Hot Rods Cam choice for this 283

Hey all

I'm building up a 283 SBC for my daily driven 53 Chevy and am just investigating what kind of cam I should go for. My setup is as follows:
Fresh 283 - 30 over
416 heads from 305 sbc
Camaro V8 T5 w 0.63 OD
3.55 Diff
Quadrajet
Torquer 1 manifold
HEI distributor
17 lb steel flywheel

With this setup I'll be pushing 1900 rpms cruising speed (70mph) on the highway I've heard that RV cams provide good low end torque which would compliment this rpm range, but have heard conflicting opinions regarding their economy.

Ideally I don't mind a little less low end torque if I can provide more economy at cruising speeds, provided I can move up the RPM range to pull hard at a loss of MPG when needed.

Does this make sense? Or is it just more logical and efficient to have a more torquey low end for this gear set.

 

I've been giving this same advice for a lot of years, and it's worked well:
Pick the cam manufacturer/grinder you intend to buy from and call their tech line. Almost every cam company has one and it's usually listed on their website (sometimes under "contact us").
They'll want all the information you furnished above, plus the rough weight of the car and the height of the tires you plan to use.
These folks probably answer this same type of question dozens of times a day and have the facts and depth of experience to give you accurate answers!

Dave B.

 

Don't forget that small cubic inch motors like a bit of compression. Run your numbers so you don't overcam and end up with a poor bottom end performer.

 

The best gas mileage I ever got from a 283 was at about 2300rpm and about 60 mph. The Q jet was awesome for gas mileage with it's triple venturi, as long as the secondaries were never opened. when the secondaries opened it bogged. After it bogged for a while it would take hold and really go. I think 1900 might be just a little slow.

 

I think you would like the old 929 Chevrolet cam. Came in the 300 hp 327.
Several cam companies make the cam. Sometimes listed as a blue print cam.
Competition cams 252 might suit as well.
The bog can be taken out of the qjet.
Pete

 

Google duntov 3030 cam. It is a streetable performance cam designed by the Godfather of the SBC. Today's manufacturers probably offer it, maybe under a different name.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...m-manufacturer-for-sbc.1058687/#post-12013416

 

I agree with Pete, the 300 horse cam would be good choice for what you want to do especially the cruise RPM you want.
I do wonder about the Torker I you mention, did you mean the original Torker or possibly the Torker II? Either way those manifolds are stronger from 2500rpm on up. I think you might be happier with a stock, iron Q-Jet manifold.
Also, a 17 pound flywheel will not be user friendly in a relatively heavy '53 Chevy, I think you need a stock Chevy 30 pound 'wheel for your combination.

 

The Comp Cam XE262H works great for me. Real nice idle lope and it really pulls.

Gary

 

Use a Lunati Retro-fit Hydraulic roller. You can get a short duration yet high lift.
try this;
http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=2549&gid=337
Operating rev range is 1800-5800

It should "pull like a schoolboy" down low. and give good economy but still wake up a bit when you buzz it

 

Are you sure you can use 305 heads on a 283? I may be wrong.
Also is that intake a dual plane manifold?

 

Yes, you can run 305 heads on a 283. It's a common swap.

 

Isky makes some sweet small block Chevy cams for what you are trying to do.

 

I've gone with the Melling MTC-1 'RV' camshaft. It came as an option with the engine built kit I got from Northern Autos. I've heard good things about the cam. Power range is idle - 4500rpm. My T5 has a super tall overdrive (0.63) so I'm thinking I'll need go with 3.75 gears in the diff (giving 2058 rpm cruising at 70mph) instead of 3.55 (1948 rpm at 70mph) but I feel that the first gear (2.95) is going pretty short with this setup. The 0.63 OD was originally intended for long stroke 307's with 1500rpm cruising. Any thoughts on what you might do here?

 

Speed pro part number CS113 R. That is the grind for the old Corvette 097 cam. Its solid lifter and it sounds awesome. pulls great, works very well with the 305 heads and does not have a ton of lift and duration that will kill of power in a smaller cubic inch Chevy. The 30 30 cam is to much for a 283 unless you have the compression to back it up, and with the combo you have I with guesstimate around 9 to 9.25 to 1 compression. the power band is right in the range you are talking about. I just bought another one for the 283 in my 39. below is a link to a 283 with the 097 cam running on you tube.

 

I'm liking your selection of at least a 3.70 maybe up to 4.11. Don't worry about the 2.95 1st, nice in heavy traffic, parking lots, clutch, etc. Everyone today thinks low rpm for fuel milage and it's true with modern port injection, direct injection computor controlled engines but old carb engines do have a "sweet spot" and 1600-1900 usually isn't it. 2200-2500 or higher for a 283 is good around 9-1 compression. Higher would be better. Your 5th gear will highway driving anyway but leaning on a carb engine at 1700 in high gear will be a dog and every time you lean on it a little the power valve system will open and extra fuel will pour in like your climbing a hill.
In 1964 I had a 53 with a stock 58 283 with a 30-30 Duntov Muncie 4 speed wide ratio and 3.55's in the rear. A great fun car I wish I had found a way to keep. I did change the cam back to stock before I sold it and to be honest it was ezier to drive in traffic. Good luck.

 

With the OD and that rear gear you are going to need low end grunt period.

The last 283 that I did a complete build on needed to come out .040 to clean up, and used stock power pack heads ( well mostly stock I did a little work in the bowls). It went into a '60 El Camion with a 3.7 gear and with a 700 R4 got about 20-22 on the highway.

I am going to give you a cam number and manufacturer you can taker it or leave it, I liked it real well but that is just me.

Lunati High Efficiency #06103

Luck with your build

 

I used an Elgin 1785 in my 283. Don't mind the smoke coming out of the pipes, as my 283 had been sitting for the past 15 years. Now that the rings have loosened back up, it only really smokes on start up, due to the worn valve guides.


I have the stock '58 intake and a Rochester 4GC carb on it, with 3.78 gears and tall 31.5" tires, and it's been getting around 16 mpg going down the highway around 65mph.

 

I don't remember what we stuffed in @Tim 's small block but it works really well in his 283. Maybe he will tell us, and his motor is mildly stroked but it shouldn't really matter.

 

Comp cams 268h if I'm remembering right @porknbeaner

I think it would work real well for you with the 5 speed and gears you have other than you'd need to be going pretty damn fast to need 5th gear as it seems to have a sweet spot higher up than your estimated 70 mph cruising rpm.

Not saying you couldn't down shift though

 

I wouldn't use anything other than a roller cam setup now. Less friction=less wear=better mileage. As has been said, contact cam manufacturers for their recommendation.

 

The Comp XE268 cam is good if you're close to 10:1 for a CR. One of the lower Lunati Voodoo cams is a nice one with good street manners. Look at their other cams too.

 

They make a cam that they used to market as a Throttle Stop cam that is a pretty good street cam if you have the compression to support it. It was ground for the bracket race crowd and was designed to go from full throttle to no throttle and back to full throttle in an instant. Damned best city traffic cam I ever used.

 

Jasper,
I think you might be too over geared for a 283. I don't know how much your car weighs, but I also think you will need a stock 30 lb. flywheel.

<<<I'm running a 385 cu. in. 144 blower motor, with an XE262 Comp cam and it runs about 1950 rpm at 60 mph, and a T-5 with a .79 OD and 3.25 gear. The car weighs about 2700 and gets 18-19 mpg at 65-70 mph.

I had an XE250 Comp in it and it got 22 mpg and had a lot more low rpm torque, but I wanted a little rumpity rump and I lost some mileage and torque, but gained a lot of rpm and HP.

It's best not to over gear and over cam at the same time.

 

I agree on too little flywheel weight. You are not running a circle track car and you need some flywheel weight to get you going. The 300 hp 327 cam will do what you need and provide good vacuum and that is what makes good mileage.
I was told that intake wouldn't work ,but they do a good job. I would go a little lower in the rear or you won't be able to use 5 th gear much.

 

If you have a T5, crank up the rear to a 4.11, it gives the car so much more punch. I have a 3.89 since I have a 4-speed and its pretty much where I like it.

 

I like a 3.26-3.55 and 1:1 behind my 355. But it is a lot more motor than anyone will ever get out of a 283 with the possible exception of Smokey Yunic. LOL When we were running the 200R ( or is it R200?) behind it we found that a 4.44-4.56 worked best and even then in its sweet spot it was just above the speed limit.

Seems like most of the GM OD vehicles I have played with had a 3.73 to 4.10 stock rear gear.

That said with a tall gear that little GM motor is going to want a bump stick that makes all its power down low and hopefully has a very flat power band so that what torque it makes it makes until its done. The short stroke motor may not care for 5th gear backed up with a 3.55 except out on the open road and that is fine actually because 4th gear will work just fine. What most people never figure out is that you are not required to use all 5 all the time.

 

I second the change of that torker manifold. A dual plane will be better off idle. The torker I had in my nova was good from 2500 rpm up. I replaced it with a performer and it had way better street manners. The 283 I had in that I used a duntov 30/30. seemed to work really well.

 

I had a 283 in a very similar build. I put in an Isky cam with 270 duration and .450 lift on both intake and exhaust. Pulled hard and had a good lope to it. I'd definately reconsider the single plane intake and choose an edelbrock performer or something like it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

With a stick shift the torquer will work. I used one on my El Camino and towed my race car trailer with no issues . Not too long a duration cam . Even a split duration works well.