it replaced. For a stockish '65 Barracuda 'S', it would literally leap off the line and nothing could touch it for the first 60 feet, after that, the little teen with its single 1 3/4 exhaust system would show its humble roots but it was a nice cam. Im going to get an MP .509 cam reground by him to get that old circle track profile into the 21st century, even though his grinder is circa 1960 if he is using the same machine I saw back in '94.
     
  22. I scored a brand new mid fifties Chet Herbert #7 roller cam for my DeSoto. By todays standards, it's nothing radical, but it sure is a nice running piece for the Street. Had Donny spec it out, check it out, and polish it up. Donny is the MAN!...and so was Chet. Remember, "Any cam, any grind $35"?...
     
  23. I used to call him up and he'd prescribe a suitable "cheater" cam for my stock cars. They always idled as almost stock, but pulled like a bugger off the corner. I still have one "brand new" in the tube sitting on the shelf, a Z28 off road grind.

    Bob
     
  24. Normbc9
    Joined: Apr 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,121

    Normbc9
    Member

    I have used four of the Herbert Roller cams. The first was in 1962. I still have two engines with this great cam in running condition (248 GMC six; 261 Chevy six) and both have been doing their job for years. Happy? You bet. Would I go back to Herbert again? Definitely!
    Normbc9
     
  25. turdytoo
    Joined: May 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,568

    turdytoo
    Member

    Was Herbert the one that had the square bar running thru the lifter gallies to keep the lifters square?
     
  26. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    I just spoke to them a couple of weeks ago about one of their solid roller cams we have and want to use in a 460 Ford we are building. The guy I spoke with on the phone was EXCEPTIONALLY helpful and very friendly. I hung up the phone super impressed with his attitude and knowledge. Our cam is an older grind and he didn't mind at all digging back to get me all the info I needed and to make recommendations about the best way to use it.

    Every company should have a phone tech guy like the one I spoke with.

    Don
     
    bobss396 likes this.
  27. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,543

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Dunno about Herbert, but if you're talking about roller cams for 235/261s, McGurk sold a roller setup with the long piece of steel you describe.
     
  28. i used chets cam in 327 chev 31 ford hotrod in 1993 and still tim warden:)
     
  29. They had made one for my 429 Ford stock car back around 1982. Chet himself took the order at the time, guy was a Fort Knox of cam knowledge. I'm glad to see they haven't lost their touch.

    Bob
     
  30. I ran one in my gas dragster in 1976. Still have a decal on one of my toolboxes.
     

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