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xe268h cam for my 454?

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Jim Mac

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
getting ready to pick a cam for the budget 454. just a .030 over flat top
plan 1 is to buy the whole cam kit and use the closed chamber 063 heads with new springs and retainers. rpm intake with m20 trans and 3.55 gears.
car is for driving around town, just want a decent running motor. So I was looking at the xe268 flat tappet cam kit with the springs, retainers etc. jim
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
it's the only extra intake I have laying around. jim
 
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#4 ·
I used a summit white box crane 282h & lifter kit .533 lift 226 dur. adv. 282 back then was $139?, comp products spring kit $200 ish, just went for a little spin last night, nice mild cam but I needed a 3000 3200 conv. with a 4 spd. you'd like it :thumbsup: maybe a dual pattern cam with more dur. for exh. would be better ? but I have the same heads with 2.19/1.88 valves, notched the piston reliefs, pistons are down around .018 and I used .027 thick mls gaskets, rpm ag and a dual feed 750 holley, no pinging while I was trying to get timing right and I couldn't figure how to use the degree wheel (engine was together & in car) so I just put it dot to dot and it had me grinning ear to ear yesterday :grin2:
 
#6 ·
If you can use a Mr Gasket .020 steel shim gasket that can bring your comp. up a little also, I was getting pretty close with p/v clearance so they hang on a nail in the garage, 1 has copper spray gasket sealer on it, good stuff
 
#7 ·
I'm not a fan of the XE series of cams due to the aggressive ramps on a HFT cam. Since this is a budget build, I'd look at some of the white box cams from the big vendors. I'd pick the Comp Magnum 270 over the XE268.
 
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#9 ·
XE268 is a great cam in a 454. Friend has on in a 454/4speed and it runs phenomenal
 
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#10 ·
I spent a half hour on the phone with Comp Cams yesterday getting a recommendation for a friend with nearly that same combination. His 454 is running (about) 9.5 CR and he has 3.73 gears. I was leaning toward the XE284H, but they recommended the XE274H for him.
 
#11 ·
any4xx said:
I spent a half hour on the phone with Comp Cams yesterday getting a recommendation for a friend with nearly that same combination. His 454 is running (about) 9.5 CR and he has 3.73 gears. I was leaning toward the XE284H, but they recommended the XE274H for him.
Click to expand...

The XE284 is a powerful cam, but its pretty rowdy in a 454. The 274 for a true street car is the way to go.
 
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#14 ·
mr 4 speed said:
RPM intake will be more than fine. Intake of choice for sure :thumbsup:

I would look at the Summit 228/238@.050 .540/.540 114 LSA
works very well with oval port GM heads.
Click to expand...

What Mr 4 speed said. with your heads your car will run better with a split duration cam like that 228/238.


RPM intake is perfect. 750 Holley is perfect. 1&3/4 or 1&7/8 headers just right.

Have you cc'd one of your heads yet?
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
I havent cc the heads, looked at the 702 voodoo and the spring and retainer kit. I'm hoping the heads are in the 101 cc jim
 
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#16 ·
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#17 ·
What I find interesting is that the XE cams are usually bashed and the Voodoo’s are celebrated only b/c Harold (RIP) was a regular here and talked about them. Turns out they aren’t so great by people who actually had them on the dyno. I can tell you the XE HR cam in my 502 is the best cam I’ve ever run in terms of quietness and rpm capability, especially for it being so small at only 224 duration. My Voodoo 231 in the 454 hit the wall at 5800 b/c of instability. The XE cams are excellent - REAL WORLD experience, not regurgitation.
 
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#18 ·
The reason why I like the 228/238@.050 .540/.540 114 LSA cam is that it makes great average HP that "hangs on" past the peak. I have noticed this with Mark's builds using this cam. Even with peanut port heads. And 9.2:1 compression.Its just a good old school reliable grind,easy on the valvetrain and has a sleeper type idle.You know its not stock.

The Voodoo type cams make peak HP and then drop off big time. No good average HP numbers there.
 
#19 ·
I may have slept since then but I could have sworn some of the XE lobes are the same Lobe as the Magnum.
But they made a dual pattern on the XE line.
I have used the XE268H and really like the 270H or 280H better for the SBC. Maybe because I need more lobe on the intake side because of my weak iron GM heads.

Now I have had my 350" on the wheel dyno and the little 268H made peak HP at 5,700rpm and the 280H made peak HP at 5,850 RPM. Either would rev to 7000 rpm really easy. I never give much credit to advertised RPM ratings on cams and intakes.. too many variables to take into account.

Past the peak the 280H makes much more power and performer vs performer RPM just run what you have.
I Like the RPM much more in the small block builds even when using the edelbrock performer cam with 204-214 duration @ .050 the RPM intake will pull the pants off the old performer intake and this was a mild build NON ported 993 heads in a 355" that was done at 5500rpm..The RPM intake made way more low end TQ and top end power.
Could not spin a wheel with the performer intake.

Run whatcha got and go from there.
 
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