Mopar 383 roller cam selection

[German_Mopar]

Hi guys,

I am a cam newbie and would aprreciate some help choosing a cam for my 383 build.

1966 Belvedere, 383 4 Speed with a 3.23 Sure Grip, 100% street driven here in germany.
Means 1500 to 5500 rpm...usually cruising.
Car has Power brakes

Engine will have:

750 holley double pumper
440 source heads
Headers
Edelbrock DP4B Intake
Flat top pistons L2315
Compression should be around 9.3 to 9.5 or so.

I want a Roller Cam, no flat tappet.

I was thinking about this cam, but dont know if it is too big or a good street cam that males enough power for the setup.
Needs enough vacuum for Power brakes.

https://www.compcams.com/xtreme-energy-224-230-hydraulic-roller-cam-3-bolt-for-chrysler-383-440.html


Thank you guys.

Claus

 

[Geoff 2]

That would be a good choice for a shelf grind, no bigger.

 

[Kern Dog]

I'd advise against the double pumper carburetor for street use.

 

[snakeoil24]

Call iskaderian cams for profession advice

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

I'd advise against the double pumper carburetor for street use.

I’m partial to Holleys 3310 (750-780 vac secondaries )

 

[Doorkicker]

Without a lot more information, this is hard
For a basic street driver... my first reaction is definitely go with a hydraulic and not a solid roller to minimize maintenance. I wouldn't go crazy with duration, so mid 230's low 240's max for low rpm you're looking for. For lift with those heads, you might as well not go lower than .500 (imho). 440 Source heads flow well, so use them. Then it's about LOA and centerline... May want to lean more toward the 110 LOA and 106 CL numbers.

An example could be COMPCams XE series, 23-710-9.

Of course, you'll need new lifters (see Comp 8921-16), new pushrods, and very likely new springs. Double check 440 source specs... Oh, and likely a new 3-bolt timing chain set.

 

[Krooser]

Hyd roller lifters have a sketchy reputation if driven in traffic....especially Comp products. Not enough oil at low rpms.

I would do a solid roller from Howards, Crower or Isky. You won't get a cam recommendation from a guy driving a Hyundai. You MAY have to adjust your lifters once per year...peanuts to a guy that drives a German car!

The bigger the wheel in the lifter the better...no .750 diameter. Go .810 or larger . And get a bushed lifter or a solid steel bushing...no needle bearings to give out. Isky Red Zone and Morel are good...Jones Camshaft Technologies are better. Their "XLR-rate" lifters are bullet proof.

Get a cam suggestion from Mike Jones, too. Best cam grinds in the industry IMHO.

Jones Cams

 

[SlinktRR]

I would use that cam with a brawler 750 dp,

 

[451Mopar]

You will need to check piston to valve clearance as the flat top pistons don't have valve reliefs in them.
If you haven't bought the pistons, I just noticed the Summit brand pistons. Uses the smaller / lower friction 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 3.0mm ring package.
CHRYSLER Summit Racing SUM-BBM383030 Summit Racing™ Forged Pro Pistons | Summit Racing

 

[gtxdana]

Hyd roller lifters have a sketchy reputation if driven in traffic....especially Comp products. Not enough oil at low rpms.

Jones Cams

Where did you come up with that nonsense? There are literally millions of vehicles since the 80's with roller lifters driven in traffic.

 

[Kern Dog]

Where did you come up with that nonsense? There are literally millions of vehicles since the 80's with roller lifters driven in traffic.

There are millions of factory engineered vehicles with roller lifters.
The big block Mopar was never fitted with them. ALL factory LA and Magnum series roller engines had taller lifter bosses that supported the lifters better. They had improved oiling to accommodate the longer/taller lifter body.
Low speed/idling produces the lowest oil pressure. Take an engine that wasn't designed for roller lifters, add a taller lifter that will need a greater amount of oil to protect it, then drive at speeds that provide the least amount of oil pressure and volume and see what happens.
Even the 3G Hemi is believed to have lifter issues tied to low rpm idling/oil pressure issues but that is related to the taller cam height and no overhead oiling due to a dry valley design.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Where did you come up with that nonsense? There are literally millions of vehicles since the 80's with roller lifters driven in traffic.

He read it on the Internet, don’t you know everything on the Internet is true.

 

[snakeoil24]

Hyd roller lifters have a sketchy reputation if driven in traffic....especially Comp products. Not enough oil at low rpms.

I would do a solid roller from Howards, Crower or Isky. You won't get a cam recommendation from a guy driving a Hyundai. You MAY have to adjust your lifters once per year...peanuts to a guy that drives a German car!

The bigger the wheel in the lifter the better...no .750 diameter. Go .810 or larger . And get a bushed lifter or a solid steel bushing...no needle bearings to give out. Isky Red Zone and Morel are good...Jones Camshaft Technologies are better. Their "XLR-rate" lifters are bullet proof.

Get a cam suggestion from Mike Jones, too. Best cam grinds in the industry IMHO.

Jones Cams

How do you know if Jones lifters are better than isky?

 

[Cranky]

I'd advise against the double pumper carburetor for street use.

There are millions of factory engineered vehicles with roller lifters.
The big block Mopar was never fitted with them. ALL factory LA and Magnum series roller engines had taller lifter bosses that supported the lifters better. They had improved oiling to accommodate the longer/taller lifter body.
Low speed/idling produces the lowest oil pressure. Take an engine that wasn't designed for roller lifters, add a taller lifter that will need a greater amount of oil to protect it, then drive at speeds that provide the least amount of oil pressure and volume and see what happens.
Even the 3G Hemi is believed to have lifter issues tied to low rpm idling/oil pressure issues but that is related to the taller cam height and no overhead oiling due to a dry valley design.

DP's can give nice fuel mileage on the highway/autobahn. In town however, they do not pull good mpg numbers. Got to have a steady foot though no matter and they ain't too bad in town if you anticipate traffic stops etc.

And wouldn't a high volume high pressure oil pump help in this situation? Thing is, haven't heard complaints of roller lifters not working right in the older blocks. I know the newer engines do not like heavier weight oils due to the small oiling passage ways and the lack of changing oil at the recommended intervals. And it's usually the lifters that are affected first due to neglect. Heck, even my 95 V6 complained when I neglected to change oil for over a year......and that's with using 15-40 oil.

 

[PRHeads]

There will be a 383 on the dyno here before too long that got a Comp XR274HR(224/230-110) cam in it.
We’ll see how it works out.

 

[BSB67]

You will need to check piston to valve clearance as the flat top pistons don't have valve reliefs in them.
If you haven't bought the pistons, I just noticed the Summit brand pistons. Uses the smaller / lower friction 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 3.0mm ring package.
CHRYSLER Summit Racing SUM-BBM383030 Summit Racing™ Forged Pro Pistons | Summit Racing

Wow. Nice new piston option for standard stroke 383s. How long has that been available?

The Icon IC687 is a good choice too.

 

[JC Boatguy]

Told to me by an actual engineer at Tri-star Engines here in Wisc...he said if you need engine vacuum for brakes etc. "Keep the intake duration in the 220s @.050" quote.

 

[BSB67]

Told to me by an actual engineer at Tri-star Engines here in Wisc...he said if you need engine vacuum for brakes etc. "Keep the intake duration in the 220s @.050" quote.

Unqualified, that’s terrible advice.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I think the hr cam chosen would be ok for the op. See post #9 for pistons instead of the old school sealed powers. With 3.23 I would rather do a mild stroker crank in the engine and use more cam. Pretty sure we have the same cam from comp with evolution lifters....that was bought used. It's OK...Not going to win a dyno competition..a comparable flat tappet likely would run with it.

We have a 245/253 roller running power brakes just fine. Electric vacuum pumps are also a affordable option. Vacuum is more then selecting .050 duration. Compression, LSA, displacement, cam type, etc all affect it.