Once you do it and use a street cam you will be so happy with your car. Driving a street car with a engine set up for drag racing is misery at its purest form...

Do it now.. Get a cam with slow ramps and a wide lobe separation. Look at the factory cams. After all, who has more money for R&D then GM...

 

That 284HE from Crane is NOT street friendly -- swap it out. Yes, you can do the swap with the BBC in the car. You'll need to drop the Oil Pan (you'll need to loosen all the pan bolts, but don't remove them completely), which is not big deal, but it is a minor PITA (regardless, use care so as not to damage gaskets). If you have a Mark IV you can remove the Timing Chain Cover (once the pan is loose) with no problems (if you have a Gen V or Gen VI it gets more complicated). I'm not certain how much room you'll have to work in once you remove the Radiator, but I'd think there's plenty of space to put the Camshaft in without removing the grill.

Be sure to have all the parts and "shop supplies" you'll need at the ready so you don't have to make several trips to the auto parts store. Study videos of the procedure and get a plan in your head (better yet write the plan out).

Finally, seek human processional help in selecting a replacement Camshaft -- don't just guess one out of a catalogue.

 

That 284HE from Crane is NOT street friendly -- swap it out. Yes, you can do the swap with the BBC in the car. You'll need to drop the Oil Pan (you'll need to loosen all the pan bolts, but don't remove them completely), which is not big deal, but it is a minor PITA (regardless, use care so as not to damage gaskets). If you have a Mark IV you can remove the Timing Chain Cover (once the pan is loose) with no problems (if you have a Gen V or Gen VI it gets more complicated). I'm not certain how much room you'll have to work in once you remove the Radiator, but I'd think there's plenty of space to put the Camshaft in without removing the grill.

Be sure to have all the parts and "shop supplies" you'll need at the ready so you don't have to make several trips to the auto parts store. Study videos of the procedure and get a plan in your head (better yet write the plan out).

Finally, seek human processional help in selecting a replacement Camshaft -- don't just guess one out of a catalogue.

That 284HE from Crane is NOT street friendly -- swap it out. Yes, you can do the swap with the BBC in the car. You'll need to drop the Oil Pan (you'll need to loosen all the pan bolts, but don't remove them completely), which is not big deal, but it is a minor PITA (regardless, use care so as not to damage gaskets). If you have a Mark IV you can remove the Timing Chain Cover (once the pan is loose) with no problems (if you have a Gen V or Gen VI it gets more complicated). I'm not certain how much room you'll have to work in once you remove the Radiator, but I'd think there's plenty of space to put the Camshaft in without removing the grill.

Be sure to have all the parts and "shop supplies" you'll need at the ready so you don't have to make several trips to the auto parts store. Study videos of the procedure and get a plan in your head (better yet write the plan out).

Finally, seek human processional help in selecting a replacement Camshaft -- don't just guess one out of a catalogue.

That 284HE from Crane is NOT street friendly -- swap it out. Yes, you can do the swap with the BBC in the car. You'll need to drop the Oil Pan (you'll need to loosen all the pan bolts, but don't remove them completely), which is not big deal, but it is a minor PITA (regardless, use care so as not to damage gaskets). If you have a Mark IV you can remove the Timing Chain Cover (once the pan is loose) with no problems (if you have a Gen V or Gen VI it gets more complicated). I'm not certain how much room you'll have to work in once you remove the Radiator, but I'd think there's plenty of space to put the Camshaft in without removing the grill.

Be sure to have all the parts and "shop supplies" you'll need at the ready so you don't have to make several trips to the auto parts store. Study videos of the procedure and get a plan in your head (better yet write the plan out).

Finally, seek human processional help in selecting a replacement Camshaft -- don't just guess one out of a catalogue.

It has acted this way since I bought the car in 2004, Yes its a stick. It had 3.55, when I bought the car. I changed to 3.31 and it acted the same, I changed to 3.07 a couple of years ago so get the rpms down a bit more. Still acted then same. I have pretty much eliminated fuel, carb, and electrical issues. I just hate running the surging and only feeling good above 2500 rpm or at WOT although that is fun and only one ticket so far for exhibition driving.. I am by no way an expert in engines. Novice would be more like it.

That Crane 284 is way to big for a 327 with 3.08 gears. If it has flat top pistons your probably 9.5 or so compression ratio. Something like an old CC 268 would be a better choice.

 

Well after driving the car the last couple of days I Deiced to explore this option again. Putting it off before due to the AC condenser, so probably easier to remove bumper and grill as an assembly.The 66 I bought This past fallis so much nicer to drive, no chug a lug; however from 0-90 with the 4 sp and at WOT the SS is fun to drive. Once hunting is over I will be busy. Gen IV BB. Parts store is only 4 blocks away. But and it’s a big But; I have never done this before.

 

Perhaps there's a member or two who live near you who would be willing to lend a hand.

 

I will put out a feeler.

 

The Crane 284 HE is showing a 228 /228 at .050 and a 112 split is that the one. That does not seem too bad. Good lift at 544. Do you think the cam is actually going since it is so old and todays oils? Sounds like it was running fine sometime back and now its not. I presume it s a stick thus the surging and what rear gears do you have. How old are the valve springs are they the same age as the cam? Where are you located?

 

It has acted this way since I bought the car in 2004, Yes its a stick. It had 3.55, when I bought the car. I changed to 3.31 and it acted the same, I changed to 3.07 a couple of years ago so get the rpms down a bit more. Still acted then same. I have pretty much eliminated fuel, carb, and electrical issues. I just hate running the surging and only feeling good above 2500 rpm or at WOT although that is fun and only one ticket so far for exhibition driving.. I am by no way an expert in engines. Novice would be more like it.

 

Well if the springs are 40 years old might as well get those with the kit too. Not sure what your budget is but have you thought about a hydraulic roller? It will be a little more complicated but no cam break in which can be hit or miss. You can get a nice hydraulic roller with less lift so you don't have to deal with valve guide / piston to valve clearance etc. You can also pick up a little power with a roller cam. Get an entire kit if you do a flat tappet or roller cam. Like someone said above deal with a live person to get you all you need and advice. The problem with these builds is the parts creep if the heads are 40 years old since last rebuild do you pull those off too (even if OK its just piece of mind). The stick is tough with surging and a low gear.

 

I didn't know that about a roller cam that there is no break in. Heads were fine a few years or maybe 5000 miles ago. I think around 15,000 since engine was rebuilt. Currently a rebuild scheduled for my other 66 with a SB this winter, so I t think cam only at this time.

 

Are we talking about the BBC or the SBC chevy here I see you have both. I thought BBC.

 

The 284HE from Crane is a BBC cam. OP wants/needs a street friendly cam for his 396 BBC. It is possible that there are other issues in play here (timing chain, rocker arms, i.e. valve train stuff). However, swapping in a new, street friendly cam should clean up all those possibilities.

 

Timing chain was replaced a few years ago with a double roller. The rockers and other valve train stuff looked good. New springs were installed as a busted a couple.

 

A good tune would do wonders for your combination. I recently put together a 427 with similar cam, that will pull down to 1300 before it starts giving me trouble. Manual trans, 3.55 rear. Where are you located? I really don't think your cam is too big. Getting it dialed in for the street is where it's at.

Devin

 

Food for thought;

An L78 had a cam that's 242° @ .050 (roughly equivalent to 234° in hydraulic terms when you account for lash) with .520" lift and a 114° LSA, and they run just fine from idle to redline.

I know you've said you've tried several different tuning approaches, but in all honesty, I don't think the cam is the issue, I just don't think you've found the sweet spot in the tune yet. A cam swap is a LOT of work on a `66-`67 as you know, and in this instance may be an instance of trying to swat a fly with a hammer.

 

Maybe some more timing in the 1,000-2,000 rpm range in distributor might help.

 

I have been living with an issue regarding the drivability of my 66 ss since I bought it 16 years ago. No matter what I do I can't seem to resolve the issue. The cam is an old Cam Dynamics cam from the late 70. It's the same as a 284HE from Crane. Main operation range is around 2400 to 6400. Run great above 2500 rpm, anything below 2000 in any gear and it feels like the car misses or kind of small surges.. Car had never been on a strip, strictly street driven. Nedless to say I would like it to run better from 1000 to 2400 rpm. Timing changes, added octane, playing with VC, electronic ignition, different carbs, fuel filters, and carb turning does not see to work.

Do you think a cam change would do the trick? I should have done this when the engine was out of the car about 10 yrs ago.

Should I do this with the engine in the car, I think yes. The only two issues would be removing the grill, where basically I have to drill out a bunch of rivets. I was wondering if there was a way to kind of remove the hole assembly so I could put rivets back in instead of little bolts? What about loosening the timing cover bolts to the oil pan and possibly a few other pan bolts, will those create oil leaks down the road. The last issue is the condenser, with the grill removed can I just swing it out of the way? I would had to mess with the AC.

I have run more cam than that in a street motor with good results. I had a 67 C10 454 with a Comp 282S that ran exceptionally well with a broad power band. You don't mention what intake and carb or how much compression you're running.

later, dozer

 

Yes, it would be a lot of work that I don't want to do, if I don't have too and some $'s involved, especially if you go the roller road. The best I could get it to run was with VC plugged and a lot of base timing. Maybe I should go that way or install a Crane Limiter and mess with that.

 

How is the timing curve set up?

 

SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE WHAT ENGINE EXACTLY DO YOU HAVE .THAT CAM IN A 327 IS A TAD ON THE RAGGED EDGE BUT ITS ON A 112 CENTER LINE WIT PROPER TUNING SHOULD BE DRIVABLE . IN A 350 OR 396 YOU SOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE WITH IT AND YOU DONT NEED A TON OF COMPRESSION TO RUN IT.THE FACTTHAT GEAR CHANGES MADE NO DIFFERENCE LEADS ME TO THINK TUNING WHAT IS YOUR ADVANCE RATE WHER DOES THE CAN KICK IN AND OUT YOU DO NEED THE RIGHT CAN A B23 IS TO FAST I DONT REMEMBER ALL THE CAN NUMBERS BUT THER WAS THREE OR FOUR HI PERF CHOICES CHECK INTO THIS . THE OTHER THING IS THE ENGINE GOOD IS IT WORN OUT OR TIREDIS IT BREATHING HARD ALL THESE THINGS ARE FACTORS . HOPE THIS HELPS. THAT CAM IS REALLY NOT A KILLER ON A 112 ON A 350 AND UP. REED CAMS LONG GONE USED TO MAKE IT ON A 110 AND YOU COULD HAVE IT GROUND ON A 108 ONLY THEY CALLED IT A 282. THAT CAM IN A 383 /406 WAS A DANDY TONS OF TOURQUE. THE ONLY ONE BETTER WAS U D HAROLDS SOLID CAM 401A6 LUN KILLER IN A 406 WITH GEARS AND SOME COMPRESSION.

 

Sorry if I said anything wrong in the post regarding the cam. The cam is in my 396. It is an old Cam Dynamics cam with the grind number CD 10306 with a mistake in the stamp 6 over a 9 (the 9 was a mistake). Crane offers this cam in the 284H12 series. Grind number is 10306. I don't think the engine is tired, no oil issues, no plug issues, runs great on WOT, etc. I did look into different VC and I will look into that again.

 

Not sure on the curve. I lost the information when that was done about 14 yrs ago. I think it was set to add about 20* with all in @ 2800 with it starting around 1200 and with the VC adding about 20*. Maybe I should start that all over again.

How do you add more timing in the 1000 to 2000 range?

 

Take this FWIW, but I would start by reducing the initial down to around 14°-16° and going with whatever springs are required to get total advance in by around 3500. Then you can tailor your vacuum advance from there. Along those lines, that 20° can needs to go on the shelf. I'd advise a can with around 10°-12° degrees.

I know this flies in the face of "conventional wisdom" and there will undoubtedly be scoffers and nay-sayers, but I've often found that when it comes to a relatively mild engine, more initial timing and ramping it in quicker isn't always the best approach. I have theories (based on personal experience) as to why this occurs, but I'm not going to get into that on here and risk starting a pissing match with anyone.

Again, just my $.02 worth.

 

If your cam has a lumpy idle with vacuum around 10 at 700-850 rpm plug the vacuum advance.. Set the initial to 20 and see how she goes. Or I would keep adding initial until it has trouble starting then back down 2 degrees.. What ever that number is subtract it from 36 and set you mechanical up to bring that much in. Your total advance will be 38..

If your using a points distributor, pull it out and screw that plate down that the points sit on. Having that plate secure, stabilizes the points and makes for a much better ground.. But that's if your not going to use the vacuum advance. If you are I would try to use a factory can and limit the linkage with solder or set screws. They also sell an adjustable unit that's satisfactory..
Lots of good advice here going both ways, but in the end it all depends on what the motor wants..

Happy Motoring..

 

IMHO and experience, that Crane is just a simple,single pattern street cam. 228 duration at .050 is very mild.
I have used this cam is both a 396 and 454 years ago and never had any issues with the performance in either engine,both street driven cars. One 4 speed,one auto with a 2400 stall convertor.

 

There is a 'sticky' in the ignition section; 'ignition 101'. Recommended reading.

Pete