NEW Cam Recommendations!!! HELP

looking to put a new cam into my car and i need help figuring out what cam to put in, and if its worth it.


Starting out, workin with a 69 Nova, Automatic TH350 trans, 2,500 stall - 3.42 gears - 355 ci engine, 9:5:1 compression ratio, Edelbrock performer rpm heads / 120 weight springs, 1.6 ratio comp cams roller rockers. - air gap dual plane intake, holley 800 cfm carb. - the current cam i have in the car is a Luanti bracket master 2 hydraulic flat tappet part number 00010 = 480/480 lift, 292/292 duration-109 lobe sep. I need a recommendation for a great cam to go with a street use, and weekend racing. The cam i looked at is a

comp cams magnum hydraulic roller cam - part number 12-450-8

286/286 duration
560/560 lift
110 lobe sep.

i dont want to bend a valve with the 1.6 rocker arm ratio, so im not sure if this is too much life considering my max valve lift on the heads is 572 i believe. let me know what you guys think thanks!

Well, that Magnum grind is pretty old... And the "retro-fit" Comps are more money than the solid rollers. We've been steering customers towards the solids lately., With the newer designed lifters (positive oil to the wheels), solids are the best way to go. I would recommend Comp 12-770-8 over the Magnum you chose. It's a little more lift (stay with 1.5s) but a little "less" duration. It's XE technology, which is light-years ahead of Magnum. Check it out. i think you'll like it!

Jim

this is just a question for u mrpbody, but where do u work , you seem to know alot on this sort of stuff? im 16 and im thinkin about apprenticing at a machine shop, but what u do, from wat u know sounds pretty sweet

Thanks for the compliment!

I have a small machine shop in "the country", Burkeville, Viginia, about 45 miles SW of Richmond on US Rt. 360. Our specialty is the Pontiac V8 from olden times, but we have a slogan "We don't care WHAT color you paint it, we'll build it!" I also tell folks, in our business, if you can't build a Chevy that screams, you need to be in another business.

I've been at it (engine building) for about 35 years. Started in high school. I was one of the "stars" in the auto shop. Not that I'm all brain or anything, but when I LIKE something, I do pretty well at it. I worked for IBM for 10 years, leaving as a "systems programmer" (main frame stuff, not PCs). I didn't like the work. Too much politics and sucking up, not enough "action". Computers are just too virtual. Can't drive 'em around the block when you're done.

This business is rapidly becoming a "dying art". Between modern cars with "throw away" engines and remanufactured engines being much cheaper, only the high performance stuff is left. If GM and Ford had their way, only crate motors would be around. They HATE it when one of ours meets up with one of theirs at the track. In a GOOD shop, for the same money, one can usually get 10-15% more power over a crater. We have one pump gas Pontiac "package" that will embarass the 572 BBC "pump gas" engine, and the Pontiac is only 505 cubes.

If you REALLY like it, stay in school and learn as much math as you can. I use some calculis (sp?), but a LOT of algebra and geometry every day. Learn about combustion theory. Learn about metalurgy. MEMORIZE fasteners. There are precious few schools that have machine shops. Sunnen has a GREAT one in St. Louis, but $$$$$. Wyo-Tech and others brush on it, but you really need to do the apprentice/journeyman/master thing. Find a mentor that really knows (not one that THINKS they know). The best way to pick 'em out is to ask about oddball engines. If they just scoff at it or steer you to a Chevy or Ford or worse, Honda or Nissan, they probably aren't as educated as they need to be. Point being, they're all the same only different. That is, an engine is an air pump. How efficient that pump is determines how powerful and efficient the engine will be.

Lastly, don't come into this business "for the money". Only the highest level engine builders make good money. The rest of us do it because it's what we love to do.

Jim

oh, no problem, thats sounds pretty sweet

im from ontario, canada and in grade 12 im one of the stars in both the auto and manufacturing shops ( both are really good) our school is known for our shops

im doin math and i took physics, also im gettin pretty good at fasteners

anyway thanks for the advice

anyway i am thinking about apprenticing at the ideal supply machine shop to biuld engines or a hot rodding place to biuld up old cars, im thinking to be either a fabricator or automotive machinist