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Need help picking cam for 440

TruckManiaMike

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Need help picking a cam for my 440 D100 pickup truck I am building, looking for something drivable but aggressive. Specs below
1970 440HP bored 30 over
727 auto trans (unsure of TC size)
3.55 rear
L2388 flat top pistons .125 in hole
Stock Forged crank
Holley street dominator intake
750cfh Edelbrock carb (may go bigger)
Headers
Edelbrock 75cc aluminum heads (about
to buy)
Buying 1.5 or 1.6 adjustable rockers unsure which to go with…recommendations?
With those heads I’m getting 8.94:1 CR according to calculator
Looking for a hydraulic flat tappet cam have been looking at the .484 & .509 hydraulic cams leaning towards .509…..thoughts?
 
I don't know if they make them anymore but I'd go with a .528 solid mopar, since you're already getting adjustable rockers.
Why the .528 solid over the .509? A lot less overlap.
If you're going hydraulic, the adjustable rockers ( and custom pushrods) is a waste of $$$
 
Okay so a solid cam would be more beneficial? Or should I just run the stock rockers on the Edelbrock heads with hydraulic cam/lifters… would one make more power than the other? Also no luck finding a .528 cam
 
I'll let others chime in but I did describe what my daughter's BF runs at the track already..
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Racer Brown Camshaft Engineering
I'm not sure they are still grinding or not
410-866-7660 Mon-Friday 2:00pm - 6:00pm EST
or [email protected] 8:00am - 3:00pm PST
IIRC it was now thru FBO Ignition systems

depends on the actual usages, what gears, converter if appl., what compression
&/or how is it going to be actually used ?
will it have a 1.6:1 rockers or 1.5:1 rockers or the OE style stamped rockers
is it just a street beast ? or street/strip car ?
obviously not an all out deal with 8.5:1 compression with a 75cc head
something over 0.500" gross valve lift or don't even bother
(0.509"-0.543" gross valve lift w/1.5:1 & 1.6:1 respectively, adj. rockers
something like 236*-242* duration at 0.050" lift, should perform well
)
with something like 284*-292* in the Neiborhood, in advertise duration
solid lifter' st22 or a st14 (? IIRC) both worked well, even at 9:1 compression
ssh44 Hydraulic 0.510" gross valve lift w/1.5:1 rockers, 242* at 0.050"
but ask the experts
factory stamped steel rockers aren't exactly 1.5:1 ratios either,
they vary & it's usually on the smaller side like 1.48:1 or less...
Buy new at a min... don't be cheap...
With a higher lift it too can wear out quickly too,
pushrod can go thru the stamped steel OE rockers,

right where the lil' indentation for the pushrod hole is,
like on the solid lifter in an "actual performance" camshafts
stiffer valve-springs,
can cause issues with the stamped steel rockers too
if not enough oil getting to them, or it's a higher lift, than like 0.510" GVL
or revving to high (or wreck the adjt.s on the adjustable rockers)

The old standby 0.484" GVL & 284* advertised duration (old street hemi grind)
is a good performing cam, for lower compression engines
sounds decent too, need to run more timing like 18*-20* initial/limit to 38* total
to overcome lack of compression, combined with 1.6:1 rockers
it could have the best of both worlds, on a mostly mild built street car
good bottom end & still perform well to 6,000+ rpm

IMO the old 0.509"/292* sounds way rowdier, a lil' more performance
with the right lifters, quality lifters is a key thing especially today
in either HFT or SFT lifters, don't skimp there
(I use to use the Rhoads Variable duration Hyd. lifters, not sure even produced anymore)
need more or loser converter than a stock converter, even with 3.55:1 gears

A nice sound & decent performance
in flat tappet Hydraulic or Solid lifter, good rocker & adj. never hurts
proper length push rods are very important if you go the adj. rocker route
need to be like only 2-3 threads sticking out the bottom of the rocker
or the cups (on cup & ball style pushrods required) will starve for oil & not last

Racer Brown Camshafts where a bunch of the org.
Purple Shaft/Org. Direct Connection grinds came from

 
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I’m looking for the old spec 509. Does anyone make that grind? The best sounding 440 cam I’ve ever heard.
 
Maybe Consider the L2266 piston?
 
I have considered that. But wouldn’t I need to get the cylinders bored due to having light etchings where my rings stopped at the top of cylinder? I heard going past that with new pistons could break piston rings. Or do the rings stay in the same place but the top of the piston just raises up? Not sure how that works…
 
Read the warning below from the Sig Erson cam catalog. Sig is no longer with us but he was waaaay ahead of the curve....... It is about excessive cam duration with a 440 & a TF.
No other engine has that warning. Think about why that is....
Aggressive and drivable. Hmm......
My pick would be the Isky 270 Mega.

Have your factory lifters re-faced & use those unless you want lobe/lifter failure.....

img282.jpg
 
I appreciate the feedback so far everybody…leaning more to the solid cams now after reading into it since I’m already planning on going with adjustable rockers.
 
If you go to a sol FT cam, you need to increase duration of the sol to match the performance/rpm range of the hyd cam.
This is a rough guide: increase the duration 8-15* @ 050. If it is a tight lash sol cam, increase by 8*; if it is large lash, like some of the MP cams with 028 lash, increase duration by 15*.
Same applies with lifter quality.
Sol lifter cam is a good idea. Smoother idle [ all else being equal ] & you cannot get lifter pump up....
 
I have considered that. But wouldn’t I need to get the cylinders bored due to having light etchings where my rings stopped at the top of cylinder? I heard going past that with new pistons could break piston rings.

Maybe. It might not have that many miles since the rebuild, and a good hone might be all you need.
 
I can barely feel the ridge the rings left with my finger except in one of the cylinders it’s rather pronounced. I could probably hone them all out by hand I would think. Talked with lunati cams rep and he said they don’t have a solid cam suitable for me having the lower compression he needs 10:1 minimum or else it won’t run good he said. Also included one of my pistons that’s a little chewed up…should I be concerned using it in rebuild??

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Quick way to check bore wear, which is always worst near the top of the bore.
Remove a compression ring from a piston & place it in the bore 3/8-1/2" down from the ridge at the top of the bore; make sure it is square in the bore. Measure & note the ring gap with feeler gauges.

Repeat the procedure with the ring at the bottom of the bore, in the unworn area. Subtract The two readings & divide the result by 3. That is your bore wear.
 
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