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View Full Version : I need camshaft advice. (BBC)



TonyL
11-06-2007, 10:54 PM
First. A little backstory. My dad has, for the last 25 years had a project sitting in the back of his shop. A 1957 chevy pickup he owned almost since new. When he tore it down, slot mags were still cool, and swapping the front clip from a nova was cutting edge stuff. He got that far at least. We installed the front clip from a 70 nova, installed a 9 inch rear with disk brakes, and completly dissasembled my dads truck. My brother turned sixteen shortly thereafter, and his attention turned to building my brother a car. Then one for me. And one for his friend. Then his job consumed his time. And his project languished in the shop for what seemed like ever.

Recently, he retired. Right after he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease. Since then, his brother and brother in law have died from cancer. Now, he's consumed with rushing to finish his truck "before time runs out."

I gotta say, Im SHOCKED at how much he's gotten done in just a scant few weeks. Im also mortified that my dad, the one who taught us about hot rodding buy taking us along smoking the tires in that truck, the one who would spare no expense on a car is wildly cutting corners to finish his dream.

Which brings me to my question. The truck has a fresh (he pulled it in the early 80s!) 79 chevy 454 4 bolt main truck engine. He's installed it and it runs,(it sounds like a motor home. not a hot rod.) and he seems ok with it. His birthday is coming up and I want it to at least have a rumpy cam in it.
He's got a team G manifold and a 750 double pumper on it, and that's all the "modification" this engine has seen. No dress up parts. Nothing.

So, I want to buy him a rumpy cam, but Im unsure because I know little about engine building (V8s anyway) and I know roller rockers and exotic stuff like that is out of my price range. What can I do? Can anyone give me some advice? What would give him the most "hot rod" for the buck?

MrQuick
11-07-2007, 12:23 AM
Wish the best for your father.



You can go with a comp cams xtreme series. Im running the XE274H-10 in that white Nova and I love the drivability and the mild idle. http://youtube.com/watch?v=vnRImS7HMIs

TonyL
11-07-2007, 12:24 AM
is that a non roller setup? Something he could drop right in?

TonyL
11-07-2007, 01:01 AM
Thanks for the video Vince. hearing it again helps a bunch. the page I pulled up on that cam says you swap the firing order of 4 and 7 for it. Is that the one you have?

nbecker
11-07-2007, 08:12 AM
Im with vince an extreme energy hyd flat tappit. I put the 262 in mine installed stait up and it sounds great,I probly could have went a little bigger but i have stock large ovals with just a valve job and didnt want to have problems with it hitting the valve guides. Great cams that arent expensive you can buy them with lifters for 150.

HILROD
11-07-2007, 08:15 AM
You didn't mention the trans or rear end gears you are running. If it is an auto and/or has highway gears keep it small on the cam. The truck motors have very low compression. If it's an auto with a stock stall you'll want to keep it idling below the flash point or it'll be terrible to drive. Look into an RV cam. It might be a little weaker sounding, but it'll run better and keep your project rolling forward, with less other change to what you have. Good luck! P.S. watch the cam break in. Almost all newer oils will let the flat tappet cam wipe lobes on start up. Use Rotella Deisel CI or CI+ oil and GM or other break in lube on start up. I run the deisel stuff only in all my older flat tappet cars and trucks now.

Lowend
11-07-2007, 09:14 AM
The key here is getting something with relatively low duration and a narrow lobe seperation. That will keep the powerband down in the RPM range, but make the idle choppy. It gives up some power; but not like putting too much duration into a motor.
Something like the Crower 01205 (http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=01205&x=0&y=0)would probably serve you well in an application like this

TonyL
11-07-2007, 10:12 AM
Thanks guys.

I guess I should have said that it's bolted to a Turbo 400 and has "freeway friendly" 3.73s in the rear. I have no idea what the stall is. But, knowing my dad and the rush he is in, most likely the stock one from the truck he pulled the engine from.

I gotta get some pictures of the thing to post up. It's amazing to me that as of last night, it was on the ground and moving under it's own power for the first time in 24 years. It's cobbled together, but at least it moves.

Lowend
11-07-2007, 04:51 PM
Based on those gears I would move up one to the Crower 01206 (http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=01206&x=0&y=0)

the 3.73's will let you get away with more duration

Adam's 55 Chevy
11-07-2007, 07:33 PM
If your on a budget take a look at Summit racing cam and lifter kits. The quality is good and the price is even better. They are copies of established cams on the market. One may be right for you and money could be spent elsewhere. Wish your father well and good luck with the project. I had a '57 pick up for 14 years.