First - BEAUTIFUL DAY HERE TODAY!!!!!!!

In between doing prep work to the body for a repaint, I have been able to address a couple of things that needed attention. Raised the valve spring pressure to a full 350# open, installed a new set of wires with loom that keep them off the header and steering shaft and played with the accelerator pump. I still need to go to a bigger pump shot, but at least I was able to get most of the stumble out, 50CC pump and some jetting will follow. Valve float is now a non issue, at least up to the 6200+ that I ran it today.

"NO" other changes were made other than a cam swap (well and valve springs). Went from a Crane 286 Powermax flat tappet hydraulic to Comp XR279HR Hydraulic roller. Crane 286/296, 226/236, .535/.551 on 112 LSA installed at 110 ICL ; Comp 279/294, 230/242, .537/.541, on 113LSA installed at 108 ICL.

I was figuring about a 40-50 point jump in both HP and Torque, judging by the overly excessive wheelspin in both first and well into second gear, I would have to say this was met and maybe then some. Whereas the car would run first gear hard, it kind of laid down when it hit second. I didn't dare try to hammer it from a dead stop today, but from 15 -20 MPH roll in first, the car now will burn the tires (and the car sideways) in first and second gears. Needless to say - we are experiencing some bonafide hard hitting toruqe right where the converter tightens up at 3000 RPM. Definitely a big grin maker, and the 1000 RPM choppy idle is a definite attention getter.

Now, if I can only get about 4 - 5 days of free time to finish the body prep and then get it into a paint booth, maybe I can get to the track. Oh yeah, gonna need stickies this time for sure.

Shoulda stopped by...I would love to hear that thing!

Joe,sounds like you where having fun :thumbsup:

..I was out cruising a bit in the 70 today,doing the same:)

That cam really doesn't look like a 1000 rpm choppy idle deal, 279 with 113 LSA? in the immortal words of somebody out there: whassupwiddat?

Joe,
Glad to hear the new cam has met your expectations. Sounds like its running like my car now. You will certainly need some traction , not a BAD problem to have.
Keep us updated on the progress.

Seems like a fairly small HYD roller. Is this in the 408? What heads and valves are you running? Which spring and pushrods were needed for the conversion? Does the cam have the ever wear pressed on timing gear? I thought/thinking about putting one in my 489. What was your ball park cost for aii the needed stuffs? Are you running a mechanical fuel pump?

Sorry to ask all this in your post.

Tom, only going by the factory tach - have been told I should get it recalibrated to work with the HEI, could be 1000, could be 950. Also, I have to play with the mech advance springs, most likely go a little tighter, I should be able to get a nice 850 idle, but that seems to be where the advance is on the threshold of fluctuating, I have played a little, but have not found a happy medium. I tried the heavier springs and the car was lazy. Lighter spring combo and the car has great midrange but has poor idle. Probably going to come down to sending the HEI out for some pro tuning - or at least setting it up on a distributor machine.

Chris, only went up & down the back road I live on, would have loved to went on a nice ride, but probably not too smart, considering the turn signals and all the marker lights are out and the body is currently wearing a beautiful coat of bare metal finish.

Vince, stop by. I shoud be home all day Sunday.

Dave, if this car gets within one second of your car I will be happy.

Whittaker, Yes this is still the 408, I have held off putting anymore power in it until I finally get the car to work with this power level, even with the 408, it is a handfull at times, I would have to be hardpressed into some major suspension changes before I would consider another 100HP,let alone the torque, it's just something I like to do in stages. Besides, I really do intend to limit changes to this one mod and document the performance gain.

FYI, cam is Comp XR279HR, Comp hyd roller lifters, Comp retrofit pushrods, Comp 925 springs, Crane Energizer Rockers, running a stock replacement GM timing cover with a Cloyes True Roller Double chain and a Teflon Button. The cam comes with CI gear and I am running the Carter Mech pump. Heads are 290 semiclosed chamber with 2.19/1.72 valve combination - a major contributing factor to the reason I went with such a severe int/exh duration split [230/242], which even at 113LSA still produces a fair amount of overlap. Also, keep in mind, the intake lobe on this cam is the most severe lobe Comp has, it is actually from their 4x4 cam profile lobes. Even though the lift is only .537, it is very fast opening, more than their regular XE or XR lobes. 1-3/4" x 3" Hedmans into 2.5" mandrel exhaust -true dual, no H or X. Really very simple inexpensive combo that I am confident will run in the mid 12's with the right rear tires.

Cost (round numbers)
Cam 250.00
Lifters 450.00
Pushrods 60.00
Springs 80.00
Cam button 10.00
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$850.00 Yes it seems like a lot, but how else (short of NO2) are you going get this type of power increase without resorting to either a lot more motor or some forced induction.