Cam selection questions

My engine guy will be assembling my 470 stroker soon as the machine work is just about complete and I could use some recommendations regarding a couple of things. First, I need some advice on cam selection/size. My intent is go with a solid lifter, flat tappet cam this time. From some of the information I have read regarding other similar builds, it looks like a cam anywhere from 560 to 620 lift is typical. That being said, I would like to have a fairly lumpy sounding cam if I can as I have never had much more than a stock grind cam before in any of the cars I have owned. The car (69 Dart) will be primarily street driven with as mentioned, a pump gas 400/470 stroker, Edelbrock RPM heads, 10.8 comp. ratio, 870 Holley carb on an Edelbrock RPM intake, 727 trans. with 3200-3500 converter, 3:73 gears and 29" tall tires. Second, my engine guy is telling me that because I want to go with a solid flat tappet cam that I need to get different valve springs as the springs that came on the RPM heads are more suitable for use with a hydraulic lifter cam. If this is true, I could use a recommendation on replacement valve springs as well. Thanks in advance.

Wait to see the lift,rpm of the cam you pic for the springs.a solid cam coud be as much lift as .590+ but I think you would be happy with .550 lift or less and something that will last some street miles.Did you look at Comp cams website to look at any?

I like and use Comp Cams in most of my engine builds, sometimes a Bullett or Ultradyne solid roller cam in drag race only motors if the customers insist on those brands.
Take a look at Comps # 23-232-4 or the next bigger 23-233-4 grinds, I have used both of those cams on BB pump gas street cars, they work well and they should be fine with the Eddy springs as long as you break the new cam in properly
If you haven't bought a set of adjustable rocker arms yet buy a 1.6 ratio set also That ratio will make either cam have more lift and duration and help make either one of them work great
I have a 1969 Dart GTS H code 383 4 speed car also, I use to race it with a stock stroke and bore 440 motor with a old solid lifter cam and 906 heads with the old heavy TRW 11.5 to 1 pistons, a race 8 inch converter with 3.91 gears and 29x105x15 inch slicks, it ran a best of 11.17 at 122.+MPH up in Las Vegas, NV in November a lot of years ago.

I had Dwayne Porter spec my solid flat tappet cam as I wanted it speced so the car would have some of a lumpy idle but wanted it to make good power and run on 92 pump gas. My eng is close to your buid as I run EZ heads and 10.6 comp. I use the Indy dual plane intake and a Holley 850 DP. Dwayne speced my cam at 264 & 270 @ .050 with .585 and .592 lift on a 110 LSA and its in the eng on a 106 ICL. And the valve timing keeps my cyl pressure pump gas friendly. His phone # is 802-951-1955 if you want to call him. His price was very reasonable and you get a cam with specs that will work good with your combo. IMO Dwayne is one of the best out there for sure as I am very happy with my cam he speced for me. Ron

happy b-day ron !

You can go to any of the cam manufacturers web site and fill out the cam selection form. In the comment portion just note your intentions and they should be able to get you something that will work and you like. On my builds that what I do. I've been using comp cam recommendations with success in my last few drag car combos.

Thank you. Ron

Smart move - and when in doubt, go one size smaller. Lumpy sounding cams are impressive on the street - until you step on the loud pedal and there aint no body home.

Just to update, I still haven't bought or even decided on a cam yet. I did as suggested and called four different cam manufacturers (so far) for recommendations based on my build that I mentioned in my original post. I have been given recommendations of:

244/252 duration/540 lift
254/254 duration/554 lift
254/254 duration/540 lift
260/264 duration/620 lift

I showed these numbers to my engine guy and while he thinks the last one maybe too much cam, he also thinks the first three are not quite enough. He thinks a cam somewhere in the middle would be about right. Your thoughts please.

I have a few cams in my drawer that would work for you. The smallest is a Racer Brown 236 @ 050 which seems small but for street driving it would nice. this is a new 3 bolt cam.

I have a Comp 6262/6410 which is 252/258. It would be on the larger size of what I'd use for a street driven 470. This is a used 3 bolt.

I have a Racer Brown STX-19M which is a race cam in a smaller engine but in a 470 it could be street driven. It is 257 @ 050 with .527 lift. New 3 bolt.

I also have a Comp 294S which I've street driven in a 426W. It was a bit radical for a daily driver but in a 470 with good heads it might be something you could live with. Used 1 bolt.

Let me know if you're interested in any of them.

Me thinks your engine guy is trying to pick the fly sheet out of the pepper In other words splitting the duration between the bigger one and the next size smaller isn't worth doing in my opinion
My first street roller cam was Comp Cams custom grind with 260@.050 on the exhaust and 266@.050 on the exhaust side, it was ground on a 108 LSA and it ran excellent and it was really narly and nasty sounding at idle and up to 2200 RPM in gear at light part throttle It ran excellent at WOT and at part throttle, a lot of fun to drive and whup up on the other guys
I would go with the 254 @.050 with the max lift and a set of 1.6 rocker arms

Take the lift.

260@.050 is not that big for 470 inches. I run 255 on 340 inches idles at 1000. Could go 800 but don't like them running that slow.

Why do you have an "engine guy" you don't trust to pick a cam for you?

Did you read this article in the tech archives? I spent a bunch of time and money testing cams in my low deck stroker. Swapped them all into the engine and then drove the car on the street and tested then on the chassis dyno. With my engine I couldn't get much larger than the Mopar .528 before the losses outweighed the gains.

http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/bb/Lobe.html

Who said I don't trust him or that he is picking the cam for me? I am having him build the engine for me whatever way I choose to have it built. I had him build an engine for me previously and he did a fine job. I just asked him for his opinion on a cam just as I am asking people here for their opinions.

No Andy, I didn't. I will though. Thanks.

Delay the lift choice until you decide yes/no to roller rockers.

I would like to have a fairly lumpy sounding cam
Cross the #5 & 7 plug wires.

On my street car with a 10.6 comp 493 I run a solid flat tappet that 264 & 270 @ .050 with .585 & .592 lift and it has a perfect idle to me as its a little lumpy but not much. It drives great and idles good in drive. Has no stumble at all and has great throttle response at all rpm's. I would have no problem with the 260/264 duration at .050 provided the rest of the cam is ground right for the combo. Mine has a 110 LSA and I have it in the eng on a 106 ICL. Dwayne Porter speced my cam because I wanted a cam to work good with my combo and he is one of the best you could get to spec a cam for your combo. I could have picked a cam myself as I know alot about cams but I am not a pro at it like Dwayne who does it everyday and he dyno's most engines so he see's what works and what dont. As I said earlier I would talk to him as if you want the right cam for your combo he is the man to talk to. Ron

In my ongoing decision making process regarding selecting a cam, I have narrowed it down to these three choices. I'd like to not have to have a torque converter any higher than 3500 stall so I'm a little leery of the Howard's cam but according to one of the torque converter companies I called today, a 3500 rpm stall converter should be O.K. with it. I'm leaning toward a Turbo Action 17805ST torque converter. I've read online that a TC should be 500 rpm higher stall rpm than the low end of a cam's power range but I was also told by a couple of the TC companies that the stall speed should be at the same rpm as the low end of the cam's power range. So I am not sure what to go by. Your thoughts please.


Mopar Performance P4120661AE 3000-6700 RPM 252/252 duration 557/557 lift

Lunati 30230741LK 2600-6800 RPM 243/251 duration 546/566 lift

Howard's CL722322-08 3600-7600 RPM 260/268 duration 555/574 lift

I think anything over 235 or so degrees at .050" will be plenty "lumpy". What will be nice to drive? Also not beat up the valvetrain too much for street driving?

I think the Lunati at 243 degrees duration fits the bill. Would probably do OK with stock Eddy springs also.

FWIW, I run an "MM lobe" 243 @ .050" duration and .55 lift on a 496 and like it. It works OK with power brakes also... much more cam would not.

I ran a "MM Lobe" 259 @ .050 and .585 lift in my 470 and I liked it a lot. I did add a vacuum canister for the power brakes though. I'm probably going to put that cam back in the 496 when it's done.

I won't be running power brakes so that is not a concern.

I think something 255-260 with 110lsa would be perfect.

were both of these speced by muscle motors? and are they on a 112 lsa? the 259@.050 cam looks like the cam in my 470 from muscle motors. i am happly with it, but i think i would have rather called up dwayne and got what he sugested

If anyone else has an opinion on the three cams I listed above I would appreciate it. My engine guy is at the point of the build where he needs to install the cam next and I need to get one ordered by tomorrow morning. Thanks in advance.

I can say it enough call dwayne porter at porter racing heads and order up what ever he thinks. You will not be disappointed. The thing i like most about dwayne is he listens to what you want, how you want the car to act and he is honest about expectations.

Yes the 259@.050 was, my 470 was also built by MM and I think that was their cam of choice for a lot of those 470's

A shame Mike's closing shop, I wanted them to build my new engine...

for a motor like this, and i think i will do the same for a 451 i'm going to build.
i would be thinking about a solid cam around 245*@.050 on a 112 lsa, using the ford lobes from howards.
if hydro, i'd do more like 240*@.050 and that would put lift in the .550 range with the howards ford lobes.

but i would call Dwayne for his input and probably order it from him...

I would have responded sooner but my computer has had issues from last Saturday until this evening
I don't like wide LSA angles on BB Mopars with stock type heads or a motor that will not be RPM above 7000 RPM regularly
On your deal for maximum power and idle sound I would choose either the next to largest at .050 or the largest one you listed and have it ground on either a 108 or 106 LSA and install it 3 to 6 degrees advanced on the intake lobes
The only time I look at using anything wider than 110 LSA on a BB Mopar V8 is on a power brake car
My next pump gas stroker motor will have a solid roller lifter cam ground on a 105 LSA installed from 99 to 101 ATDC on the intake lobes with 260 @ .050 or a tiny bit larger duration at .050