I am looking for some camshaft advice for a 327. The 327 is a pretty mild build 9:1, rebuilt 1.94 valve double hump heads. The car is a 1950 Belair, th400, 2600 stall, 3.55 posi rear. My goal is a decent street cruiser. Just looking for input on Duration and lift with my set up. Thanks for any input. Ray
you will get as many different answers as there are guys on the HAMB whatever you do ,it's better to go smaller than too big
The factory (350 horse -151 hyd.cam -is a nice cam) if my memory serves me -( .447 lift / and about 308 duration) it wont eat parts - good performance , and all your stock stuff works - I would run at least the Z 28 springs . Also known as the the L 79 cam also - but its been a while since Ive built a SBC.
I'd go with the L-79 cam in a heartbeat... Ditto on the Z/28 valve springs.... An Air-Gap intake with those heads is a plus!!!!..
Yeah I figured I would get a lot of different opinions. I was figuring on something in the 215~220 @ 050 range. What maximum recommended lift with the pressed in studs?
Here's an older thread about n the L79 / 151 cam: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=449794
I have always called my cam manufacturer for input and guidance. I also take advice from the guy building my engine. Please call your cam maker, think about contacting Schnider Cams for a cam for the 327. Everybody has advice on cams, some good, some not so good but the guys that actually grind them are the real experts. At least they have been spot on for me. Good luck with your choice.
and again the 350 hp cam., built a 350 with 9.1 , 194 heads, headers, weiand dual plane edelbrock carb, mallory coil..... in front of an auto trans and 3.42 gears. it was an awesome street motor with plenty of torque. pulled strong from off idle up through mid range.
I thought that cam was designed for upwards of 10.5-11:1 cr? I had that cam in a 327, flat tops. 1.94 's etc... did way better in upper rpm, loaded up at idle. Probably because its was with auto trans and no stall.
Lift .440-460 intake .220 range of duration. Street type cam. Those numbers are a good general everyday performance cam. And a good sounding idle too.
mild: comp 268 or magnum 270. Duration no more than 230 @ .050. keep your lift under .500 or better yet .480 to keep from having to spend a bunch on extra valvetrain. springs would be the most you will need for one of these cams. mild-hot: Duntov 30-30, comp magnum 280 Hot: GM 140 cam. Anything above about 238 deg @ .050.
I have used plenty of their cams over the years. I went to school with the son who is now the owner. Good people. And nice cams.
mild: comp 268 or magnum 270. Duration no more than 230 @ .050. keep your lift under .500 or better yet .480 to keep from having to spend a bunch on extra valvetrain. springs would be the most you will need for one of these cams. mild-hot: Duntov 30-30, comp magnum 280 Hot: GM 140 cam. Anything above about 238 deg @ .050.[/QUOT ditto on these choices
the factory 350hp cam, although there may be 'better' cams, newer technology etc...they are sick, my brother had one in a similar motor in a 67 Camaro, 9 to 1 or so, maybe closer to 9.5 to 1, 350, powerglide with 4.11s and it went real good
Someone told him if he put a cam in it he would need one of them stall converters. A little backward by my way of thinking, buy a converter then get a cam to go with it. A fella came into the shop once and he wanted his block dicked and his vals canted, and bore it some. I was already bored so they had me dick his block and told him that we didn't have an canted vals but we could prolly make him sum.
I went with the 268H and z-28 springs in my 331, It makes me happy when it's idling and when my foot is on the floor....The lowish 9:1 comp. makes me think you wouldn't be quite as happy with the L79 cam. Chevrolet never put them in anything under 11:1.
Actually they do better than one would think in a 9-9.5 :1 engine. We run them all the time in the low compression motors and they do real well. They don't make anywhere near the zot that they would make in an 11:1 engine but they are not a slouch either. The 2600 RPM converter is questionable to me, it is just not necessary with a mild build and certainly not necessary with that cam.
What he said. And this, any of the comp cams mild hydraulic cams are better than a GM cam. The are all blueprinted and spot on degree wise where-as I have seen 3 chevy 350ci-350hp cams all have different degree in readings. Pat
The converter is built to cam card specs. Or bought with the cam card....I wouldnt go any more then 13 or 1500 on the street myself. Valve seat spring pressure should be over 85 but 110 is optimal for street use. I say no more then 480 lift and no more then 220 duration. You can degree the cam to acheive the power curve desired.
All these cam specs look good to me. I questioned the converter and trans choice. I wouls use a th350. Gives you a lower first gear ( most of the time). His car has some weight to it and he isn't going for extreme power build. Then get the converter the cam guy recomends.
I would suggest a call/email to a cam company. They told me a different cam than what I was originally looking at. I looked at the Comp 268 and 274 style cams, What was recommended was a single pattern tight lsa grind. It's Lunati 275, 224/224 .477/.477 1800-5800 for my 350@ 9.7:1. It screams in my 1950 3100 Chevy. I had a big dual pattern wide lsa cam 234/244, and it was a dog. I drive on the street and street rpms are way lower. You have torquey heads, I would stay with a smaller cam. It would be better to under do than over do. My power brakes suffer a little even with the 224 cam. The bigger cams tend to get worse mpg when mismatched.
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