I've read pretty much about camshafts over the years buts still there are a few things that I found hard to grasp.

One of those things is the LSA (Lobe Separation Angle). I have found that many performance camshafts are ground around 110 LSA. Some people claim that a wider LSA will offer better idle vaccum and allow the camshaft to carry out its power curve for a longer period of time.

If you instead tightening the LSA the valve overlap will increase and so will the peak power.

This tells you that a street driven car would benefit from a wider LSA while a race car should look for a tighter LSA.

I understand that the LSA is affected by such things as lobelift and duration. A camshaft with a short duration will probably show different figures than one with long duration even if they use the same LSA, for example 110 degrees.

Have I understood things right here or?

However, what LSA is to prefer with a 350 CUI engine using a bumpstick which has between 230-240 degrees duration measured at .050 and a VALVE lift between .490-.500?
Then add a dual plane for example Edelbrock performer RPM intake, 650-750 carb, headers, around 10:1cr. The engine is intended to be used along with a auto tranny with around 2000-2500 stall converter and 3.20-3.70 posi in a light car. The vehicle is intended for street use, but also some weekend drag racing?

It would be great if someone could explain the realtionship between LSA and other parameters involved when it comes to how camshafts really work.

Hope this will start a camshaft discussion.

Thanks / Matt

Buddy Rawls (a respected Ford guy) has some interesting thoughts on Cam theory. These links make for interesting reading (he addresses overlap).

http://wighat.com/fcr3/engine.htm

http://wighat.com/fcr3/camtruth.htm

I know Buddy has spec'd some cams for Fords that really run. He is not a "lobe designer", rather he uses "off-the-shelf" lobe designs to have custom cams manufatured. To me, some of Buddy's ideas make good sense.

Novadude,
Thanks for the great links!
///Matt