I rebuilt my 440 over the winter to a 10.5 to 1 motor, and installed eddy rpm heads. I also converted to a 4 speed. 73 charger. Question is I have a .509 mp cam that was out of my previous build or I have a solid lifter .551/296 mp cam. I have all the goods to run either one. I think Im going to install the .551/296 cam unless some one doesnt like it. Anyone like or dislike?

.557 solid.

The .557 is something like a .509 on steroids. I like that cam.

Mopar cams certainly are OLD school,there are much better grinds out there now from Lunati,comp ect....

my 72 road runner

446 ci , trw 11.1 comp , 557 solid cam , stage six heads , M1 and 750 carb


850 carb and 1.6 rockers to upgrade this combo

I liked the MP .590 cam...Was a lot of fun with 2.14" valve heads and a tunnel ram on the street!

i did a back to back with those two. first the 557. it ran good. 496 in an a body. then the 509, both with 1.6 rockers. holy smoke! what a difference. the 509 is lopier, and snappier. both were installed according to the mothership's recommendations. the 557 at 108, the 509 straight up. oh, btw, it was a tenth faster, too. and don't let anybody try to dissuade you from using them "because they're old". they still kick [Edited by Moparts - Keep it clean]! and they always will! they don't slow down with age, unlike us.

I like a solid lifter cam for better idle and more rpm capability (if everything else allows it).

The MP 296/0.557" solid lifter cam isn't really very big. Although it will measure about 255-257 degrees at 0.050"; when you account for lash it is in the low 240's for comparison to a hydraulic cam. Since the 292/0.509" hydraulic is about 248 degrees at 0.050", it will act like it has more duration than the 0.557" cam. But typically a hydraulic starts to loose power over 6000 rpm without special attention, and a solid with the correct springs will go to that easy. So for better idle and over 6000 rpm, I vote for the 0.557", especially on 440 CID or less. (a larger displacement will like more duration and will mellow the idle, and like less rpm.

I have the 0.557" in my street 'Cuda and love it. Nice street manners, good power, etc. That motor is a 0.030" over 440 with 10.7 CR, street dominator intake (single plane), 850 carb, 1-7/8 headers.

I would run the .557, and experiment with tighter lash settings. It is almost assured it will run faster with tight settings, as your combo will be undercammed. I once ran a .590 with .020 intake, .012 ex settings, (big motor!) and it liked it, your results may vary. I just spotted your eddy heads in the post. Be carefull to not get too tight when cold, might cause problems for you. Settings may open up .006 or so as motor warms.

Both are great cams IMO, and both should be about the same in power. The MP .557 with its wider LS will be more street freindly IMO. You cant go wrong with either one IMO with your combo.

Use the MP .557 and ship the .MP .509 to me, I need a spare! mike

I've run the .509 and the .590. No complaints, loved them both!

My 63 is a mild 440 with the MP .557 cam. It has 10.0 comp and I use the iron 906 heads. I like it because it actually has a nice idle in my car and is not all that nasty of an idle. So it is easy to live with in my street car and still make decent power in a mild bigblock. I agree it sounds milder then the .509 does but I like it because it is a solid and it pulls to 6500 with no trouble. I only shift at 6200 in my 63 but my son pushes his Eddy headed 400 to 6700 in his Dart with the .557. I like it even if it is an old grind. Ron

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I think Im going to install the .551/296 cam unless some one doesnt like it. Anyone like or dislike?

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Who makes your .551/296? I would just use it.

I laugh every time I read on Moparts that purple shaft cams are old school. Myself and many others here have laid down nice ET's with these cams that I honestly don't think would have been any quicker with the new technology cams.

My 3200# 340 Scamp went 11.76 with the 557 purple solid in a stock type 340.

My 3050# Dart Sport with a 451" and Eddy heads with the 590 purple cam went 9.88 and was a dream to cruise the streets with. I tried a bigger better newer Comp solid and didn't go any quicker so the 590 went back in.

Now I have a 3200# 69 Dart that I just dropped a 500" motor in with Indy heads and a 705/661 roller cam and I'm praying that it runs as good as that 'old school' 590 cammed 451.

Ultradyne 309-613 straight across.

MP 528 was good for low 12s in my behemoth, and that was with 10.1 comp.

I thought they would be about the same when taking the difference of mech. vs hyd. into account. I also have always had really good results with the 'purple' cams. The problem I always had was that my dad was a tractor puller and always tried to put to small of a cam in my street cars. Luckily I grew up and got smart . On the old school dept, Dad put a 'purple' grind in his W2 360 pulling motor and was spinning it to 8000. Some things still just work. Thanks for the great info on all the above. I still think Ill do the .557 cam but, man I going to lose some idle lope, that not very fun.

Not a big block, but I'm running the 296/.557 solid in my street driven 360 and love it. Used to run the 280/.484 purple hydraulic years ago and the .557 has the same street manners as the smaller hydraulic but runs a lot better.

The purple cams might be old school, but everything else I'm running is old school too.

Ok, well the two cams are all I have right now so I will run the .557 but if I had any of the other purple shafts which would (or would they?) help this type of engine combo. (I know this is very subjective but give it a whirl). Also, Im running 17/8 headers w/ 3" exhaust, but has anyone tried this cam w/ hi-po manifolds?

.557, ProSport has seen my junk run.Went low 11,70's on a flatop 360 w/ Eddys. Put the .590 in
last year. Need something better now than wore out
leaf springs, LOL. If my et matched mt mph, it should run at least 11.50.