Original Roadrunner camshaft: is it lame?

[Mebsuta]

It is considered lame now? I use it. It kind of took all the guesswork out of everything and I think it does what it's supposed to do without a lot of drama. Lots of different companies had it in their catalog, but they were probably all made by Engine Power Components.

http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/mpcam-tech-c.htm

 

[tirefryin-Bob]

Not in my book.. I still like it for more of a cruiser muscle car ride. Especially with stock exhaust manifolds. I like the extra lift and duration on the exhaust side of the Cam.. Mother Mopar did there homework with this grid. I put one in my 413HP motor, has a nice idle with plenty of punch when needed..

 

[YY1]

I did not know that stock cam was split duration.....

 

[rumblefish360]

TF-Bob hit the nail on the head. Being a exhaust manifold car, the factory did a good job on cam timing. It has to idle smothly, provide good power.

By compare, to todays cams, I think the deck is stacked in favor of todays cams since you have many years of development, refinement and advancement. It's not exactly a fair fight. Considering Chysler also has to make a engine quite, smooth and reliable for warranty.

 

[kdtjb]

Thats a good cam.

 

[bbeep69]

I found 2nd gear in my 1st RR (383, 4 speed, 3.23 open rear end) to be somewhat weak but overall it was a decent cam - especially considering the time it was produced. The Chrysler engineers did their homework back in the day and produced a nice cam that was smooth in operation and delivered good power when throttled up. Overall I'd call it a good cam.

 

[rlsbee]

That's real nice cam. I put one of the 284/284 cams (the older one with 69 deg overlap)in and I want to go back to stock. That'll be my winter project. I do run exhaust manifolds and it's a street car.

 

[Meep-Meep]

I think this cam has a lot of potential. I mean it's good the way it is but if you add a little more compression, a good carb and intake with headers and tweak the advance curve I bet the results would be surprising.

 

[696pack]

The original 383/335 h.p. engine is one of the most overlooked under appreciated Mopar engines ever. We forget that it was the engine that powered the biggest number of RRs and SBs back in the day that really drove the muscle car movement when these cars were new. The are an engine that can take higher revs than the 440s and stay togather. Not as torquey as the 440s but as suggested above a little more compression, a good carb and intake with headers and tweak the advance curve they will surprise a lot of people. So many were replaced with 440s because it was so easy to do that they seem to be forgotten for what they were and what they accomplished for the movement back in the day.

 

[Meep-Meep]

The original 383/335 h.p. engine is one of the most overlooked under appreciated Mopar engines ever. We forget that it was the engine that powered the biggest number of RRs and SBs back in the day that really drove the muscle car movement when these cars were new. The are an engine that can take higher revs than the 440s and stay togather. Not as torquey as the 440s but as suggested above a little more compression, a good carb and intake with headers and tweak the advance curve they will surprise a lot of people. So many were replaced with 440s because it was so easy to do that they seem to be forgotten for what they were and what they accomplished for the movement back in the day.

I embarrassed a few 440's and a HEMI with my mildly warmed over 383.

 

[Budnicks]

It is considered lame now? I use it. It kind of took all the guesswork out of everything and I think it does what it's supposed to do without a lot of drama. Lots of different companies had it in their catalog, but they were probably all made by Engine Power Components.

http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/mpcam-tech-c.htm

If I remember correctly the original 383/335hp RR & Super Bee & 390ph 440 6pac/6bbl cams were a special grinds, they had the same cam specs as the others but had a special quick opening ramp ground into them & wre specific for those engines & no others ... They were also notorious for wearing out very quickly & replaced later with a "normal opening speed" type ramp ground into them when they would replace the cams at the service dealerships under warranty, they weren't the same cams as listed for every other Big block... I'm sure there are articles on it out there some were... That's what I remember anyway... I think I read it in the Roadrunner restoration guide maybe... Hey I'm getting sometimmers I think, the memory isn't what it use to be...LOL... Budnicks.............. The 383/335hp 0.450"/0.468" lift 268*/284* duration, respectively intake/exhaust "Roadrunner & Super Bee" part # is 2843564 Roadrunner & Super Bee "only"..... the 69-1/2 440 6pac & 6bbl is 3512033 & (cam sprocket # is 2780572) & (crank sprocket # is 2205568) 69 & 70 only same specs as I listed previously......

 

[Mebsuta]

I have read that about the 3-bolt 440-6 camshaft, but always thought 383HP and 440 Mag with single bolt were regular.

I was going to try something else out of curiosity, a Comp 268, Isky 270 Mega, or P4286677. Got down in there and changed my mind. Instead just advanced it 4 degrees at the crank. Manifold vacuum is about 2 inches higher now and the car feels like it wants to go, but unfortunately the clutch has started to slip.

 

[Meep-Meep]

If I remember correctly the original 383/335hp RR & Super Bee & 390ph 440 6pac/6bbl cams were a special grinds, they had the same cam specs as the others but had a special quick opening ramp ground into them & wre specific for those engines & no others ... They were also notorious for wearing out very quickly & replaced later with a "normal opening speed" type ramp ground into them when they would replace the cams at the service dealerships under warranty, they weren't the same cams as listed for every other Big block... I'm sure there are articles on it out there some were... That's what I remember anyway... I think I read it in the Roadrunner restoration guide maybe... Hey I'm getting sometimmers I think, the memory isn't what it use to be...LOL... Budnicks.............. The 383/335hp 0.450"/0.468" lift 268*/284* duration, respectively intake/exhaust "Roadrunner & Super Bee" part # is 2843564 Roadrunner & Super Bee "only"..... the 69-1/2 440 6pac & 6bbl is 3512033 & (cam sprocket # is 2780572) & (crank sprocket # is 2205568) 69 & 70 only same specs as I listed previously......

I believe the only difference between the 440+6 and the RR cam profile is the 440+6 had a low taper lobe so it would take the higher valve spring pressure without wearing out as fast. The events were the same I think.

 

[Budnicks]

Yes they were, I corrected my post the actual part #'s & differences... Also if you were to add a set of true 1.5 ratio adjustable rocker (the factory stamped steel rockers were like 1.42-1.48 ratio & varied with mas production & didn't actually give you the true gross valve lift available; example: at gross valve lift of 0.450"/0.468" intake/exhaust cam lift is 0.300"/0.312" intake/exhaust, the 1.42 ratio x 0.300"/0.312" -cam lift x 1.42 = 0.426"/0.443" gross valve lift as you can see it a big difference) (1.6 ratio rockers x 0.300"/0.312" int/exh cam lift = 0.480"/0.499" gross valve lift) put 1.6 ratio adjustable rocker with the proper length cup & ball style push rods on there & it will really wake up the motor with stock exhaust HP 68-70 cast iron manifolds... Good luck... Budnicks

 

[Ron 73]

I embarrassed a few 440's and a HEMI with my mildly warmed over 383.

Thanks Meep, I made a similar statement to a local guy here that says im nuts. They are overlooked, under thought of.. I wanted a 383, all i needed for what i was doing at the time and that just is not correct thinking they, the 383, were not a good engine. Now just to clarify, im not the one who said this. ive had a few strong 383's.. One very strong in my 69.