mp cam

[Sweet5ltr]

Hey CWHUBB,
My recommendation was straight out of the Direct Connection Race Manual. The MP cams listed were developed by Racer Brown and marketed by Mopar 'over the counter'. He didn't sit behind a desk with desktop dyno and camquest to identify what camshaft would be the best for mild to wild combinations, he went out and track tested each and every camshaft he created in MOPARS (not Chevrolet's). Each cam was molded for the .904 lifter as well. The old MP grinds are real, real easy on the valvetrain as they have slow ramp rates. They are cost effective as well as most kits are only $200 for the camshaft and lifters. Coupled with a set of Crane/Isky Ductile Iron Adjustable Rockers and a good set of pushrods, you have a nearly bullet-proof combination. Don't fall for the new tricks and gimmicks most say about spending $700-800 on decent roller rockers for a street application. Spend your money once on a good set of ductile iron rockers and save the rest for cylinder head work. I purchased a NOS set, with rocker shafts, springs, and shims from the early 1970's for $275. I personally don't think you can get much better than the 296/557 solid for a every day street cruiser. It has ample amounts of duration and a good, wide 110LSA for decent vacuum and drive-ability.

Yes, you may be able to order a better custom grind camshaft, but their is nothing wrong with the old grinds. They still make serious power and most of our old Mopar engines haven't changed that much in thirty or forty years..

 

[67Satty]

Yeah, trying to run at a high density altitude track is kind of a bummer when you are chasing low ET and looking for every last tenth.

My home track is at 1500 feet but the DA in the summer is always in the 3,000-4,000 range because it's out in the scrub east of San Diego where it's always hot unless it's winter. The best the DA ever gets is around 2,000 on a nice winter day when the high is 60.

I live close to the beach near sea level, that's where I have the time and space to do all my tinkering and tuning but then it's out the window when I'm at the track. Guess I'll have to start tuning in the pits more.

 

[cwhubb]

thanks for the detailed explanation, the more I looked at cams the better the 557 looked, the faster ramp speeds of some look sexy but in reality can you really feel the difference or is it mainly faster et's? I could never feel anything sotp wise less than 14 hp

- - - Updated - - -

@ Satty, it's really surprising how much hp you lose at elevation, I dont have to worry about humidity just the heat. the alt correction for 5200ft is 12.75 to run sub 11's at sea level, that just seems so slow to me

 

[natas33]

Hey CWHUBB,
My recommendation was straight out of the Direct Connection Race Manual. The MP cams listed were developed by Racer Brown and marketed by Mopar 'over the counter'. He didn't sit behind a desk with desktop dyno and camquest to identify what camshaft would be the best for mild to wild combinations, he went out and track tested each and every camshaft he created in MOPARS (not Chevrolet's). Each cam was molded for the .904 lifter as well. The old MP grinds are real, real easy on the valvetrain as they have slow ramp rates. They are cost effective as well as most kits are only $200 for the camshaft and lifters. Coupled with a set of Crane/Isky Ductile Iron Adjustable Rockers and a good set of pushrods, you have a nearly bullet-proof combination. Don't fall for the new tricks and gimmicks most say about spending $700-800 on decent roller rockers for a street application. Spend your money once on a good set of ductile iron rockers and save the rest for cylinder head work. I purchased a NOS set, with rocker shafts, springs, and shims from the early 1970's for $275. I personally don't think you can get much better than the 296/557 solid for a every day street cruiser. It has ample amounts of duration and a good, wide 110LSA for decent vacuum and drive-ability.

Yes, you may be able to order a better custom grind camshaft, but their is nothing wrong with the old grinds. They still make serious power and most of our old Mopar engines haven't changed that much in thirty or forty years..

see this is real talk. no lunati or comp cams salesman here.

compunati cams - fast ramp rate advertising for your ear lobes

thanks for the detailed explanation, the more I looked at cams the better the 557 looked, the faster ramp speeds of some look sexy but in reality can you really feel the difference or is it mainly faster et's? I could never feel anything sotp wise less than 14 hp

mainly hype ;) faster et's? 15 years ago the handful of basic 440's I saw run with 590 mopar solids and 1.5 or 1.6 crane iron or gold rockers did mid 10's or better on race gas (no nitrous) depending on the heads. fastest was 9.8 with hand ported (non MW) stage 6 mopar heads. little old ports and a cam from the dark ages... or so some would want you to believe. and a few were even still 8:1 CR stock short motors and still did 10's on motor with mopar performance solid cams. I remember one full steel A body 440 did a 10.8 with a 509 hydraulic and ported 906's. this was all back in the late 90's.

and then lets not get into the big roller cam hand ported 906 440's of back then... before all of the bench racing the fastest to fill their bank balance appeared

and nothing much has changed since 1970.. when there was a guy who just bought a new hemi cuda and did some simple mods and was running high 9's on motor.. the same year it was released. 43 years on..... we haven't come as far as we think.

 

[67Satty]

thanks for the detailed explanation, the more I looked at cams the better the 557 looked, the faster ramp speeds of some look sexy but in reality can you really feel the difference or is it mainly faster et's? I could never feel anything sotp wise less than 14 hp

- - - Updated - - -

@ Satty, it's really surprising how much hp you lose at elevation, I dont have to worry about humidity just the heat. the alt correction for 5200ft is 12.75 to run sub 11's at sea level, that just seems so slow to me

Yeah, I'm starting to think blower, turbo, or nitrous is the way to go for those of us who have to run at high DA tracks. I wouldn't think the DA would effect these kinds of engines as much and we would be making our own atmosphere inside the motor.

 

[cwhubb]

it's amazing how that affects things, its cooling down here and my dodge caravan is running almost like new I'm getting almost 25 more miles out of the 18gal fuel tank range compared to summer temps, it has 270,000 plus miles on it

a blower would be cool, turbos are great except I the heat issue when you run hard, You're supposed to idle them till they cool down, takes too long. I hate waiting

 

[Herr_Poopschitz]

and nothing much has changed since 1970.. when there was a guy who just bought a new hemi cuda and did some simple mods and was running high 9's on motor.. the same year it was released. 43 years on..... we haven't come as far as we think.

1. High 9's in a 70 hemi Cuda w/ 'simple mods'? Negative...revisionist history don't fly w/ me...

Per the Feb 13, 1970 issue of National Dragster:
"The inaugural Pro Stock Eliminator title was won by none other than Bill Jenkins. A definite crowd favorite, "Grumpy" bested the previously unbeatable team of Sox & Martin in the final go, in addition to posting best E.T. of the bracket at 9.98. Yes, the fans went absolutely wild when "Grumpy's" win light came on!"

"Dick Landy was the only repeat winner from last year. "Dandy Dick" emerged with the new Modified Eliminator crown when he posted a record pace of 10.74 in his Dodge Dart to defeat a red-lighting Jim Thompson in the Rod Shop Sponsored C/Gasser."

Pretty sure these cars were FAR from 'simple'...

2. We're light years ahead of what was avail in 1970. There are 2000 hp cars that can drive across the country, 800+ rwhp cars that get 20+ mpg w/ AC, power everything, and stock-like driveability. We've come a LONG way.