I saw and heard a mean sounding Camaro last time on the road. It sounded like it was missing. But that thing had HP. I would like that kind of sound, but what are the downs and ups of using such a cam? Or what king of cam will make the most HP with stock heads and block with a 750 holley, and performer intake? :rolleyes:

Ups:
* sounds neat

Downs:
* no idle below 1,000~1,200 RPM
* no power brakes
* no low speed (cruising) drivablity
* no stock Torque Converters
* no fuel mileage
* won't work with any of the performance parts you already listed you have.
* no lazy Sundays waxing the car anymore - you'll be working on your tuning.
* no more passing the pesky annual smog test
* no more easy starts without pumping the He11 out of the accelerator and "nursing" the thing to life for the first couple minutes.
* no respect from people that know and understand how to build a really good street engine that you can live with.

graemlins/clonk.gif

The cam controls how a motor breathes and must be matched to the engine size, compression and intended rpm range for which it was designed/built. Since a motor is basically an air pump the best performance will be achieved when the maximum amount of air is passed through over the longest rpm range. Related parts will limit the capability of a cam to produce power(ie heads,pistons,intake,exhaust,gearing,ignition)and many new comers find out too late that a pro-stock cam won't make their 305ci grocery-getter a street terror. Read some more of the related posts and check-out the "combos that work" section. Good Luck

I was told a long time ago that when looking for a cam find the one that looks good and go 2 steps milder. You will be much happier. Too much cam is the easiest way to make a car an absolute monster to live with and probabily slower than stock.

One pro is I can sit in front of the guy with the turbo diesel Mercedes at the red light and HE can sit behind me while HIS eyes burn taking in MY overly rich idle for a change!

* no idle below 1,000~1,200 RPM
* no power brakes
* etc
Hey quit watching me!
Actually with the rpm at 1K+ since the carb doesn't have a choke, cruising to work in the morning is easy and the high idle keeps the power brakes going great. Some cams can get number 8 lobes eaten up from readings here.
Uh 305 with a 750? Kinda big carb that needs a big cam. Saw a package deal in jegs catalog that is aluminum heads, head bolts, intake, cam with .490 lift, lifters, lifter rods, Timing gears, and double roller chain.
Holly Systemax item S10-300-503-1 for sb chevy. On a 350 you get around 425hp with the right set up. It's aluminum heads graemlins/thumbsup.gif
I want to ask them if the cam can be changed to another.

I currently have a '68 with a 327 bored .060 over with a 600 cfm holley vaccuum secondary carb, performer RPM air-gap intake, headers, and a big single pattern cam. My cam specs are 230/230* at .050, my lift is something like .480. This motor has stock 68cc heads, a TH-350 with stock converter, and stock (2.73) rear gears. I installed the cam as a rookie mistake - thinking, like all of us once did "hey - a huge cam will be awesome." -before reading all of the warnings on this board. According to everything I have read here and in magazines, this cam will bog, hack, and choke, and cause a nasty idle. I should have zero performance.
Boy was I suprised when I floored the car after the 20-minute break in period. The pick up after 3000 is awesome. The idle IS nasty - and I like it. I am very happy with my big cam, which will only improve when I add some vortec heads and a converter. BUT I am a 23 year old punk who drives like a complete jerk - I am never under 3k - blowing the hondas away at each chance I get. My electric choke is not hooked up, so I idle at 1000. If you do add a big cam - I would suggest headers and intake - if you don't have them already. But I think it is worth it.
Ryan

Basically what it boils down to is if your going to run a "big cam," wich 230@.050 is getting up there for some, but really isnt too big for others, then you better have the aftermarket heads, intake, gears, compression, etc. to make good power otherwise your wasting power and money.

theres no such thing as too much cam, just not enough motor :D . besides, "big" is relative to each displacement

Vintage68... i have to disagree with some of your cons....
My neighbor runs an erson 312, 268@.050,.575 108 cam as a daily driver/cruiser in his 350 63 chevyII, {wich by the way has all the goodies not just a big cam}. As long as he keeps his foot out of it he gets 14-15 mpg and it has plenty of low speed cruising ability.Also Its as reliable as a car can get. And I think i can count on my right hand how many times hes had to change jets in the last 2 years. BUT...and this is a big BUT....He knows his stuff. He really knows his stuff. Hes proved magazines and other people wrong so many times its rediculous. He knows how to make a car run. Im guessing that most guys couldnt run a cam like that on the street consistantly and get such good results.
But you are definately right about the high idle, low vacum and nursing it to idle.

Originally posted by Novaguy73:
Vintage68... i have to disagree with some of your cons....
My neighbor runs an erson 312, 268@.050,.575 108 cam as a daily driver/cruiser in his 350 63 chevyII, {wich by the way has all the goodies not just a big cam}. '14MPG - if he keeps his foot out of it.' BUT...and this is a big BUT....He knows his stuff. He really knows his stuff. Hes proved magazines and other people wrong so many times its rediculous. He knows how to make a car run. Im guessing that most guys couldnt run a cam like that on the street consistantly and get such good results.
But you are definately right about the high idle, low vacum and nursing it to idle. Hi Novaguy73;
Didn't sound to me like a "knows his stuff" reply was needed - more like wise old school advise on what he could live with on the street with a 305 and near 2 Ton car.
'* no respect from people that know and understand how to build a really good street engine that you can live with.'
I've had my share of sub 12 sec. street cars that "I" could live with as daily drivers. My 62 Impala SS with it's little 342 turned 11's and got 18 MPG - "IF" I kept my foot out of it, (like on long trips to the Colo River for the weekend). It was a very streetable car, you could jump in it and cruise anywhere you wanted (Oh - you did have to change the slicks to street tires).

The point is building (or having built) something "YOU" can live with. I'm an M/E - I love things mechanical and love working on engines and cars! Some people don't and the frustration of having a bad combo on the street may cause them to hate their car - and horror of horrors even purchase a stock 'ricer' to get over it! :eek:

No "flame" taken on this - I was just trying to give him good advise to get a 305 based combo he can enjoy. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

the frustration of having a bad combo on the street may cause them to hate their car boy do I know what you mean there :mad: :mad: :mad:

Vintage, i wasnt trying to offend, just giving an example graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by Novaguy73:
Vintage, i wasnt trying to offend, just giving an example graemlins/thumbsup.gif Novaguy - from my reply;
"No "flame" taken on this - I was just trying to give him good advise to get a 305 based combo he can enjoy. graemlins/thumbsup.gif "
Just trying to explain how my feable old brain thinks. :confused:

Just keep in mind that whatever cam you get make sure everything in the motor matches that cam. ITS ALL IN THE COMBO!!!

Bigger cams generally require everything else to be proportionally "bigger." Bigger compression, bigger heads, bigger exhaust, bigger intake, bigger stall, bigger gears. If you are missing any ONE of those things you'll have a turd with a cool idle.

Same goes for smaller cams. You need less compression, smaller carb, and so on.

Just make it all match, whatever you decide.