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Need Cam Recommendation for a 454 - Solid Lifter

9K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  cstraub 
#1 ·
I'm seeking advice on a Cam Recommendation for a 454 Chevy engine. I want too use a solid cam/lifters because this engine will see allot of street time. What I have is a .030 bore forged 10.5 compression, 2 bolt block 0 deck, gassed cast crank, truck rods pressed pin w/ARP 2000 bolts, 290 semi-closed chamber oval port heads heavy ported with 2.19's/1.88 milled .030, Edelbrock Victor Jr, starting with a Holley 850 d.p. and also have a 1050. The car is a 72 Chevelle w/manual brakes, 12 point moly cage with anti-roll, heavy of course, turbo 350 with a 10" converter stalling/flash up too 4500, 12 bolt with 4.30 gear and drag radials. The car will see allot of street driving and some drag racing. The engine will also see a small hit of Nos once in awhile, up to 175. So I'm open to suggestion's on a cam grind. Also how much of a horsepower difference could their be if I decided to use a roller cam ?

Thanks for looking and any info you can provide,

Ron Miller
 
#5 ·
i will put my .02 in here. i just installed a lunati 402A7 in my 468 and i love it. my combo is similar to yours except the gear. i have a 3.73. it sounds nasty and pulls harder than anything i have ever drove in my life. it also has decent street manners. specs are 288/296 255/263 @.050 .612/.630 on a 110lsa. i lash the valves at .026 hot. it idles at 1100rpm w/ 10" of vacuum. Harold recommended it and i couldn't be happier.

good luck,

mike
 
#7 ·
ratuned said:
cop427

do you run power brakes? i'm thinking of that cam but using a air gap intake. thanx mike
not yet but in the near future. i don't think it will be a problem though. i'm not quite sure where you draw the line, but i think it's do-able with 10" of vacuum. if not, manual disks will have to do. you will love that cam!:thumbsup:

mike
 
#8 ·
cop427 said:
i will put my .02 in here. i just installed a lunati 402A7 in my 468 and i love it. my combo is similar to yours except the gear. i have a 3.73. it sounds nasty and pulls harder than anything i have ever drove in my life. it also has decent street manners. specs are 288/296 255/263 @.050 .612/.630 on a 110lsa. i lash the valves at .026 hot. it idles at 1100rpm w/ 10" of vacuum. Harold recommended it and i couldn't be happier.

good luck,

mike
Mike,

This is great news to hear. I just recieved the same bumpstick for my new 496 build, under Harolds recommendation also. I would have recommended it, but I did not know how nasty it would be in the 454. With 92camaro's 10.5 compression, it would be perfect.
 
#9 ·
I have been debating on that cam or the 402a8 also, or the new Voodoo solid roller he reccomended. Get a Lunati 60234 VooDoo. It is 285/293 at .020, 255/263 at .050, .680"/.680" gross valve lift, and 110 LSA. Flat tappet would sure keep the costs down though!! Are you gonna take it to the track?
 
#10 ·
Thanks too all for replying,
I like all the cam grinds that were suggested. I think I will go with the 402A7 grind. After reading how cop427(Mike) pulled real strong with that stick that helped me make a decision. I want a cam that will pull/rev strong to 6800-7200 rpms. Wildman926 thanks for the 1.8 rocker suggestion, I forgot to add that I do have 1.8 rockers to use along with the 1.7's. Wildman926 I'm in the process too in building a 496 for a friend. Maybe we can compare notes/combo's. This 496 will be .060 with a JE 10.5 piston .005 deck, 781's oval ports with 2.19/1.88's heavy ported milled .030, 4340 4.250 crank, 6.385 rods, guy wants to use his current hyd cam 241/250 @ .050 .559/578 110 lc, Edelbrock performer dual plain intake with his Holley 750 race carb. I'm thinking the cam, intake, and carb will all be too small. I want this engine too sound real mean/nasty and run like a Bat out of Hell ! As far as the car goes, its a 79 Camaro with frame ties, 6 pt roll bar, a turbo 400 and a 4.10 gear with drag radials. I would like too see this car run well into the 10.20 to 10.50 range. What do you guys think ?? I'm open for suggestions on this one to.

Thanks Again for all the replies,

Ron Miller 92 Camaro
 
#11 ·
Cusotm order the A7 then, ditch the 112 LSA, you have the gear and converter to use 107-108-110 LSA. It WILL sound nastier, clean up a little later and give you a bit stouter mid range torque peak. BTW, the 107-108 LSA may start narrowing down the piston valve clearance and would require a hydroboost for the brakes. Most of Harold's grind like to be installed advanced, which again, monekys with the P/V clearance. 110 LSA.
 
#12 ·
Wait....which one you want to go 10.20's? Yours or your buddies? Your right, the performer intake with the smalller hydro cam is on the mild side for a motor of this size. Depending on what the specifics on that 750 carb actually are....it may definitely be on the mild side too. If its heavily modified it might be capable of a good bit, but its all just speculation really to say if its good enough(but probably on the small side). Anyways....his motor aint goin 10.20's for sure. It will be a grunter and pull like a freight train with mild gears....but really I only see it sneakin into the 11's as is. Thats the thing. It wont like to rev so you dont want big gears and lots of stall speed. You gotta keep it in the powerband or it will run out of steam if you gear that one up too much. It will grunt well enough to fly pretty quick, but its also a challenge in its own way to get a higher geared car to work well. The tires dont recover well when their being spun by airplane gears with a lot of power, that is assuming their is any kind of traction issue! Know what Im sayin. If it were mine, Id probably be puttin 3.23's behind that mild hydro cammed 496. And I wouldnt use the regular performer no matter what. The RPM is much better matched and even capable of keeping up to your healthier motor if you chose to try one.

Your motor could see 10's.....however 10.20-10.50 is a little optimistic me thinks. Now with the juice...it could be a little different story....but I hope the converters right for it. However, I wouldnt change anything. As is I beleive you can wring some 10's out of it if a good job were done on the heads. Might not be as fast as youd like, but you might as well find out where your at before you spend money. You may be plenty satisfied. And if not, you got a starting point. Yeah, to run that fast on motor alone....you will have to step it up. But once again, try it out as is. Especially if you want to run that fast on nitrous, cause that will help things along. A 175 shot will go far enough for you!
 
#13 ·
Greg,
Thanks for the reply, my intentions with the 496/Camaro is too run 10.20's to 10.50's with the right cam, carb size, and intake on motor ! I will agree with you that it should run mid 11.'s with the current cam/intake/carb. I think it can be done with a little tuning/work on the car. Now the Fun begins with a little hit of Nos, up to a 250 hit. The car should run well into the 9.50 range or possible faster. If it don't,then something wrong with the car/combo. I see the trend on this board, ever body assembling the 496 combo's. I'm looking for any kind of info/feedback, as much as I can get on any current running 496 combo's. Now for my 454 engine/Chevelle E.T.'s, I think 10.80's to 11.00's are very doable on engine alone. I helped a friend back in the early 80's that raced a all steel body 70 Chevelle that ran 11 teens best on motor. At Indy in the Bracket finals standing it on the rear valance panel. A 454 with a second generation grind L-88 solid lifter cam 1970's technology, stock no work/porting 290 casting oval port with small valve size, 11.0 comp, 2 1/8 race header, old torker intake, 850 carb, stock single point distributor guessing on a timing curve stock GM coil, plugs, $ 9.00 ing/wire, B & M 10" 3800 flash converter, turbo-400, 4.88 gears, shifting at 6500 rpm and going thru the traps at 6800 rpm's. My Buddy didn't spend any more money than he had too, he has a nagging Wife. So my expectations are realistic baseing facts on my Buddy's 70 Chevelle.

Thanks Again for all the replies, keep all the info/suggestions coming.

I'm always willing too share my experience's with anyone that will listen.

Ron Miller 92 Camaro
 
#14 ·
To go that fast with the 496....your going to need to make a lot of changes! That combo is just waay to mild to think about going 10.20's.....let alone 10.50's! If your trying to do it with what youve got, think heavy headwork, more compression for sure(11.5ish) and roller cam! If pump gas is in the equation and your trying to make the biggest power you can on a streetable motor.....think much better heads. Although them oval ports can be stretched pretty darn far....even an expert porter isnt going to find a way to make them work like some of the modern stuff out there. Something like around 10.8:1 compression with some 325AFR heads, good single plane intake, 1050 carb, and a solid roller around 266/270 at .050 with .715/.690 lift on a 111-112LSA could go low 10's in most street cars with the proper drivetrain. Even a little milder of a cam can do it.....but when planning for 10.50's.....Im looking to build something that can go at least that fast and probably faster(no dissapointments). Know what Im sayin.

Realistically.....an aggressive roller cam about 10 degrees smaller at .050 is still 10 second worthy for sure(and with less compression as well). It will just take a little more effort. So yeah, its still doable to get mid 10's out of a smaller 255ish at .050 roller with real good heads and enough lift....you just gotta pay your does testing and tuning. Let us know what kind of car you want this to be(all strip.....mostly street....pump gas.....whatever). You will get more specific combo ideas this way.
 
#15 ·
Greg,
As far as the car goes, its a 79 Camaro stock all steel body with frame ties, 6 pt roll bar, a turbo 400 w/brake and a 4.10 gear with drag radials. I would like too see this car run well into the 10.20 to 10.50 range. This car was running 10.30's before the guy bought it. It had a 13.0 comp 454 with a big solid lifter cam, oval port heads 2.19/1.88 with heavy porting, 850 carb, Strip Dominator intake. The guy kept the engine when he sold the car. The guy wants to run pump premium, possibly with a little mix/race gas if need. I don't want this to be a high comp ( under 11.0) engine for a street car. I'm still leaning to wards a solid lifter cam because it will be driving allot and raced maybe once or twice a year just to see how fast the car will go on engine and with a small hit. I don't mind working on a car, I'm a test and tune freak, I will try anything to help the guy reach his goals. The 496 engine combo you have in mind is a little more work than the guy is willing to maintain. I have a 496 high strung race engine for sale that will put this car well into the high 9.70' to 9.80's on engine alone and possible faster. But its a 14.0 comp ratio with a big roller, the combo is ""Not"" a regular driver on the street. So I'm still open on a cam choice (Solid Lifter) for current running 496 combo's that are out their. I would like too hear any kind of feedback, combo's, car set ups and what's the best e.t.'s/m.p.h.

Thanks Again for the replies

Ron Miller 92 Camaro
 
#16 ·
92Camaro said:
I'm seeking advice on a Cam Recommendation for a 454 Chevy engine. I want too use a solid cam/lifters because this engine will see allot of street time. What I have is a .030 bore forged 10.5 compression, 2 bolt block 0 deck, gassed cast crank, truck rods pressed pin w/ARP 2000 bolts, 290 semi-closed chamber oval port heads heavy ported with 2.19's/1.88 milled .030, Edelbrock Victor Jr, starting with a Holley 850 d.p. and also have a 1050. The car is a 72 Chevelle w/manual brakes, 12 point moly cage with anti-roll, heavy of course, turbo 350 with a 10" converter stalling/flash up too 4500, 12 bolt with 4.30 gear and drag radials. The car will see allot of street driving and some drag racing. The engine will also see a small hit of Nos once in awhile, up to 175. So I'm open to suggestion's on a cam grind. Also how much of a horsepower difference could their be if I decided to use a roller cam ?

Thanks for looking and any info you can provide,

Ron Miller
The cam is the Brain of the engine providing a valve path to which air goes in and air goes out. Without knowing how much air the induction system can get in and how much air the exhaust can get out the best any of us can do is guess. In your case you have ported OEM heads. If the exhaust is in the 58% range of the intake you will need a cam with at least a 20 degree exhaust duration split. If the exhaust is 72% of the intake then you will need a 4 degree exhaust crutch. Your much better off to have the heads flowed and then get a good combination to reach your goal.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the reply, I know I jumped the gun when asking my question for a cam advice. The heads will be finished in a week or so, waiting to get the block back so I can match the chamber to the bore's and yes they will be flowed with a carb/intake and a short pipe 2" and 2 1/8 on the ex side. I will try to post the info for everyone to see, maybe it will help other's with their combo's.

Thanks Again for the reply,

Ron Miller 92 Camaro
 
#18 ·
Ron,
That good. Taking the combo along with the rpm and the flow numbers to come up with a camshaft is the best way. Buying one cam is cheaper then buying 2 or 3.

Let us know when you get the numbers.
 
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