Best cam for a stock motor....need a stright answer

[jackchan]

keep your stock cam.........and maybe add some 1.7 roller rockers if you want.........you alredy have, gears, tires,shifter, offroad x-pipe, K&N filter........my next step would be get shorty headers and get rid of the long tubes. As they all mentioned...to much flow in areas can actually hurt you velocity......And I personally belive that shorties are better than long tubes on stock heads!......And you never mentioned which K&N? panel? 9" conical?

I'd throw on a small dry nitrous system and drive that sucker.......till needed! (a daily driver.........with 250 to 300 reliable horsepower is WAY Way funner than a 10 second car you have to work on everyday! thats my .02 cents worth!
Jack

 

[ExplodingGopher]

heres a sound clip when i had the 302 in my car, mostly stock, B303, Offroad H pipe, Flowmaster 1 chambers into side exits. Made ok power, should have went with E303 or TFS1.

http://www.northcoastmusclecar.com/CCV/1.wav

 

[mattkimsey]

Simply painfull isn't it?
No one believes this, yet it's the absolute truth.
Depending on what you want to do with the car, and how serious you are, a custom cam on an otherwise stock build with decent intake and headers can put you up in the 290rwhp/320rwtq range, and with a 5600rpm shift point.

Care to elaborate on this? What exactly is a stock build? Stock shortblock and heads?

I also heard you say something about spraying your car....have you done this yet?

 

[jwzg]

If you have other plans for your engine in the future, don't waste the money or the installation time on a cam now. I know that's not answering the question you asked, but it's good advice...the stock piece is plenty and gets the best marks for power, drivability and sound. Get some Flowmasters if you're looking for sound only.

 

[Must-Be-A-Stang]

Thanks for all the advice. I will wait and do cam with heads so it can be matched up. Guess that will go with my distant dream setup LOL. I will be going with a cobra intake though and hopefully that will free up some good power. Just seems so long from now till I will have enough saved for heads. =( But thanks again.

 

[Euphoric306]

that intake should get you 15-20hp over stock easily.

ive never heard of anyone doing this, but if youve got a later aero car (90-93) and really wanna do a cam swap but match it to your stock engine, pick up an 87-88 cam froma junkyard really cheap and swap it in, its good for a few more horsepower lol, but it would be pointless really

 

[cleanLX]

Care to elaborate on this? What exactly is a stock build? Stock shortblock and heads?

I also heard you say something about spraying your car....have you done this yet?

My car has seen no artificial atmosphere.
Stock shortblock/heads, with decent intake/tb/mam and headers, combined with a healthy cutom cam/spring package can make in the 290rwhp and 330rwtq range.
May not be the most fuel efficient rig around, and may not like parking lot driving, but will cruise fine and haul the mail for essentially a stock motor.

To the original poster, please, don't get rid of your long tubes, they are much more benifit that shorties.

 

[95COBRA241]

The best cam for a stock engine is a cam custom grinded to maximize those poor flowing E7's. That cam is NOT a stock cam. Don't forget valve springs.

A custom ground cam is best for any combo because its tailored to that particular combo. But why would someone spend $325 on a cam for a stock shortblock, unported E7 heads, and stock intake.

 

[willys1]

I like the stock cam,its quiet at idle but has great low and mid range.with some port work to the stock heads,1.7rr's and that cobra intake,,it will give you alot more up top

 

[Grn92LX]

But why would someone spend $325 on a cam for a stock shortblock, unported E7 heads, and stock intake.

To get the best cam for a stock engine combo like the whole point of THIS thread was

 

[tmoss]

(Recommending stock replacement cam) - I was referring to the Comp Cam 270/270, 215/215, 110.

But there were some criteria with that. The main part of that is that the valve events are more conducive to a BONE STOCK set-up. Once you increase the inlet capability, even just with GT-40 heads, it sort of changes things around (especially if the intake is changed as well as the heads). A cam is not good in and of itself. The valve events are what make it work. So if the valve vents your motor requires match pretty closely then it will work for the better. If they don’t, then you just put a cam in it. May rev higher, may idle rougher, but it wont necessarily increase the cylinder's breathing capability within the rpm range you need or run. Increased filling will translate into better cylinder pressure and more torque and typically quicker progression thru the power band.

It’s not about the part number or the specs. It’s about engine parameters. That’s why there is some criteria added to that snippet about the 270hr camshaft.

Buddy Rawls

With just the intake change, this cam may still be a good candidates, but I would stick with the stock cam and forget the rump-rump for a different engine build.

 

[Paul Perreca]

Simply painfull isn't it?
No one believes this, yet it's the absolute truth.
Depending on what you want to do with the car, and how serious you are, a custom cam on an otherwise stock build with decent intake and headers can put you up in the 290rwhp/320rwtq range, and with a 5600rpm shift point.

hearing this kind of thing pisses me off, cuz i'm doin an entire H/C/I and anew block, w/ all the supporting mods, and i'm told i'll make 280 - 300 horsepower, when all i had to do was save 2000 dollars and put in a custom cam and intake? i hope you dont know what ur talkin about lol

 

[nazstang]

i got a b-cam in mine, but mine is just a bit out of stock form. i still have the e7's, just with new springs, but it's not the best performance wise. it's a fun cam(i just love to hear it lope) but for a stock motor, you minus well go on ebay and find you some other stuff with that $. i'll tell you right now, the damn heads will rob power from you , everytime, if one mod normally gets 15hp, you'll be getting 10.... a custom cam is the best option, but if i were you, i'd spend the money on other stuff first. the right cam, will give you the best power, but only once you figure out where your at(with mods) or where your going. here a quick look at the b-cam sound. http://www.geocities.com/nazstang/8812.WMV

 

[jackchan]

hearing this kind of thing pisses me off, cuz i'm doin an entire H/C/I and anew block, w/ all the supporting mods, and i'm told i'll make 280 - 300 horsepower, when all i had to do was save 2000 dollars and put in a custom cam and intake? i hope you dont know what ur talkin about lol

trophy stock guys (some of them)
run #24 injectors, stock GT-40 heads with valve job and springs, a stock cam, 65mm tb, 77mm mass air meter, stock bottem end, GT-40 intake, shortie headers and make over 300hp! I know because I have a buddy who does it! I'll try to dig up his email from his last dyno trip and show ya!.......will edit soon!

here is the email I got!

on the dyno Saturday, and came up with 315hp/ 352 torque. The temp was 88 degrees ( it had rained and cooled down) but the humidity was 76 %, all the heat was rising up. The first pull I was super rich and made 300, then I leaned it out and got the 315. I could still stand to be a little leaner because I would like to get to 13to1 Air fuel but I was low 12's to high 11's. I think with my air fuel flattened out where I need it, it might get to 320 something and maybe 330. I did'nt think that was to bad for a stock cam) The dyno operator seemed a little surprised I think.

 

[tjm73]

When will people learn their is no straight answer for this type of question? Their are varieables that need to be considered. The question is fundementally flawed.

Best how? Best mileage? Best torque? Best horsepower? Best rpm range? All of these will be different cams. One person may consdier hp the "best" cm, while another person may consided a torque cam to be the "best " cam.

Also other things that HAVE to be considered are vehicle weight, intended usage of the vehicle, the axle ratio, the tranny type and ratios, tire height, engine configuration (how 'stock' is stock?) and others.

This is not a simple tell me what's best because I don't want to think for myself and understand how things interact question.

 

[QDRHRSE]

I say retard the stock cam 2 to 4 degrees.

 

[tjm73]

trophy stock guys (some of them)
run #24 injectors, stock GT-40 heads with valve job and springs, a stock cam, 65mm tb, 77mm mass air meter, stock bottem end, GT-40 intake, shortie headers and make over 300hp! I know because I have a buddy who does it! I'll try to dig up his email from his last dyno trip and show ya!.......will edit soon!

here is the email I got!

Just proves that the overall combo is what matters. All the "best" parts can add up to a big disappointment.

 

[webshot]

.........This is not a simple tell me what's best because I don't want to think for myself and understand how things interact question.

Amen, when I ask questions of this sort I try to give the intended use of car (daily driver, track, street), target hp, and what I have done so far. I agree that it can be confusing understanding the terms and combos when you are new to the performance scene because I am still learning. But you got to try to not make your questions so general.

But alas you still have received some valuable gems of knowledge in this thread.

 

[mattkimsey]

I've yet to get a clear answer as to why the factory stock guys can make 300+rwhp with those mods on a stock shortblock.

Someone list the tricks they use!!!

 

[jackchan]

for one they use speed density cars, and they shave their heads down a bit more than your usual street car. And I hear thru the grape vine that they use some seriously high spring pressures. adjustible fuel pressure regulators, NO oil on their K&N's, use straight shot style air filters not inner fender bender type filters., and have balenced and blue printed shortblocks. Also I hear they use 5 angle valve jobs from top builders like kuntz, bennett........as well as many other tricks. Some they arent telling!
I have ideas as to how they go so fast but I cant confirm them!