Thread: Need some ideas on a cam to use?

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Okay so i have a 350 that i bored out to a 357, i have Edelbrock performer rpm heads, 1.5 rocker rollers, and a lot more but to much to type. i want to buy a cam that will thump and sound great but i canto go much higher than a .500 lift because it will be my street car and the heads i have can only handle a .550 lift. I can go a little higher but anyway if someone could give me some ideas on a good cam to use?

If all you're after is the thump, put in a Comp Cams Thumper and join the poser brigade!

a 262 extreme energy comp cam will give you a good idle and also bottom end will not suffer. unless you are going to run at high rpm's all the time anything more will kill it for a street car .

Originally Posted by SBCcamaro79

Okay so i have a 350 that i bored out to a 357, i have Edelbrock performer rpm heads, 1.5 rocker rollers, and a lot more but to much to type. i want to buy a cam that will thump and sound great but i canto go much higher than a .500 lift because it will be my street car and the heads i have can only handle a .550 lift. I can go a little higher but anyway if someone could give me some ideas on a good cam to use?

This is normally the point where I get a little blustery with the OP, but I will try to be civil this time.
Young man, you cannot intelligently choose any cam for any motor until you have determined the static compression ratio of the motor. To calculate the static compression ratio, I, we, you, will need the bore, stroke, piston deck height, head gasket dimensions, combustion chamber volume and piston crown configuration/volume.

You and every other Sonic Drive-In cowboy thinks he needs a cam that makes his daily driver sound like a Top Fuel car. You don't own a Top Fuel car. You own a daily driver. If you use a cam that makes your motor sound like a Top Fuel car, you have given up most of the qualities that would make a good street-driver motor in the first place.....good idle, good vacuum for brakes and/or other vacuum-operated accessories, low end power, etc. Many Ricky Racers before you have installed these Thumpr (tm) cams, only to yank them out when they find that the cam is all about a choppy idle and no real power.

If you'd like to list some of the components in the motor, we will do our best to determine the static compression ratio of your motor and suggest a range of cams or at least arm you with the info you need to talk intelligently with a tech at the cam grinder of your choice and ask them for a recommendation.

You can't just reach out into thin air and choose a cam. It doesn't work that way.

When I was talking to Scotty Sehr at Sehr Performance Machine Engine Rebuilding Specialists we got to the cam and I mentioned to him that I didn't want a "Poser Cam" and he laughed, telling me not to worry, the cam was selected for performance and efficiency, and idle affects were not a consideration. I like Tech's "Sonic Drive-In Cowboy" term almost better than "Poser" as it's easy to understand. Buy your cam based on the specifics of your engine, and your buddies with the lumpy idles will know you've got the real deal - they'll be watching your tail lights pulling away from them time after time.

Originally Posted by rspears

they'll be watching your tail lights pulling away from them time after time.

Show and Go, I get it!

I like the "Sonic Drive-In Cowboy" thing, too. Thinking back to the old days, and what I know now, I think anyone who is relatively well read and studied about performance knows: When it's right, you can tell by the sound. If it's not, or just for show, you can also tell. "The Cowboys" are the ones who can't tell the difference, for the most part.

yep well many years ago we had another name for it. was not cowboys , that.s were you go to the drvie in with something that is real and is nasty and gets the job done .we call it baby seal hunting