Thread: Help Finding a Cam

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A friend and i are building a 350 with edelbrock e-tec alum heads, like vortec heads and using the edelbrock air gap intake.

The block is pre-86 (non roller cam) but the cam we'd like to use is the ZZ4, or actually edelbrock 2108.

From what I can figure out, we need to use special roller lifters in pre-86 blocks, and they go for some $450!

Is there a hyd flat tappet cam that has specs similar to the ZZ4?
-deg: 286/286 (int/exh)
@.050 218/218
@cam .350/.350
@ valve .525/.525
Open 3 ATDC/41bbdc
close 41abdc/ 3 btdc
center 112/112

I have found a cam or two that are close, but the open and close 'times' and total lift are not the same.

There are just TOO many cams out there and i am going insane reading cam specs at this point!

Thanks for any help or direction!

other specs:
(compression about 10:1, 600 cfm 4 bbl, automatic.
in an 84 camaro. street use/weekends and fun.

If you MUST have that grind, call com cams, they will custom grind one for you, I've had it done twice, I went through Summit Racing to have it done and saved some bucks

screamer, I assume you realize a flat tappet cam with smae specs as that hyd. roller wont have simialer performance, not even close

We got a rebuilt 350 cheap - long block for $400. After seeing what we got the old camelback heads are not our choice nd ew have no clue what cam is there. the intake was not included.

a bit of reading and a not too tight a budget suggest aluminum vortec heads are the way to go, and the edelbrock e-tec ones are 'only' 1100 for the pair. not too bad. intake, carb etc are all the same price.

so that leaves a cam choice... a bit of reading and thinking we concluded if we copy a known engine we will a)have less difficutleis in getting things to all work together b) have a predictable result, HP and vacuum wise, etc.

I was voting flat tappet, he was thinking roller. His money, but with a pre-86 block you need to use the 'fancy' roller lifters - edelbrock wants some $450 for them alone. Ouchy.

Even with the fancy lifters we shold have less than $3000 in the whole motor. that includes a new oil pump as we want to make 110% sure that is good/perfect/etc.

After all this, i certainly know why folks go the crate engine route!

Federal-Mogal has that cam, also you can get the 268he from Crane, and it's real close. I'm not sure but you might have a hard time with getting that intake to work with those heads as Vortec's are a creature unto themselfs...
Good Luck

to eliminate the weirdness of things working together:

edelbrock e-tec heads
edelbock alum air gap vortec intake
edelbrock 1406 carb
new bolts for all that too.

if we stick with edelbrock parts, and things get harry there is only one company to talk to and they will have less chance of saying'well, it's X's part that is the issue"


Oops, not zz4, i mean lt-1. brain fart there.