What is the biggest split duration cam i can throw in the 289 in my 65' ranchero before i have to do head work to it. The motor is getting a full rebuild and i want a lobier cam.if i have to do a little head work thats fine. just curious about some options. thanks Hambers
Just pull the choke out when you cruise through the 'dub". Its free, and its temporary, so you don't have to put up with it the rest of the time. and then your free to spec a cam based on what will actually work well with the rest of your combo, rather than based on what sounds cool. Seriously. Man, theres this guy in an eighties era 3/4 ton chevy pu that drops his kid off at the same school as my daughter, choke has been stuck on for months. You should HEAR that sucka lope and chug, and its bone stock... I really don't get why more guys don't do this, if shitty idle quality is what you seek, this the best way to get it, because its temporary. After you leave the drive-in, just push the choke in. Hell you could even pull it out a bit as you pull up to the light...
I really enjoy reading your input George you seem to know way more about engines than I probably ever will , but even a die hard motor guy like yourself understands that sound ?... It's like smelling race gas.. I'm guilty of putting cams in motors for just the sound... . Lets be honest if you were making 500hp and it idled stock... You'd be disappointed... Just think a world with no lumpy cams, blowers that don't whine, race gas that doesn't smell , or nitro that doesn't burn your eyes, Rubber that don't smoke???! :-(
Head work is probably not going to be the concern if all you are after is idle you can keep lift numbers low to avoid machining but you will have to worry about vacuum for power brakes and your car creeping if you have an auto trans
I think (in his way of words) George is trying to save the OP from disappointment of "geesh, it ran better before I rebuilt it".
Maybe... But I think I know what he's thinking .... I have had this conversation before with other smart motor guys..... You really want to fuel the fire??? .. Bring up a 3/4 race cam ... thats always fun... or better yet ..... Bring up the" THUMPER" cam that's a sure fire way to get the language colorful!
When I was in high school in the 50s people would do just that. Even I pulled out the choke on my dead stock '49 Olds rocket 88 for that lumpy idle. Didn't really fool anybody.
Actually in the world of FH V8's, we can talk 3/4 cams I think the thing is, most (if not all) folks asking for a lumpy/rumpity idle, are probably doing their first engine build, and yes, I too have put too much cam in engines long ago, even after my Dad (who knew absolutely NOTHING) when I was 16, told me not too. Funny how that old bastard got smarter as I got older.
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