Help me choose camshaft...

[Zwap]

Stock -66 383 2bbl now with:

915 heads,
Mopar alu M1 dual plane intake,
Eddie 1406 carb,
HP manifold,
dual 2 1/4 exhaust,
727 with stock TC,
2.76 open rear end,
Mopar Performance electronic ignition with orange box.

This winter I'm going to change lifters as some of them makes a little noise, I'm consider to change the camshaft as well but I need help wich camshaft I should choose?
I know it's a low CR engine and I'm not looking for a screamer, just a little more HP and maybe a little more low end.
Is the 252 duration stock camshaft good enough for this low CR engine or is there any suggestion on a camshaft thats make a little more HP with resonable mpg?
Experience please.

 

[Zwap]

Or maybe 1.6 rockers will do it?

 

[Turboomni]

If what you want is more pickup I would consider also a different rear end ratio.

 

[Big_John]

Mopar Performance has a "Resto" cam that's basically a 68-69 Roadrunner cam. You can't go wrong with that. Smooth idle etc. In your case, less is more.

 

[furyus 67]

I've got a 284/484 mp purple....and I really love it! Great lumpy idle and it comes alive @2500+. Old grind ,great cam!

 

[Turboomni]

In one way I would love a rumpidy bump idle on my 440 but when I think of it on my 69 Fury III it just says "does not compute" Just me,,,

 

[Zwap]

Thanks for the advices!

If what you want is more pickup I would consider also a different rear end ratio.

Yes, thats another thing I'm consider.

Mopar Performance has a "Resto" cam that's basically a 68-69 Roadrunner cam. You can't go wrong with that. Smooth idle etc. In your case, less is more.

Thats what I'm thinking too, less is more, but how does this MP "Resto" cams work on a rather low CR engine?

I've got a 284/484 mp purple....and I really love it! Great lumpy idle and it comes alive @2500+. Old grind ,great cam!

Ok, how is the driveability under 2500?
Do you think this cam would work on a rather low CR engine or is 284 too much?

 

[cantflip]

I have been thinking about doing something similar myself... I am way too cheap to go and blueprint an engine, so I have been thinking I might try advancing the stock cam 4*... adjustable timing sets are available.

Has anyone here tried this?

 

[furyus 67]

It drives fine under 2500, above 2500 is where you get that "pushed into the seat" dealing. I drive it every where without issue.

 

[Big_John]

You can ask here all you want and everyone will give you their opinion based on their "seat of the pants" dyno. Every car is different and the cam should be chosen based on your car. Weight, gear ratio, compression ratio etc. all come into play.

Call a couple of cam companies and tell them what you have and how you want to drive it. Let them recommend a grind for you. You really can't beat their advice.... But don't be surprised if it's a very mild grind... Again, less is more.

 

[twostick]

I have been thinking about doing something similar myself... I am way too cheap to go and blueprint an engine, so I have been thinking I might try advancing the stock cam 4*... adjustable timing sets are available.

Has anyone here tried this?

That trick will really help a smog era 400/440. Nice kick in the bottom end torque for those engines as the actual measured compression ratio is only in the 7.8:1 range.

Best part is all it costs is some time, gaskets and a timing set.

To do it right you should still use a degree wheel to verify timing.

To the OP, a 3.23 gear will make a huge difference getting that thing rolling.

I'd change the gear first and decide on a cam after. You might find it performs more to your liking with just that.

With a stock converter I wouldn't go any bigger than an MP474 if you decide on a cam too and that might be on the edge of too big for a 383 combo like yours.

Kevin

 

[70_NPORT]

Yup..Bingo, I have the MP 383/440 roadrunner cam as well. Its a nice inbetween cam...plenty of vacumm for your brakes...but still has a nice "lopey" idle..i get comments all the time at gas stations or red lights about how nice it sounds....and yeah its got enough grunt to keep you happy. Nice alternative IMO.

 

[BigFury]

Call Jim Dowell at Racer Brown (410)866-7660 take the guess work out of it and let an actual cam grinder make the right cam for your application. He knows Mopar like few others and he's a great guy to deal with, keeps odd hours so call after 2:00 EST

 

[72Fury]

You can ask here all you want and everyone will give you their opinion based on their "seat of the pants" dyno. Every car is different and the cam should be chosen based on your car. Weight, gear ratio, compression ratio etc. all come into play.

Call a couple of cam companies and tell them what you have and how you want to drive it. Let them recommend a grind for you. You really can't beat their advice.... But don't be surprised if it's a very mild grind... Again, less is more.

Less is more, especially on a heavy car. I'm going the mild purple shaft on mine. For most your better off having low end torque & power up to 5k rpm than a power band reaching for that upstairs number.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

For my 3 cents the 383/440 resto cam that big John mentioned is best. Anything bigger needs support updates, like headers, pistons, gears, converter and start looking for manual brake setup otherwise you are just putting a bigger cam and not reaping any benefits and dealing with a more temperamental engine. Any cam bigger than 6000 rpm with cast pistons and any exhaust manifolds is a waste.

 

[max1196]

If you've got the time during the winter, yes a change of cam could help, comp cam 268h would be good, But a change of torque converter can do just as much of livening up a heavy car with a low stall converter. A B/M converter in the 2100 stall range rather than the stock stall 1400ish will add some excitement in the launch power. If you do consider this, make sure you get the correct input spline count for the converter. I think you have the early design with the fewer spline count.

 

[Zwap]

OK, thanks all!!
I've been looking at a couple of camshaft kits that includes the lifters but isn't the lifters and pushrods different up to 1966 vs. later 383?
Otherwise the comp cam 268H is tempting, do you think my engine has enough CR to get the benefit of that cam?

I'm going to consider 3.23 rear end, the winter in Sweden is long

 

[Big_John]

Just get the later model push rods. The end of the push rod is smaller where it goes in the lifter on the earlier cars. I don't know if you can even buy the earlier style lifters.

You keep asking if the engine has enough compression ratio to take advantage of the hotter cams... IMHO, the answer is that your car has nothing that will take advantage of anything more than a stock cam.

The 268H is a generic grind... Meaning, quite simply, it was designed decades ago to work well in a small block Chevy. They are using the same lobe pattern across the board, just placing a different cam blank in the machine.... That's the way most of the cam companies do it.

 

[max1196]

Your original pushrods have a smaller end on it (lifter end), the coresponding lifter therefore has a small cup socket. The availability of these lifters could be a problem to find. Lifter part #'s are: Clevite 213-1635, Melling JB-812, Sealed Power ht-812, and Comp Cam 824-16. Do what Big_John sugests, get the newer push rods and change to the more modern and redily available lifter, for example, COMP Cam 822-16.

 

[Zwap]

OK, thanks! I'll get the newer pushrods.

You keep asking if the engine has enough compression ratio to take advantage of the hotter cams... IMHO, the answer is that your car has nothing that will take advantage of anything more than a stock cam.

Ok, I think different, I think my car will take advantage of a couple more HP/TQ if its possible by choosing another cam than stock, and I do think CR is important when you choose camshaft.