I'm thinking about swapping cams in the Imperial.
Quickie rundown:

5300 lbs dry
255/70-15 tires (29" tall)
3.23 gears
440 engine
Edelbrock heads
iron manifolds (maybe switch to HP pieces)
wonderful 1972 low compression (8:1 if I'm lucky)
a518 transmission (.69 OD)
port fuel injection

The intent is to build a highway cruiser.

In stock form, the engine is sufficient at best. The car will cruise nicely but it's burdened a bit by the 1960s cam laziness.

I will not pull the engine so I'm stuck with the low compression.

So, what kind of cam does this thing need?

I was eyeing the Hughes HEH1019BL but doubt I have the cylinder pressure to make it work well.

Intake Valve Lift 1.5 .461"
Exhaust Valve Lift 1.5 .489"

Intake Duration at .050" 210°
Exhaust Duration at .050" 219°

Lobe Separation Angle 112º

Intake Opening at .050" -4° BTC
Exhaust Opening at .050" 44.5° BBC
Intake Closing at .050" 34° ABC
Exhaust Closing at .050" -5.5° ATC

Min. Suggested Cylinder PSI 150
Sweet Spot RPM IDLE - 4600

Advance it 4 degrees. I would run some 1.6 rockers to get even more lift without significant increase in duration.

the torqueist cam i've stuck in a 440 was comp cams magnum replacement. i had one in a 9:1 compression 440 and thought it made too much torque.

How about this Voodoo Lunati cam?

"""Hydraulic. Best mild performance cam. Works excellent in fuel injection applications with performance chip. Makes approximately 19 vacuum at idle. Great for performance oriented marine applications and heavy towing applications. Perfect Street Rod cam. Has slightly noticeable idle.

•Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 256/262
•Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 213/220
•Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .454/.475
•LSA/ICL: 112/108
•Valve Lash (Int/Exh): Hyd/Hyd
•RPM Range: 1000-5500
•Includes: Cam Only

Part Number: 10230701
Previoius Part Number: 60301

Jobber Price: $143.73"""

OR,
A few years ago, Dwayne Porter had talked to Comp and they had cam lobes developed in the XE HL Chrysler-specific line that were smaller than the XE275HL. They didn't put them into production, but any cam lobe they have designed is available to be ground onto a cam for not much over the regular price. I'd suggest giving them a call, you want to talk to someone about a custom grind.

But it looks to me that the Lunati is slightly better than the 112 LSA Hughes. The Hughes, tightened up to 109 degrees would be even better.

Also, let's not forget Bullet Cams!

R.

hughes whiplash cam
Camshaft Technical Details
Intake Valve Lift 1.5
Exhaust Valve Lift 1.5 .518"
.518"

Intake Valve Lift 1.6
Exhaust Valve Lift 1.6 .552"
.552"

Intake Duration at .050"
Exhaust Duration at .050" 232°
245°

Lobe Separation Angle 107º

Intake Opening at .050"
Exhaust Opening at .050" 14° BTC
54.5° BBC

Intake Closing at .050"
Exhaust Closing at .050" 38° ABC
10.5° ATC


Sweet Spot RPM 1800-5200

NO reason to put a larger exhaust lobe on anything for LOW RPM torque. I'd go old UD hyd flat 266/211@.050 .440 108 lsa in @103-104icl.

You'd find the combo would run better with 3.91 gears even with the stock cam. Put the mild cam and better gear in it and you'd be happy.You have the gearing as if it's a freakin Cummin's LOL It's far from it.

Seems like the taller than OE tires and OD are getting that 440 out of its sweet spot at cruise. Agree a faster ramp low duration cam could help. Also, is there any opportunity to speed up ignition advance (mechanical and vacuum) w/o ping? That would help. Higher numerical gearing would help also with (maybe) some fuel consumption penalty. If the gearing gets the engine out of lug mode it could even help fuel consumption.

A really low duration fast ramp cam would help it run well in OD cruise but when you stomp it it would run out of breath pretty fast.

feets you'd be happy with the whiplash cam and then add a little gear maybe a 3.55 or 3.73 or get some shorter tires.

Like HotRodDave said. just advance your stock cam 4*. That will increase your dynamic compression ratio, by closing the intake valve sooner, increasing lower RPM power with little loss of top end. Your stock cam should be about 268* intake valve duration seat to seat. Exactly what you want.

I was not thinking the stock cam but the one he posted specs for

That is about as good as it's gonna get. The other cams listed give up lift and increase duration, bad things for low RPM The short duration is gonna help it make gobs of TQ at a 1500 cruise and the high lift is gonna give it some air flow for passing gear revs.

As for the gearing, if my Dakota that weighs nearly as much as the imp can handle 3.55s a 31 inch tire and .69 OD with a 239 V6 than surely a 440 in a slightly more aerodynamic car and shorter tires will be fine with a 3.23 and OD

since you have and use machine tools,
what about trying to machine a tapered flat onto the inner piston of your present hydraulic lifters?

If it does not work,
you will be changing to new hyd lifters with the new cam anyway.....

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5623898.html

sample quote

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The variable duration hydraulic valve lifter described herein is designed to provide favorable characteristics over the entire speed range. At low and intermediate speeds a closely controlled oil leak in the pressure chamber is permitted to prevent pumping up to a wholly solid condition. This is accomplished with uniquely configured grooves in the outer surface of the plunger of the valve lifter. These grooves extend the entire length of the upper portion from its top edge to its bottom edge and also on the bottom portion from its top edge to its bottom edge. Each of these grooves has a greater width at their bottom end than their width at their top end.

The width of the grooves at their top end is in the range of 0.0042-0.0612 inches.
The width of the grooves at their bottom end is in the range of 0.0150-0.0625 inches.

The configuration of these grooves is referred to as a pyramid type cut. Also the depth of the grooves may increase from their top edge to their bottom edge. The depth at the top edge of the grooves is in the range of 0.0075-0.0150 inches. The depth of the grooves at their bottom edge is in the range of 0.0080-0.0180 inches.

Control tests have been conducted on a 1991 Ford pickup truck that was tuned-up to factory specifications. Then it was sent to a California smog station for testing. Once the smog testing was completed, it went to a wheel dyno for horsepower and torque testing. Thus provided with an accurate starting point established, the Ford pickup had the novel variable duration hydraulic valve lifters installed. No modification to the vehicle's engine of any kind was required nor was any retuning of the vehicle necessary following installation of the novel valve lifters. The Ford pickup was tested again at the smog station and on the wheel dyno. The testing revealed that the novel valve lifters made the following improvements: 91% reduction in hydrocarbons at idle, 37.5% reduction in hydrocarbons at 2500 rpm, elimination of deadly carbon dioxide at idle or at 2500 rpm, increased air flow through the engine, and 7.9% increase in horsepower and torque from the engine. The engine's warm-up time was also cut in half. An additional benefit was that there was an increase in gas mileage from 18.6 mpg. to 20.7 mpg.

The use of variable width grooves and/or variable depth grooves in the external surface of the plunger of the variable duration hydraulic valve lifters allows them to be effectively used with multiweight engine oils.

In prior art variable duration valve lifters such as the Rhodes lifters, the external grooves in the plungers had a constant width and depth. It was therefore difficult for the oil in their respective reservoirs to enter the bottom ends of their respective grooves and also insure that there would be a continuous flow of motor oil up the length of the grooves. As a result, spurts of oil would be ejected from the top ends of the grooves instead of a controlled continuous flow and the valve lifters would operate inefficiently at low and mid-range rpm. This produces a lose of horsepower and torque, incomplete combustion causing increased emissions and a decrease in gas mileage.

The use of variable width grooves and/or variable depth grooves in the external surface of the plunger of the variable duration hydraulic valve lifter also decreases the recovery cycle time considerably for the oil to leave the respective reservoir areas at the bottom of the respective upper portion and lower portion of the plunger, pass along their respective external grooves and return to their respective reservoir areas. The recovery time can be reduced by as much as 50 percent or more.