I'm rebuilding a 302 roller all stock, but I would like a lopey sound at idle. I've been told to use a stage 1 cam. What cam can I use with all stock parts? I'm on a low budget. Thanks for any help you can give me.
People buy cams and don't know what or why they are buying them. You need to know the weight, gear ratio,stick or automatic. Intake ,carb, heads, compression ratio. Desired usage ? Are you just cruising around ? A trip to the drag strip now and then. Are you going to pull a trailer ? Do you have power brakes ?
People usually buy too much cam and then have to suffer with bad gas mileage , poor low end performance.
what are the specs to a stage 1 cam ? There are a lot better cams than the Ford letter cams . Comp cams makes some awesome hyd. roller cams . Check with Anderson cams.
Thanks for the reply! This engine is in a 1986 Fox Body . rear end is a 373, 5 speed, stock heads, flat top pistons. The compression should be around 1.9 . Just going to use it for cruising. The builder told my to stay around the mid .400 on the cam lift. I can use any help on choosing a cam. Thanks
I you have the stock E6 head and the stock pistons then you have a problem. The 86 pistons have no valve reliefs and you can't use anything over about a .440 lift.
If you have replaced the pistons with one's that have valve reliefs then you can go higher. I would not use the 86 heads as they were a one year attempt by Ford that didn't pan out and they went back to a conventional combustion chamber in 87.
If you are just cruising around and not looking for a choppy idle and good torque there is nothing wrong with a stock H.O. cam . The performance is in the heads. You can pick up plenty of power with either an aftermarket head or a set of Explorer heads.
Speedway sells a good economy aluminum head for cheap that really wakes up a 5.0.