Jeggs Cam Recommendations

[6t4polara]

Mr. 6 pack cam was my choice.

 

[Challenger340]

Rocmendatios from Jeggs on my 78' 440 build.

Your thoughts B Body People?

Will just be a street racer an occasional trip to the track. Compression ratio is 8.2:1. I chose not to run a stall speed converter as in my knowledge they are negative drivability wise when just driven on the street, so right now it's a stock converter. Rear axle is a 3:26 open.

That's too bad you aren't spending money wisely, very unfortunate, because one of the single BIGGEST single factors to waking up the low-pop 440's in a B-Body for performance is allowing them to get a "run" into their powerband with even a very mild high stall Converter, even with the "base" performance Cams you are contemplating..... and the mild High Stall with result in far more performance gain than any Cam by itself !

BTW,
who the heck told you a mild High Stall Converter are negative drivability-wise ?
You would NOT even notice a 500-700 rpm looser Converter was there !
They drive same/same under normal driving, the ONLY time they allow the extra rpm is when you foot brake or "Flash" them to get some extra grunt outa the hole !

If this is a low C.R. 440 in a B-Body, "street racer and occassional trip to the track"..... get an honest 2400-2600 Stall Converter FIRST to work in conjunction with a relative Cam choice..... lest you just get embarrassed daily.
When Cam company's talk "works with "stock" converter".... they are assuming minimum Dynamic cylinder pressures are being attained for the Cam....
YOU DO NOT HAVE SQUAT FOR PRESSURE, and any Cam change is only going to exacerbate your low pressure/TERD outa the hole power down low.

 

[Auggie56]

That's too bad you aren't spending money wisely, very unfortunate, because one of the single BIGGEST single factors to waking up the low-pop 440's in a B-Body for performance is allowing them to get a "run" into their powerband with even a very mild high stall Converter, even with the "base" performance Cams you are contemplating..... and the mild High Stall with result in far more performance gain than any Cam by itself !

BTW,
who the heck told you a mild High Stall Converter are negative drivability-wise ?
You would NOT even notice a 500-700 rpm looser Converter was there !
They drive same/same under normal driving, the ONLY time they allow the extra rpm is when you foot brake or "Flash" them to get some extra grunt outa the hole !

If this is a low C.R. 440 in a B-Body, "street racer and occassional trip to the track"..... get an honest 2400-2600 Stall Converter FIRST to work in conjunction with a relative Cam choice..... lest you just get embarrassed daily.
When Cam company's talk "works with "stock" converter".... they are assuming minimum Dynamic cylinder pressures are being attained for the Cam....
YOU DO NOT HAVE SQUAT FOR PRESSURE, and any Cam change is only going to exacerbate your low pressure/TERD outa the hole power down low.

Thanks for your commentary. I have read and heard that analogy on converters for several years, the thing is no explanation was never given other tan the converter wouldnt last. Maybe they were addressing something in the higher performance band? But at this time I only have so much to spend, maybe later down the road I can afford that converter.

 

[Auggie56]

My motor home engine I stuck in last summer is real close to your plans.
Mine was a 76 440 low mile, clean inside, good bores & bearings.
I kept the bottom stock as is, lapped the valves and added new seals and a set of crane springs # 99839.
I used a comp cam & lifter kit XE262H , that cam is a bit smaller than the one your looking at as far as lift and duration. New comp chain & gears.
I have a pertronix ignition in a Chrysler dist. eddy performer intake and eddy 750 carb
stock napa fuel pump, try Y headers and full dual exhaust 2 1/2"
Stock 12" convertor that bites at 1,500 / 1,600 rpm , 727 trans and 3:23 sure grip.
Guys on here helped me with some tune issues {Carb & timing } last summer { Thanks again }

Im happy with it, runs way better than the old 383 did, nice smooth idle, and will fry the tires.
My only complaint is comps lifters are noisey, I checked my pre load { stock valve train }thinking I had a lifter problem but all is ok. Lifters are just what they are and I may swap them out next summer and mabey a home head porting job just for kicks on a set of extra heads I have.
Auggie, What your doing is going to run good but me I wanted a little smaller cam, I didn't want it to be dead off idle.

Noisy lifters on these B engines are a given as told me by a Mopar mechanic here. That factory insulation under the itake was meant to reduce that valve train nose. Its easy enough fabricated out of lumber yard insulation and some aluminium foil. IMHO. And thanks for your input.

 

[Auggie56]

Soneone mentioned head gaskets. What is wrong with the factory steel ones? I had the shop mill twenty k off the heads, so I would have a better chance of sealing the componants.

 

[YY1]

The only time I've had noisy lifters in a Mopar is either when it's low on oil, or needs an oil change.

They actually tell you!

 

[PRHeads]

I’d try and get to an honest 8.4cr+

For a cam something like a Howard’s 728001-09.
A spring upgrade with be required.

If the actual CR can’t be brought to at least that level, then I’d put a smaller cam in it...... like a Comp XE262 or 268H.

 

[Crackedback]

The idle tune up makes a HUGE difference in how a cam will act with a stock converter.

Ran voodoo 268 and XE268 cams with stock converters, no problem.