Engine Grocery Getter cam recommendation

I think I might have started it with my custom cam suggestion, but no, this IS getting overthought... If I put the stock Explorer cam back in it I would probably be happy.. Sounds like the isky might be closer to what I want, I will check it out.

You will surely not be happy with a stock explorer cam. That thing will be a turd.
 
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Explorer cam is for more low end torque to get a truck moving, but it will run out of steam at higher RPM.

I'd rather run an stock HO cam (85-88 preferable although difference from 89-95 cams is only slight) with 1.7RR"s than the exploder cam. There's a good thread on corral about use of a stock HO cam and how far people are taking it. It's actually a pretty decent grind for what it is, but it just lacks the chop chop that people want.

But i understand not many people want to build a engine and then toss a stock HO cam in it. I didn't even take my advice and went with a fancy pants custom grind that required fancy springs just so i can cruise down to the local ice cream place. I get it. It's fun to have a bit of an aggressive cam as compared to the HO cam.

You've gotten a lot of good advice. It's your call at this point.
 
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Explorer cam is for more low end torque to get a truck moving, but it will run out of steam at higher RPM.

I'd rather run an stock HO cam (85-88 preferable although difference from 89-95 cams is only slight) with 1.7RR"s than the exploder cam. There's a good thread on corral about use of a stock HO cam and how far people are taking it. It's actually a pretty decent grind for what it is, but it just lacks the chop chop that people want.

But i understand not many people want to build a engine and then toss a stock HO cam in it. I didn't even take my advice and went with a fancy pants custom grind that required fancy springs just so i can cruise down to the local ice cream place. I get it. It's fun to have a bit of an aggressive cam as compared to the HO cam.

You've gotten a lot of good advice. It's your call at this point.

Love that thread. @limp you need to be thinking about the sum of all parts, and the style of driving you'll be doing. For a grocery getter it doesn't make any sense to throw a cam in that doesn't make power till around 4k RPMS, but will make power past 6k RPMS when your heads will be choking out 5500. Even a mild OTS cam like the TFS stage 1 will compromise on low end. Sure I can spin it 6200 RPM, but then that's obnoxious on the street, and the soccer mom in the ecoboost Ford Flex that walked me off the red light already pulled into starbucks.
 
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Here's the stock cam thread on corral. Some impressive achievements in there.

 
Love that thread. @limp you need to be thinking about the sum of all parts, and the style of driving you'll be doing. For a grocery getter it doesn't make any sense to throw a cam in that doesn't make power till around 4k RPMS, but will make power past 6k RPMS when your heads will be choking out 5500. Even a mild OTS cam like the TFS stage 1 will compromise on low end. Sure I can spin it 6200 RPM, but then that's obnoxious on the street, and the soccer mom in the ecoboost Ford Flex that walked me off the red light already pulled into starbucks.
I am glad that comment I made got some people a little more into my "help wanted" section on cams....
Funny, I looked at a Edelbrock "Rollin Thunder" cam... idle to 5500 power curve.... SAME exact specs as a E303, which states 2200-5500?? Not an engineer here but that one has me laughing....
I can get a custom for $400, and most of the roller cams are at $350... Pretty sure I am going to order a custom...
 
I can get a custom for $400, and most of the roller cams are at $350... Pretty sure I am going to order a custom...

The "watch out" with the custom cam is springs. It's one thing if you were planning to change the springs on your heads anyway, but if you werent, you may find out you need to to match the cam. Something you will want to find out up front.


My Custom cam cost me $800 when i factored in ditching the equipped springs on my brand new TFS170's to install the recommended springs to match the custom grind.
 
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The "watch out" with the custom cam is springs. It's one thing if you were planning to change the springs on your heads anyway, but if you werent, you may find out you need to to match the cam. Something you will want to find out up front.


My Custom cam cost me $800 when i factored in ditching the equipped springs on my brand new TFS170's to install the recommended springs to match the custom grind.
From what I have read gt40P heads have the weakest springs on ANY head ever.... New springs are a give me if I use these heads, which I plan to unless they become too costly and move me to Aluminum heads... Lets not go there yet... And as you said I need to match springs to the cam.....

I have been taught, and have always done it this way, that the cam is the first thing installed in a rebuild.. My block is coming home soon and I want to order a cam so I can assemble the short block...
 
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This cam popped up on a search for "302 HO cam" Anyone familiar with Elgin cams?