• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Cam ID, TRW

Cranky

Banned Henchman #27
Staff member
FBBO Gold Member
Local time
10:49 AM
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
36,283
Reaction score
48,143
Location
Pasadena, Texas
Can anyone help me ID an old TRW big block cam? It measures out at .430 lift and the number on the box is TM327. Thanks in advance for any help.....
 
.430" lift sounds like a 2 BBL grind - i.e. stock rebuild stuff. I'll try to find a cross reference.
 
I spent about an hour doing searches......
 
Best I could come up with, and this is with the help of my machine shop part guy, was TRW stock stuff part numbers started with CS. Melling doesn't use a TM number either he says. So it remains a mystery. I suppose if you really want to know toss a crank in a block and one piston and degree it. Then compare to the factory specs as found in the service manual.
 
A set of V blocks with some grease smeared on the end bearing journals, a degree wheel "print out the one I made and posted a while back", and a magnetic base dial indicator running on the lobe "do intake and exh". Spin it and measure the time lift starts to closes from .05" after open to close.
This is how I have done it and worked well.....
 
It is most likely the same cam as Elgin E-327-S, Sealed Power CS-327, etc. All the usual suspects had it in their catalog.

Seat-to-seat, something like this:

Intake valve lift: .434
Exhaust valve lift: .431
LSA: 113
Overlap: 38
In duration: 260
Ex duration: 268

IVO BTDC: 20
IVC ABDC: 60
EVO BBDC: 70
EVC ATDC: 18

I have the Elgin version sitting here. I might put it in my 383 and see what it does. Might put some bigger tires on my car to slow motor down and drive on highway again. Less overlap than RR cam, less stinky exhaust. If it doesn't work I'll take it out.
 
Best I could come up with, and this is with the help of my machine shop part guy, was TRW stock stuff part numbers started with CS. Melling doesn't use a TM number either he says. So it remains a mystery. I suppose if you really want to know toss a crank in a block and one piston and degree it. Then compare to the factory specs as found in the service manual.
A few years ago, I had a block that was clean with good cam bearings and used it to plot several cams....problem is I can't find that sheet anymore lol

A set of V blocks with some grease smeared on the end bearing journals, a degree wheel "print out the one I made and posted a while back", and a magnetic base dial indicator running on the lobe "do intake and exh". Spin it and measure the time lift starts to closes from .05" after open to close.
This is how I have done it and worked well.....
Yeah, I can do that in my lathe too but that only gives you the length of duration and not valve events in relation to the location of the piston....
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top