Hot Rods Which Cam?

Our 283 which has been bored out to 4 inches making it a 301 is finally done. We are using 202 double hump heads on it as well in addition to stock dual 4 barrel carburetors. Just wondering if the Duntov cam would be a good candidate for the engine. The cam is GM part number 3736097. We don’t want the engine to load up or idle rough in traffic. Would this be a good combination?

 

Fine for a stick, a bit rough for an automatic.

 

We need more information; what kind of car is it going in (or maybe even a truck)? Approximate weight? Stick or automatic (if so, what converter)? Do you live in the city, the wide open country, or somewhere in between? Altitude? I am partial to the L79 hydraulic cam for general street use in an "average" car. Good performance and no valve adjustments.

 

I hope you had that block sonic-checked for cylinder-wall thickness/core shift before you bored it .125.

 

This is the young man who pulled the 235 from his grandfather’s C1 Vette, but I don’t recall the transmission. If I recall, the 235 was factory dual carb.

 

If my memory doesn't fail me, the 097 Duntov cam and the dual 4 barrel setup kind of go hand in hand. Duntov designed it in the 50s to get Corvettes more power (before Tim Allen, ar, ar, ar).

It was a really good cam in its day. However a hydraulic roller cam specced for your combination by the cam manufacturer of your choice would be a better choice for the street these days.

 

Thanks, Dave G (I forgot). We should also know what kind of carburetion you are going to be running.

 

Reading comprehension:

 

Long-duration, short-lift cams were the thing when valve springs weren't up to too much seat pressure. Valve springs and cam profiles have come a long way since then. Some folks like chop-chop cams but I'm not fond of them. You can get a lot more power out of a more modern profile w/ smoother idle and more vacuum so you don't have to slip the clutch just to get it rolling.

Joe

 

It worked great...in my parents 56, dual quad, Corvette...WITH...the factory Powerglide...so there !

Yeah, I'd put that factory Duntov can in that engine.

Any..."loading up"...would be the tuners fault ! As I said, the Corvette we had for five or six years ran great...again...WITH the factory iron cased Powerglide, and two...factory, four barrel (WCFB) carburetors.

Don't believe me, talk to either or both of my brothers...

Mike

 

I would not hesitate to buy a modern grind to take advange of more power and better lower torque....There are Duntov type cams that are improved.....

 

I think Grandpa may be leading the charge, hence the cam choice. I think most of us would have just rebuilt the 283, or started off with a 4 inch bore block.
I say make it run and sound like they did 60 years ago, I’ve a feeling that’s what he wants.

 

You will be money ahead to just use the Comp Cam 260h and call it good.

 

Adding cubic inches tends to tame a cams problems. A cam that is a problem for a smaller engine will be less tempermental as cubes grow. Still, with all the advances in cam design in the last half century, I would think there are some better choices. I'd look for a roller cam set up where you can get quicker opening rates but still keep a wide LSA and maybe even more lift. That way you get greater cylinder filling while still retaining mild manners.

 

The 097 is a great cam. I have one in my 283 bored .040 over and it runs it's ass off. The 097 is also the 327 340 horse cam as well. It will work killer in your set up. Use stock stamped rockers with poly locks and once everything is broke in, you'll rarely have to adjust valves. I've had to do it once in the last 10,000 mile on mine and it still checks dead on in spec's.

If you can find one Speed Pro makes a great copy of the original 097, speed pro part number is CS113-R

 

That should work good based on the information you provided. Are you looking for a solid lifter camshaft? Also don't the camshaft naysayers get to you with how much power you are losing by using that old grind. (They bitch about not using modern technology camshafts but will gig you for using modern technology brakes)

 

097!! great cam in that combo. My 57 Fuely had that cam--ran super! Like said above seldom had to adjust valves. Love the sound too!

 

I had Comp grind me a version of the 097 in a hyd version for my 265.

 

Let's see now........the OP has spent money to bore and rebuild his 283 with the idea of gaining more torque and horsepower when he gets it done......and somehow suggesting that even though the 097 (or any other) 50+ year old design is good, he might want to open his mind to newer designs.......thats "naysaying". Common sense will tell you that with 50+ years of experimenting, there just might have been some improvements made. Also, using a roller cam provides a better chance of not wiping a lifter and the subsequent disassembly/reassembly of the entire engine. Add to that the fact that they always can be made to produce additional power because even if you use the same basic lift,LSA, and duration..........they can open and close the valves more quickly. Greater cylinder filling and no change in manners. But, most will opt for at least some higher lift. So pointing out that spending ones money for a cam with similar dynamics but makes more HP isn't naysaying. Personally I think its "naysaying" to tell someone to ignore considering what cam will actually offer the best performance just because it isn't nostalgic.

 

You need to figure out your compression. Most rebuilder pistons will give you compression less than 9:1. with your short stoke and the double hump chambers you will be pretty low unless you have a slight dome. Most of the 60s factory HP cams need lots of compression 10+.... You will be extremely disappointed if you use one of those factory cams with a low compression motor. Find out your compression and get back to us and also what is the car?

I just built a 283 and it totally blew me away at how well it performs. It has around 9.5 compression with 305 HP 601 heads and some rebuilder pistons. I used a Howards 112001-14 cam 201/207 @.050, 255/261 .410/.420 114 lsa (a tad hotter cam than the factory 220hp 283 cam). I also put some z28 springs in it. It has a Edelbrock performer intake and 600 carb. rams horns with 2" exhaust. it pulls soooo hard from idle to 5000 and wants to keep going.

 

I thought this was a traditional site loaded with how things were... not how things should be.

 

If we are talking traditional, with solids I’d use the 097 or a 30/30. If juice lifters , I’d go with the L79. EDIT : Solids are probably a moot point with a stock slip and slide…and auto rear ratio.

 

My thought, because I'm going to be building a dual quad SBC, with a similar "traditional" intent. Why not take advantage of modern day advances in cam profiles and lifter technology? Unless your restoring a historic car or a numbers and date correct car.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that hot-rodders always looked for the best performance parts for the least amount of money. If they found something from a different model/year that was an improvement, they used it. I don't think many looked backwards 60+ years, hoping to find something better than what they already had.

 

I’d tend to agree, but if you were a young person in 1960 let’s say, and you buddy, etc bored his 283 to a 301 and ran that cam, you’d have memories of it. Now 60 years or so later, you are trying to “relive” your youth.
Easy to see why the 283 was made into a 301

 

This^^^ + maybe gear ratio, tire size? Intended use?

 

You thought wrong.......... Lots of things that didn't exist in the 50s/60s are incorporated into these nostalgic appearing vehicles. Probably 99% of all Hamb posters have something or even several things on their vehicles that did not exist "in the day", and most are happy about it. Using later technology and incorporating it in places where it cannot be seen or recognized is done all the time.

 

Thank you all for your input,
This is in fact going in a 1954 corvette with a power glide. As for the cam we’ll probably end up going with the Duntov, I won’t argue the fact that there are more efficient cams out there for the money. Grandpa is 82 and just wants the car to be a good cruising car in town. He also is trying get the car similar to the 55 corvette he had in high school thus the early 60s circa treatment on the 283. We attempted to track the 55 down but it is now in El Salvador as of 2011. Looks like we’ll also have to look into some dodge lancer hubcaps.
Again thanks for the advice,
TR

Grandpa’s 1955 Corvette Circa 1961

 

That was a cool car your grandpa had! And, very cool that you are trying to help him with another one.