Cam upgrade advice needed, LA318 in a wagon

[Force Fed Mopar]

Check the XE256 vs the 262. tq peak comes on 500 RPM sooner and stays in for 1500, vs the peaky later tq on the 262.
256 makes only 10 less HP at 5500.

Just sayin'

Yeah but it probably won't idle like he wants.

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Lol, everytime I think figure out what to get, I find more info and start all over I am leaning toward the Whiplash (w/ matching springs) now. Every post I find about it from someone who has it installed is positive. Also, my friend has seen some vids on the idle and likes it. Seems like Hughes has good customer service too. Cam should work good in a stroker too, if I can talk him in to doing so down the road (instead of going big block like he plans).

 

[PoppaSmurf]

Well sounds like you got your hands full my friend....at least now you got him thinking...and as I stated at the start theres a whole lot more to than just throwing in a cam and burning the streets down...anyway glad I could offer you a few tid bits of info...holla if you need any more input...or facts....

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Well sounds like you got your hands full my friend....at least now you got him thinking...and as I stated at the start theres a whole lot more to than just throwing in a cam and burning the streets down...anyway glad I could offer you a few tid bits of info...holla if you need any more input...or facts....

Yeah lol, thank you guys for all the help you've given so far. I just called and talked to Dave at Hughes and he is pretty confident the Whiplash would eat the other alive. However, my friend says the price is too much (over $400 shipped for cam, lifters and springs), so I guess we'll have to go with the XE262. It's close to the Whiplash grind and only 200 bucks for cam/lifter kit from Summit. With the Edelbrock valve springs puts the total at $262. Should be about as good as we can get for the money he can spend.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

Thats ALLLL that counts....dirve it , enjoy it....save some bucks..Then Rebuild it....its a viscous cycle....but hell its alot of fun figuring it all out....been doin it over 45 years ...lololol

 

[David]

Force Fed I'm not sure the compression. I just had the motor rebuilt about a month ago it is a stock rebuild. I put the recommended springs on stock heads, its got a weiand dual plane intake, 600cfm double pumper, and headers going into 2.5" pipes.

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Force Fed I'm not sure the compression. I just had the motor rebuilt about a month ago it is a stock rebuild. I put the recommended springs on stock heads, its got a weiand dual plane intake, 600cfm double pumper, and headers going into 2.5" pipes.

That sounds really close to his setup. He is still deciding I think, so we'll see :edgy:

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Thats ALLLL that counts....dirve it , enjoy it....save some bucks..Then Rebuild it....its a viscous cycle....but hell its alot of fun figuring it all out....been doin it over 45 years ...lololol

I do enjoy it actually :icon_thumright:

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

He got the Whiplash! The whole kit, cam, lifters and springs. So, should be going in the car next week. I'll report with results

 

[Sweet5ltr]

better be rattlin' his neighbors windows after you get it installed! Good choice and good luck! Post a video of the idle once you get it built, would love to hear the lope of an over cammed wagon :headbang:

 

[PoppaSmurf]

X2 on that gonna love to hear this ....... Congratch !!!

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

I'm cutting him a break on the labor so he is buying a set of ported heads for it too. Should be sweet! I will definitely get a video of it.

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

So we got it apart, put the Whiplash in for test-fitting, and ran into this:

Gonna have to grind that ridge back to clear that rear cam lobe. Will have to clean everything in that area very carefully afterwards of course. Must be an oddball issue, never seen anyone post about this issue before. The old .420 lift Performer cam barely cleared it.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

have you looked at all the lobe clearances....it maybe a modest core shift in the block itself...it does happen and I have seen it but rarely in a Mopar...we had to throw at least half the 400 chevy blocks away when I worked at Lunati..cause of core shift..go through and look at each of the lobe clearances just to be safe...

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Checked all the others, it's just that one. It's definitely a block issue, not a cam issue.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

Oh never doubted that..Plug all the holes with cloth then wet or damp towel on top of those and below where your cutting, just take your time...keep a magnet handy...this is going to be a tuff one...BUT it can be done... might could use 80 grit cartridge rolls on a die grinder or dremel...particals should be small enuff to be capture by the damp towel..... I feel for you bud...maybe someone here can come up with a better idea of how to go about this...withOUT tearing it down !!

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Got it clearanced okay, managed to clean all but a very little of the metal up, the rest I washed down into the oilpan w/ carb spray so it'll come out with the oil, which has to be changed before start-up anyway. Engine is mostly back together, should be running tomorrow.

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Got it fired up and cam broken in today, gotta go back over in a bit and finish up tuning it.

 

[Force Fed Mopar]

Quick vid I took with my phone, will get better vids later. Not as much lope as was expected, but seems to run good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN9ynwcL0IE&feature=youtu.be