Thread: 500 hp/550 lb-ft from a 390?

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My best advice is to use the spring recommended by the cam grinder for that particular cam. Find out the particulars from the cam grinder, then call Edelbrock and ask if they can supply the exact specs on their installed springs. If they can't, then order the heads less springs and install the recommended springs yourself.

You're going to use a Comp? I thought you'd use the Crower that I dyno'd for you. It turned out so sweet with better low end torque.

I haven't purchased the cam....yet.....and the numbers do look good. What the heck, the Crower it is. I did come here asking for advice.....I oughtta take it...

Don't forget Jeff, assemble the heads with old, worn-out springs to break the cam in, then change them to the recommended springs.

I'd like to be there to see this combination perform. Should be a dandy!!

I don't want to cause any issues - I'm new here - It will be a very, very nice engine - but it won't make 500HP. I can pretty guarantee that - I've built and dyno'd a couple of these over the past few years. Low to middle 400s is realistic - maybe 435-450.

Edelbrock is - to be kind - rather ambitious on the advertised flow rates for the heads. They are closer to 252 cfm at .600. This is compounded by the fact that the pushrod pinch point - a significant flow restiction - in an FE is in the intake manifold

Thanks for the input Barry. Since you've built 'em what do you recommend? I'd like to avoid spending 5k for a set of heads and rockers....but I'd also like to hit the numbers mentioned. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Update: Edelbrock 7105 intake manifold has been procured as has a MSD distributor, Ford double roller, indexable timing set. I'm also thinking that I'll go with the Survival Motorsports prepped Edelbrock heads....a bit pricey but it's a FE and there just aren't any cheap parts out there. Besides, Barry has been very helpful and not pushy in the least about his parts vs. those of another company.

I'm still searching for forged pistons that will fit the bill. After inquiring about the Speed Pro's, I've come to learn that, since production has moved to India, product delivery is spotty at best....Ross and Diamond both offer one that will work. Of course they cost a lot more but I should be able to get 'em so I suppose that's what I'll have to do.

Now back to that whole camshaft thing....the Crower looks good as does the Comp Cams. I've recently been lusting after a solid roller though....There's yet another expense but I think that's what I want to go after.

Any thoughts from you gents? Tech?

http://crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_...16462&x=31&y=6
Installed 2 degrees retarded. (9/45/54/10)

rpm hp tq
2000 160 419
2500 197 413
3000 249 436
3500 318 477
4000 386 507
4500 450 526
5000 492 517
5500 525 502
6000 534 468
6500 530 428
7000 477 358
7500 374 262

comp. cam iwill never use even if they are the last cam maker on the planet. back in the 80's when they first hit the scene i tried one of there cams. i forget what they call them back then but they were alaround perforamance cam. i ordered one from my local speed shop. it wa s for my 1976 trans am 455/4-speed. well installed cam dailed in cam put engine together. it sounded good at idle would rev good in nutral. backed it out of the garage an went for a road test. the thing did not have enough power to make it up the driveway you really had to slippe the clutch to get this thing moving on flat land. i let it set for a week. then the speed shop called me and said that comp cams had sent out some pontiac cams that were ground wrong. i removed the cam and returned it to the speed shop. they sent it back to the company in memphis. 2 weeks later they returned it unopened.with refused stamped all over it. the shop call them. and they told him that they were not going to make these cams good. i wrote several letters to them all were returned. i next filed a claim with the bbb in memphis. i never heard from anybody.after several months later i set down with the cam and completely measured every thing the first 8 cam lobes were right on all the others were completely different from what the spec. called for. after that experience i stsrted using crane and crower cams.

Don't know if any of you guys are still interested in this thread but I've always despised it when someone came to me for advice and never let me know how it worked out so here's the next update: Alright, let's see....I ended up with stock Edelbrock heads in the interest keeping a roof over my head (I'll have some port work done later), the block is back from the machine shop-bored .030 and decks cut 0.10, the stock crank needed nothing more than polishing, Diamond forged pistons are here and so it goes...STILL haven't made a cam choice but it's inevitable at this point. I'll have something by the end of the month and plan on final assembly shortly thereafter.

Then there's that whole "get the transmission built" process...

Thanks again for all of the advice! More to come...

It's been a while so no clue if there's any interest left but I've finally gotten back to this project. Work can get in the way like you just wouldn't believe. In any case, I've picked up a Comp Cams 288R roller cam/lifters/springs package, etc. and plan on providing some more timely updates.

I agree with you about Lunati's Dave.
I've talked to them over there a couple of times since I had some cams custom ground for me a few years back. The custom grinds went under the name of General Kinetic's
I believe back then and the guy realy knew his stuff, but he's no longer there.
I believe his name was Steve Bolins to bad he's gone.
I've been leaning towards Isky now, They seam to have a broad power band with lots of torque and HP. Kurt

Originally Posted by vara4

I agree with you about Lunati's Dave.
I've talked to them over there a couple of times since I had some cams custom ground for me a few years back. The custom grinds went under the name of General Kinetic's
I believe back then and the guy realy knew his stuff, but he's no longer there.
I believe his name was Steve Bolins to bad he's gone.
I've been leaning towards Isky now, They seam to have a broad power band with lots of torque and HP. Kurt

general kinetics were good cams in there day. that guy that started GK work for ford and started his own cam grinding company . i can not think of his name right now it was in detroit

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

general kinetics were good cams in there day. that guy that started GK work for ford and started his own cam grinding company . i can not think of his name right now it was in detroit

I think maybe that was Harold Brookshire.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I think maybe that was Harold Brookshire.

no don tewless

I know they ground me a cam that ran High 9's with the linelock locked up!!!
That was in a mustang with a 351C in it.
They had ground me the same cam Bob Glidden was using back in 73
when he won the world championship.
Glidden was using a destroked 351C down to about 330 and it was not long before we found out why he destroked it. We kept cracking blocks in the lifter galley with the higher RPM's. I imagine the shorter stroke stop the craking there.
We ended up going with a smaller cam and lowering the RPM's below 7,500 to stop the craking. I guess the destroking took alot of stress off the blocks for Glidden.
Kurt