Hi guys, well I am rebuilding my pos 350 soon and needed some real world advice. I am limited to funds right now so I have to make decisions like smaller cam for now and just reconditioning my bottom end. My situation is I am rebuilding my first engine in school and I have to have a running engine by the end of the semester to pass the class so I am on a time press along with a cash press. I have very limited funds so I think that since I will have the engine apart it would be a good time to replace the cam. My whole set up was off a smog 70's truck so its pitiful graemlins/boring.gif . I am going to update the pistons to a low 9 cr but basically it will be reconditioning stock engine so this limits me to what I would really want to get.

Ok so I do plan on upgrading my stock converter and 10 bolt peg leg 2.73 but for the mean time they have to stay, so what cam would you suggest? I read this past post(this post) (http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=018160) and it sounds like the HE268 or the XE268h is the cam for my current set up but I do plan on upgrading some time in the future and when I do it the cam will be a little small. Well what do you guys think? I would like a bigger cam down the line.

basically stock 350 with around 9:1 cr
pos heads for now
edelbrock rpm and 750
stock timing for now
dynomax 1 5/8's headers to 2.5 exhaust with x pipe
stock converter and th-350 to peg leg 10 bolt 2.73

Malibuman 400 definetly go with the HE268, the XE 268 is a powerful cam and makes great power but with a stock engine as yours I would go with the HE 268. The XE line will put more stress on your valve train because of their design, I am running a XE 274 cam but I have modified heads and full roller rockers at 1.6. It will be cool if you had a pocket port job done on the stock heads, you will be suprised.

With your weight, size, gearing of application I would do the XE262! The XE 268 would be fine if you had more gear (ie 3.3 or better) but the XE262 will provide more torque down low, not need a stall converter and have a bit of idle lope. They go pretty good with basic stock bottom ends and compressions around 9.

Do your homework on quench and CR.

I use the XE262 in a mild 350, I think it's a good selection. But do a search on UDHarold's cam recommendations for small blocks, he has a cam (available now through Lunati) that makes power idle-5500 that might work even better.

I have a XE262 in my street 350. I have the basic bolt ons with aluminum heads and 10:1 compression and its a bullet off the line. Not much up top but its fun from light to light. Comp cam recommended and told me i would like it over the XE268. Stock converter with 3:55's.

Check out the xtreme energy 4X4 line of cc. They have a little wider lobe seperation angle and an excellent lift to duration ratio. The smallest version is in my truck 355 with some ported heads and pulls strong, crisp and clean from 600rpms to 6000rpms. DDD showed over 400 ft lbs of torque with my combo and I believe it-fries the tires through first and second without problem. smile.gif

It will be cool if you had a pocket port job done on the stock heads, you will be surprised.
Part of the class will be working on the heads, I will try to get the teacher to "show" me stuff on my heads smile.gif

Do your homework on quench and CR. Since this is a class with a ASE certified teacher I will learn the correct way to do that.

I use the XE262 in a mild 350, I think it's a good selection. But do a search on UDHarold's cam recommendations for small blocks, he has a cam (available now through Lunati) that makes power idle-5500 that might work even better I have talked to Harold over e-mail's and like him very much but I need to get a cam in about 3 weeks and this is some what of a short term cam for me meaning looking for a good cheap cam for now. When I get into where I have my set up almost done I will look into a better cam ( i.e. one of Harold's )

anyone else have any info? If I was to go biger thinking ahead of time for when I upgrade how bogged down would it be in the mean time?

If you're picking cams, it's better to be a little too small than a little too big. When you're young, you'll be a lot happier if it spins the tires than if it doesn't.
When you get old like me, you make the bottom end soft so it won't spin the tires and then bracket race the pi** out of it!.

Randy