Stock HO cam VS letter cams

[b1lk1]

OK, what's the skinny on these cams. I have a good stock HO cam and I have GT40 heads, Crane 1.7 rockers and everything else I need to install in another motor. I don't have the budget for a $300 custom grind.

Opinions, and please, not emotions, I would love some actual factual opinions.

[ZR]

If your set up includes a stock or mild intake, what you've already got will serve you well.

[b1lk1]

I have a B cam now, thought I had another issue, had a strange ticking noise, turned out to be the AIR hose to the converter. BBK's hose they included in the kit melted......

[ZR]

Normally they include the correct high heat / silicone hose.

[b1lk1]

Normally they include the correct high heat / silicone hose.

Yeah, I had the install kit, it was an new BBK catted X Pipe but the included hose melted.

[ZR]

Use a piece of heater hose until you can find the right one.
Oddly enough, heater hose stands up fine on most, just depends on how close it is to the converter / pipe.

[Speedtospare]

E-303 is decent if you want to meet emissions and it should work well with your heads. Letter cams are not big power makers but they help a bit.

[Tailites]

yep...the "E" is what you want^^^...however

without the rest...heads...intake...exhaust...you wont get a lot more

my buddy installed one...on a stock set up...ran ok...not great

but if he gets serious & does the rest...the cam should work good

[b1lk1]

@ ZR: I think it needs a different routing, looks like there was alot of pressure on the top of the hose where it melted. Gonna slap a piece of heater hose on there today and go for a good ride.
5-20
I have decent heads and intake (performer and all the 70MM bolt ons). I have a B cam now, thought the exhaust noise was in the engine (duh.......) and jumped the gun on this thread. I still need to replace a bent pushrod, but it's quiet 99% of the time and I'm lazy, lol. I also need to install new intake gaskets (Edlebrock performer) as last time I reused the gaskets (only ran it 15-29 hours).

Anyhow, thanks for the advice, now I gotta read up on properly shimming my rockers too. Already have the shim kit, just gotta get my butt in gear. Redoing the entire suspension wore me out, lol.

[dvs bullet]

Just check your clearances if you decide to do an e cam with those rockers, getting close. I have had great luck with the e cams, they work decent with a blower as well. Edelbrock uses the same specs for their performer package. I am running a similar set up to you with gt-40s, cobra intake, 1.6's and e cam. It made 236rwhp at the dyno, but add 10psi and I'm at 438rwhp. Good combo, made more power n/a than the 93 cobra boasted at the crank with its parts

[Tailites]

Just check your clearances if you decide to do an e cam with those rockers, getting close.

on my buddies e swap we had to clearance the ptv...it was pretty tight

but then you never know on some of these older Fox bodies if the heads have been machined

a time or two..

[ZR]

Was that stock heads / stock valves?

[tulowd]

Ran a B cam in a J+P 306 with 10:1 comp, and 1.73 roller rockers on ported Eddy RPM heads. Revved like crazy and made terrific power. Would run away from a 4 valve N/A Cobra and even beat a Buick GN with big turbo and intercooler back in the day.

I believe the B needs at least 10:1 comp ratio to work as intended.

PTV clearance is a must anytime you are assembling a motor, regardless of the parts.
Expensive to find out there is no clearance thru bent valves/pushrods or worse.

[ZR]

Compression to make it work, absolutely.

[Tailites]

PTV clearance is a must anytime you are assembling a motor, regardless of the parts.
Expensive to find out there is no clearance thru bent valves/pushrods or worse.

right here kids^^^

[ZR]

Even more commonly overlooked, running stock / worn out springs with your new bump stick.

[Tailites]

Was that stock heads / stock valves?

ya...I was surprised...

its an old 88 vert...

who knows what motor is in it...

was NOT on OEM HG in there when it came apart

[Tailites]

Even more commonly overlooked, running stock / worn out springs with your new bump stick.

yep...the stock springs on the old Foxes sucked when they were new

[ZR]

yep...the stock springs on the old Foxes sucked when they were new

Barely adequate for the stock cam and rpm.

[ZR]

ya...I was surprised...

its an old 88 vert...

who knows what motor is in it...

was NOT on OEM HG in there when it came apart

Reason I asked, normally tons of room with stock head n piston.

[Tailites]

Reason I asked, normally tons of room with stock head n piston.

honestly have no answer...I know the "e" should fit

was installed straight up...stock timing chain & sprockets

I gave Niel my notching tool...& he took a few thous out of the valve reliefs on the intake side

the exhaust valve was ok as I recall...he also installed a nice new set of Comp springs

[ZR]

What are you using to notch?

[RedSN]

^^^curious to this answer too

[b1lk1]

My B Cam has no issues with the 1.7 rockers, although I used the hand grenade method of testing it. I've spun it to the rev limiter with no problems, lol.

[dvs bullet]

i would get rid of the 1.7s and go with 1.6 stud mounts when going outside a stock cam. 1.7s are only good for bumping up a stock cam, too much strain on valve train. If you want more lift out of another cam, you have the wrong cam lol. My opinion though

[b1lk1]

I had them, that's why I used them. In fact, the only "regular" rockers I have are stockers.

[ZR]

Raises hand, also a fan of stock ratio rockers for that same reason.

[b1lk1]

When I put this motor together it was from parts I got from someone else that recommended them (and sold them to me) this was my first Ford 302 I ever build. Many a small block chevy, but no 302's. I'd pick my parts much differently with what I know now, but my car is performing in a way that makes me happy so I'm not worried for now. I do need to just pull the intake and properly shim those rockers and put all the new pushrods/gaskets in so it stops ticking.

Got pinched driving with no registration yesterday, $110 ride, wake up call too. Time to finish my current engine so I can get it through drive clean.

[Hotford]

Stock cams work great....even better when boosted and retarted 6-8 degrees............

It all depends what your goal is............

E cams work great as well......

Ive made good power with both.........

[Tailites]

Stock cams work great....even better when boosted and retarted 6-8 degrees

why retard it?...(intake early exhaust late?) correct?

& what power adder...turbo or SC?

& what about the venerable "F" cam?

curious on your thoughts...thanks

[Tailites]

What are you using to notch?

something like this...I made my own...

it has an adjustable collar to adjust depth of cut...https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1266&bih=873&q=piston+notching+tool&oq=piston+notc&gs_l=img.1.0.0j0i24l2.4014.9625.0.12647.11.10.0.1. 1.0.177.1118.4j6.10.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.11.11 19.u52GxvGjyWs

[Hotford]

either power adder,retarding the camshaft moves the power band later in thge RPM range,thus with any power adder the torque it produces will come in later as well as peak HP
stock cam is flat after 5200, retarding it 6-8 degrees will put the cam at 5600-5800 rpm,which is good for boosted cars like S trims.



QUOTE=Tailites;117072]why retard it?...(intake early exhaust late?) correct?

& what power adder...turbo or SC?

& what about the venerable "F" cam?

curious on your thoughts...thanks[/QUOTE]

[Tailites]

either power adder,retarding the camshaft moves the power band later in thge RPM range,thus with any power adder the torque it produces will come in later as well as peak HP
stock cam is flat after 5200, retarding it 6-8 degrees will put the cam at 5600-5800 rpm,which is good for boosted cars like S trims.

I want more revs out of the turbo car...it has an "F" in it

thing signs off at about 5000...

it runs great really...lots of torque...just doesnt pull after 5000