Thread: camshaft for torque

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Personally, I'd spend money on good heads before ANYTHING else. They will be the foundation for whatever else you want to do to the motor.

Let me give you a combination to think about. You can embrace it, modify it or discard it completely, but this might be how I'd do it...

350 block bored 0.030"
Scoggin-Dickey #KB193-030 Keith Black hypereutectic pistons (12 cc dish) $31.25 each for use with 3.480" crank and 5.700" rods.

I like these pistons particularly because of the way the dish is offset to one side of the crown, allowing a generous squish pad to mate up with the squish pad on the Vortec heads.
http://kb-silvolite.com/performance....tails&P_id=155

GM 12495499 head bolt kit $24.95
GM 10105117 Vortec head gaskets (0.028" compressed) $15.45 each
GM 12495490 rail rocker arms (kit of 16) $49.95

These rockers have rails on each side to form a "trench" for the valve tip to ride in so that the rocker will stay centered on the tip without the additional expense of machining the heads for use with guide plates.

Fel-Pro FEL1255 intake gaskets (pair) $23.95
Edelbrock #E2116 Performer intake manifold $158.95
Scoggin-Dickey #SD12550027 12 point intake bolts (kit) $14.95
GM 10046089 valve cover gaskets $9.95 each
GM 12558060 Vortec heads assembled with 1.940" intake / 1.500" exhaust valves, single springs for max 0.450" lift, retainers and keepers $249.75 each

Scoggin-Dickey #BG4282010VE Barry Grant Road Demon 625 cfm vacuum secondary carb $339.95 or my personal favorite, the Rochester Quadrajet Scoggin-Dickey #E1901 Edelbrock 750. $449.95. Don't let the 750 throw you, it's not too much carb due to the tiny little primaries for excellent mileage and throttle response and the huge secondaries for power when needed.

Crane 100052 hydraulic camshaft (not listed in Scoggin-Dickey catalog, but could probably be sourced from them on special order. I'm just trying to source all parts from one supplier) Vortec heads are limited to 0.450" lift with supplied springs and this cam has 0.454" lift, talk with the tech guys at Scoggin-Dickey to find if this cam should be ground with a little less lift to work with stock Vortec springs, retainer/seal clearance.)

By the way, you mentioned 1.6 rockers on the exhaust. You won't need them with the Vortec heads. 1.6 rockers are used to crutch-up poor-flowing exhaust ports in relation to intake ports and the Vortec heads are well-balanced as cast. You'll see that some cams for the SBC are ground on a dual pattern, more lift and more duration on the exhaust side and again, this is to crutch-up the poor-flowing (relative to the intakes) stock Chevy exhaust ports. You also won't need any more lift than 0.450"/0.454" with these heads in a street application with mild track time. They flow so well that you don't need an excessive amount of cam lift to crutch them up like you might need with stock OEM Chevy castings.

Scoggin-Dickey #CRA99377-16 Crane High-Intensity lifters. $119.95 set of 16. These are fast-bleed lifters that produce a variable duration effect. At lower rpm's, these can reduce running duration by 6 to 10 degrees and decrease valve lift by 0.020" to 0.030". This controlled oil pressure increases cylinder pressure and performance in the lower rpm range without sacrificing duration and lift in the upper ranges. Somewhat like having your cake and eating it too. You may be able to run a stock converter with this cam if using these lifters. Talk to the tech guys at Crane.

Assemble the motor with the pistons 0.012" down in the bore at TDC. This will give you a squish of 0.040" using the 0.028" compressed head gaskets and will allow you to run pump gas without detonation at the calculated 9.65:1 compression ratio with the 64 cc Vortec heads and 12 cc KB pistons.

Set initial timing at the crank at 12 degrees and re-curve your distributor for total initial and centrifugal timing of 36 degrees, all in by 2,800-3,000 rpm's. Adjust fuel pressure for 5 1/2 to 6 lbs at the carb inlet. Degree the cam according to the instructions from Crane. Include a way to advance or retard it by 4 degrees after you have the motor running (offset dowel or whatever). That way, you can tailor the cylinder pressure higher or lower according to what you think you need.

Valve covers for Vortec heads...
12355350 GM Chrome With Red Bow Tie In Center
SCTZVC New “Take Off” ZZ-4 Black Valve Covers (When Available)
24502540 Valve Cover Adapter, Converts Center Bolt To Outside Bolt
10046089 Center Bolt Valve Cover Gaskets (price is for one gasket)
241-75 Holley Custom, Cast Aluminum, Ball-Milled Top, Valve Covers. The rigid 1-pc aluminum castings combine strength and light weight in a design that provides a tight gasket seal while also acting to reduce valve train noise. (Pic)
241-74 Holley Custom, Cast Aluminum, Polished Flat Top, Valve Covers. The rigid 1-pc aluminum castings combine strength and light weight in a design that provides a tight gasket seal while also acting to reduce valve train noise. (Pic)
9415 MR Gasket, 87 & up SBC , center hold down, baffled. (2 covers, 1 oil fill cap, 2 PCV/breather grommets.) (pic)


Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet website/catalog....
www.SDPC2000.com

O.K., the old tech guy is tired from all this and is going into the other room for a nap