new cam for xmas

[Les Walter]

My son gave me a cam kit for xmas...a mild one he says. What else should I do to get a little more HP. Maybe a list of priorities would help

Les

 

[bossvette]

Welcome to CAC thats a tough one basically you need to match the Cam, heads, intake exhaust and driveline to what you intend to do with the car.
an example would be for a mild street car to build the power down low to midrange or a torquer where most of your driving is done.
What are you looking for?
Craig sr.

 

[Les Walter]

His Subaru will do better than my 350 ci L48.....I'd like to see if I can get 250 hp

 

[Jack]

My son gave me a cam kit for xmas...a mild one he says. What else should I do to get a little more HP. Maybe a list of priorities would help Les

Which/what cam did you get? If I recall ... Stock L48 cam about .390"/.410", 0.050" dur 194*/204* ... VERY wimpy ... but first year L48 did make about 270hp at crank w/ that same cam.
JACK:gap

 

[Les Walter]

The new cam shows: adv.dur.272,272; 0.05DUR 216,216 from Crane. This is supposed to be street legal #100052

 

[bossvette]

It really depends on how much money you want to throw at it :L
for starters I would go with an Edelbrock performer intake which will fit under the stock hood a 600 CFM carb and spice up the ignition and put a set of headers and free flowing exhaust. You didnt say what trans or rear gears you have going to a lower gear will do wonders for the seat of the pants feel but hurt economy some.
PS you will need new lifters to go with that cam you cannot reuse flat tappet lifters on a new cam.

 

[Les Walter]

Looks like we're getting a sequence of things...I have the cam and lifters
next, intake and exhaust. the carb on it is Quadrajet....what ever is stock for an automatic transmission....I know it has a distributor with points. Could I raise the comprssion just a bit with thinner head gaskets and gain a little?
I need to pull the engine as it has sat for so many years that the front and rear seals leak and the tranny drips a little from the seals front and back. Odometer shows 67K

les

 

[Glensgages]

..... have you considered swapping cylinder heads, as I doubt thinner head gaskets will improve the CR very-much:
I know, we're talking bigger-bucks now, but better heads will allow even better performance down the road.

With proper intake/induction/exhaust, that cam should make good smoke up-to around 5500 RPM easily, yet maintain decent street-manners for every-day driving.

As stated earlier, changing rear-gears will give you the best cluck-for-the-buck performance gain, and be 100% street/emissions-legal, but your mileage and top-speed may suffer.

Best of luck, and welcome to CAC!!!!!

 

[Jack]

The new cam shows: adv.dur.272,272; 0.05DUR 216,216 from Crane. This is supposed to be street legal #100052

Looks like we're getting a sequence of things...I have the cam and lifters
next, intake and exhaust. the carb on it is Quadrajet....what ever is stock for an automatic transmission....I know it has a distributor with points. Could I raise the comprssion just a bit with thinner head gaskets and gain a little?
I need to pull the engine as it has sat for so many years that the front and rear seals leak and the tranny drips a little from the seals front and back. Odometer shows 67K les

It is mild ... crane 100052 lift .454"/.454". Your OE CR should be somewhere between 8:1 - 8.5:1 with OE dished L48 pistons. It may already have thin "shim" gaskets ... if not, thin gaskets raises CR only 0.3-0.4 ... Replacing your OE 76cc chamber heads w/a set of 64cc Vortec heads will raise CR about one whole number. As above, rear gears a good bet ... OE probably 3.08:1. If you don't wanna fool with the rear gears ... I'd suggest a set of Vortec heads, your new cam kit, a low-rise dual-plane Vortec intake, and your freshened Qjet carb & dist ... you do the work it'll easily be under $1K. OE exhaust is true dual w/ pretty good flowing manifolds ... keep em. Suggest you also change timing chain set along w/ cam ... and roll in a fresh set of rod & main bearings ... both tcs & bearings under $100 total. You will like FelPro P/N OS34509T one-piece oil pan gasket and Victor Reinz P/N 5746 head gaskets (composite but only 0.026" thick x 4.100" bore).
JACK:gap

 

[KANE]

My son gave me a cam kit for xmas...a mild one he says.

I guess you had a LOPE-LOPE-LOPE Christmas!:L

I'd go with Vortec heads...

It is mild ... crane 100052 lift .454"/.454". Your OE CR should be somewhere between 8:1 - 8.5:1 with OE dished L48 pistons. It may already have thin "shim" gaskets ... if not, thin gaskets raises CR only 0.3-0.4 ... Replacing your OE 76cc chamber heads w/a set of 64cc Vortec heads will raise CR about one whole number. As above, rear gears a good bet ... OE probably 3.08:1. If you don't wanna fool with the rear gears ... I'd suggest a set of Vortec heads, your new cam kit, a low-rise dual-plane Vortec intake, and your freshened Qjet carb & dist ... you do the work it'll easily be under $1K. OE exhaust is true dual w/ pretty good flowing manifolds ... keep em. Suggest you also change timing chain set along w/ cam ... and roll in a fresh set of rod & main bearings ... both tcs & bearings under $100 total. You will like FelPro P/N OS34509T one-piece oil pan gasket and Victor Reinz P/N 5746 head gaskets (composite but only 0.026" thick x 4.100" bore).
JACK

Jack is right on the money with the other stuff!!

 

[Les Walter]

I got my work cut out for me come Jan/Feb....should be fun. Thanks for the info.....

les

 

[Jack]

I got my work cut out for me come Jan/Feb....should be fun. Thanks for the info.....les

Les ... if & when you pull the heads ... if you decide to go with others ... if you wanna sell your old ones ... if their casting numbers end with 487X or 441X... that's 487X or 441X ... I'd like to be first in line. They're useful for restricted classes of circle track racers. G'luck.
JACK:gap

 

[curtis]

Jack has it naile d with the improvements. You will not be disappointed. I too need the 487X heads for our hobby stock if you got em.