I'm slowly piecing together the parts for a 340 build and need some cam recomendations. I was originally thinking about going with a XE274 Comp solid cam but the valvetrain has already been modified to where it uses pushrods for a solid cam (length) with a hydraulic cam, so instead of figuring out what size pushrods I would need on a solid, I'm now thinking of just running a good sized hydraulic, and the Lunati 276/284 VOODOO CAM/LIFTERS 60404LK looked pretty good.

So far my combo will be a 340 bored .030 over with milled TRW 13:1 dome pistons yeilding a 10.5:1 compression with 62cc J heads (they were cc'ed). The heads are fully ported and polished(dont know flow though) with longer than stock 2.058 intake and 1.60 exhaust Manley valves, a W2 style rocker setup with adjustabe crane rockers and double springs with positive seals. I'm going to be using an Air Gap intake, 750 Demon carb, Crane Hi-6 ignition, and headers, all hooked up to a iron 4 speed and 8 3/4 with 3:91's in a 72 Duster thats mini tubbed and running 325/50-15 street slicks.

The Voodoo cam is a fast ramp design with 234/242 duration at .050 and .513/.533 lift with 1.5 rockers. I want something to take advantage of the heads as they look really nice but is that too big for a 340? Its a weekend car to tear up the streets with and a couple trips to the track for fun.

What do you think, sound good or any better sugestions. I'd like to get the car into the low-mid 12's if possible maybe even high 11's with a shot of nitrous.

Butch

You can do that much cam, but you may want to go down one step if you will be doing a lot of street driving around town. Since you've already invested in the adjustable valvetrain, I think you may want to rethink your decision to go with a hydraulic. If your heads flow any decent that 340 will want to rev over 6000 with that cam..

So you think a solid would be worth the trouble. Its a fun car if I put 500 miles on it a year I'd be surprised. Want something nasty sounding with the power to back it up. Also I'm running manual discs and manual steering. All the work was already done to the engine when I bought it, including the heads, I'm just droping in some milled pistons to get compression down, getting it ballanced, and reasembling with a few new parts.

Solid and hydraulics are pretty much the same price so if determining pushrod length isnt too hard then it wouldnt really mater either way. The Comp 274 solid only has around .500 lift would that hurt over the 513/533 Voodoo?

Butch

Really can't recommend a cam other than the observation that generally a solid cam of the same advertized duration as a hyd cam will be seen by the motor as 5 to 10 deg smaller. IE 260deg hyd is seen by motor as a 270deg solid.
In real experiance I had a MP 284-.528 solid in a 8.5-1 comp 360 with ported iron heads in a Duster 4sp and it ran real well. Gas millage was horible but it ran like a scalded cat. I say go for the Voo-Doo if you want hydrolic.

The voodoo cams are decent hydraulics, I run one in my 440 with the same lift as the one you were looking at. And I run that cam with stock non-adjustable rockers. I don't have a clue how much lift stock type small block rockers can do, but if I had your adjustable rockers on my 440, I surely wouldn't "waste" them on a cam that could be run with my stock rockers. That's why I say you might as well go for a solid and put those adjustables to work. IMO The MP.528 would probably be a decent cam for you. If you do the math and correction calculations and if you run the mp.528 solid cam at the .028" lash MP recommends, that makes that cam equivalent to a hydraulic with 230*@.050. Slightly smaller cam than the one you were looking at but on a wider lobe angle so that should help driveability a bit and being a solid it should rev to the rpm you want. I've talked to a few guys that have run the mp .528 and .557 and they say they set their valve lash once a year and usually don't have to adjust anything just check it.

I have the 60405LK in the 408 that is in my Dakota. It is not a solid lifter though. Air-Gap and a 750 carb. Iron ported heads and adjustable rockers. I drive the pick up when I want and have no problems with brakes or drive ability issues. I just know what I have under the hood and drive accordingly. The spool takes a lot of daily driving fun away though. My wife on the other hand will not even get near it. Full length headers into 3" race bullet mufflers and turndowns behind the cab.

How do you like that cam, I realise you have more cubic inches but also a step up in cam. Hows the sound and power? Would you buy another Voodoo?

Butch

I love it. I installed it straight up and have the idle set at a grand. Pretty lumpy idle but very responsive after I re-curved my distributor. It does not hiccup or hesitate when I stomp the throttle. I was very wary about it when suggested that I try it. Now I am happy that I went with it. I still have lots of room to play with it as far as retarding it and maybe more carb. Right now the pick up will not hook on the street in first when I stab it. I have only run the engine up to 6K and it wants to go higher, I bounce off the rev limiter way before it stops pulling. In fact I am pleasantly surprised at how fast it revs under load.
It is loud with 3" exhaust and only 12" race bullets that dump right behind the cab. I need more exhaust put on this summer. It does sound great though. Nice lope yet smooths right out with RPM. The neighborhood knows when I am leaving or coming home. Good thing we all like each other.