Cam question for 67 GTX

[neverenuf]

If you are getting your info from comp cams...they are NOT mopar guys. If you are worried about your vacuum, widening the lsa WILL have more vacuum and idle better, and not fall off as much on the big end. Most of the factory high performance cams were done at 113-115.. It is true a narrower lsa can bring the power in sooner and help mid range, but its at a cost of driveability.

I would also suggest visiting with Hughes engines. They do only mopars, they have a lot of knowledge, and generally won't sell junk. They also like to sell narrow lsa cams if that is the direction your convinced you want to go. Comp cams unfortunately has sold a lot of sub par stuff, especially when it comes to lifters. But, we still run some of there products. Comp does not build the same quality that they once did. But they certainly are not the only ones that have lowered the bar.

Thanks,i will call Hughes engines and see what they say

 

[neverenuf]

To take a set of factory iron castings, rebuilt to perfection to oem specs, and wanted to properly set them up for a solid roller cam....... the parts and labor for that upgrade will be the in the $1100 range.
That’s just for the heads, assuming they are basically perfect to start with(but set up like oem).

Cam, lifters(suitable for extended periods of street use), rockers, pushrods, oil pump drive gear, 3 bolt timing set, thrust button, gaskets, etc........ another $3000 or so.

My .02 is...... if the plan is to drive the car a fair amount...... a solid roller isn’t a good choice.

ok,i do plan on driving it fairly often,why not a solid roller? What would you recommend?Flat tappit?

 

[neverenuf]

All of what I have posted is based off of my own experience. I have a hydraulic roller in my engine. Against all the stuff I read and advice I was given against it…I did it anyways. Would I do it again? No. I did it due to being naive mostly and not wanting to listen and take in the advice I was being given. Mr. Porter (PRHeads) actually is the one who helped me with my cam selection, and ordered it for me.

my engine is a 493, pistons sit .047 in the hole. 440 source aluminum heads, which I changed the springs and retainers all by myself. Not really knowing what I was doing. The cam is a hyd roller ground on a 113 lsa, and somewhere in the 236/246 duration at .050 lift if I recall the cam card correctly. I wanted to run stock HP manifolds. I have the Hughes aluminum roller rockers and their hyd roller lifters. I put together the engine myself and it runs good in my opinion. Could it be better? Yes. Would headers help? Yes, probably could gain around 40-50 hp just by switching to headers. So again, would I do the whole roller thing again? No, probably would go with a hyd flat tappet and make sure I got good quality lifters and ran the correct oil.

I appreciate you taking the time to explain your thought process and the engine build.I'm taking in all the great information i am receiving,now i am not so sure i want to go with a roller.Maybe with a quality lifter and proper break in a flat tappit might be alright.

 

[PRHeads]

I have a hydraulic roller in my engine. Against all the stuff I read and advice I was given against it…I did it anyways. Would I do it again? No. I did it due to being naive mostly and not wanting to listen and take in the advice I was being given.

No actual “problems” though?

 

[PRHeads]

Maybe with a quality lifter and proper break in a flat tappit might be alright.

If you don’t want to spend the time and $$$ to retrofit the heads to where they’d be set up to properly run a solid lifter cam...... along with having to buy an adjustable valvetrain...... you’re pretty much stuck with a HFT cam.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of anything hydraulic these days, so given my choice, I’d run a SFT in an application like yours.
However, if the motor currently has the factory valvetrain, going to a solid will easily more than double the cost.

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

No actual “problems” though?

No problems so far. Everything seems good.

 

[AR67GTX]

I have 2 Mopars, a Ford and a Chevy so I tend to get stuff confused between makes and never know what to believe on the internet. But I remember about 10 years ago when I was having the engine built for my ERA Cobra, reading a bunch of articles and forum threads about very short life spans for solid roller cams and valve trains. It seems like if you managed to get one to go 10,000 miles before the valve train crashed, you were doing extremely well. I don’t know if that was a Ford specific issue or even just Internet craziness - but a lot of the Ford guys swore by it and went hydraulic roller if inclined to go with a roller cam.

 

[joe smith]

I have 2 Mopars, a Ford and a Chevy so I tend to get stuff confused between makes and never know what to believe on the internet. But I remember about 10 years ago when I was having the engine built for my ERA Cobra, reading a bunch of articles and forum threads about very short life spans for solid roller cams and valve trains. It seems like if you managed to get one to go 10,000 miles before the valve train crashed, you were doing extremely well. I don’t know if that was a Ford specific issue or even just Internet craziness - but a lot of the Ford guys swore by it and went hydraulic roller if inclined to go with a roller cam.

I grew up with mostly Chevies... Most of us (The gang) had 2nd generation Z28's... I know the 70 LT1 had solids, not sure if 71-72 did, ( I think they did) 73 did not ( not an LT1 engine.... NEVER a problem, except for the pain in the rear of adjusting them...

 

[joe smith]

I have 2 Mopars, a Ford and a Chevy so I tend to get stuff confused between makes and never know what to believe on the internet. But I remember about 10 years ago when I was having the engine built for my ERA Cobra, reading a bunch of articles and forum threads about very short life spans for solid roller cams and valve trains. It seems like if you managed to get one to go 10,000 miles before the valve train crashed, you were doing extremely well. I don’t know if that was a Ford specific issue or even just Internet craziness - but a lot of the Ford guys swore by it and went hydraulic roller if inclined to go with a roller cam.

I have read about some engines that did not last long due to not being a good street engine.... BOSS 429 was one of them... Read the reason you see alot of them with very low miles is the engines did not last much more than 10K miles..

 

[AR67GTX]

My post was in reference to a mechanical (solids) “roller” cam, not a mechanical flat tappet cam. Mechanical flat tappet cams have stood the test of time. I have a mechanical flat tappet cam in my 66 Vette that’s been clicking away for over 35 years.

 

[joe smith]

My post was in reference to a mechanical (solids) “roller” cam, not a mechanical flat tappet cam. Mechanical flat tappet cams have stood the test of time. I have a mechanical flat tappet cam in my 66 Vette that’s been clicking away for over 35 years.

OOPS.. forgive me I missed that part... NO experience with roller solids here..

 

[SlinktRR]

Ye olde Mopar performance .528 solid lifter cam with EDM lifters might work for you. Easy to adjust, works well with manifolds, good vac. Valve lash check becomes routine and after break in you don't need to adjust that often. Keep an eye on them and keep the cam oiled with a zddp hot rod oil like VR1 or gibbs it will last a long time.

 

[steve340]

I agree with post #32 that EDM hole is a great idea.

 

[neverenuf]

Ye olde Mopar performance .528 solid lifter cam with EDM lifters might work for you. Easy to adjust, works well with manifolds, good vac. Valve lash check becomes routine and after break in you don't need to adjust that often. Keep an eye on them and keep the cam oiled with a zddp hot rod oil like VR1 or gibbs it will last a long time.

Thankyou for the info.Whose adjustable rockers are you using?

 

[SlinktRR]

Thankyou for the info.Whose adjustable rockers are you using?

I use PRW 1.7:1 adjustable rockers on trick flow 240's. Most folks recommend at least one step up in cost like comps pro magnums but I like the PRW just fine. I do check fairly frequently to make sure the lash doesn't change, they may be more apt to lose adjustment than a more expensive rocker especially at 1.7 ratio. I would go 1.5 or 1.6 with the 528. Note the suggested valve lash is pretty big on that cam, like .028. My comp xs290s lash is .016 intake and .018 exhaust for comparison.

 

[mikerman]

I used all Hughes engine top end, hyd. roller cam. H.D. roller lifters, their adj. rockers, Smith Bros. Push rods. Engine runs great BUT hyd. rollers are LOUD. Way more noisy than mechanical lifter/cam set ups.

 

[PRHeads]

Is it as bad as this one??



There was a thread on a forum somewhere that went with that video.
They had actually run the motor on an engine dyno making that racket.

 

[SlinktRR]

Man that doesn't sound good, more like a typewriter than a solid lifter sewing machine. I like the solid cam sound when it's lashed right, music to my ears. The lifters will tell you when something's off.

 

[Backrd.Junkyard]

Sounds pretty good for a diesel with the timing advanced past the limit. I’m going have to find the thread on that one just to see the damage.

 

[mikerman]

Is it as bad as this one??



There was a thread on a forum somewhere that went with that video.
They had actually run the motor on an engine dyno making that racket.

Not quite, but close. Sounds like they are using less lifter preload than they ask for. Had to set lifters 6 times till it sounded less like than the eve of destruction