Engine What Cam? 289

65FBE2 · Sep 8, 2012

What cam would people suggest? It has to be a flat tappet design. I am considering changing to a edelbrock rpm cam, but want to hear from people using it on a 289. How is the idle? Does it still make enough vacuume for power brakes? Are you happy with the performance?
I currently am using. Comp dual energy 265 cam. May car has a t5z and 3:25 gear. It might have been a good cam for an automatic car but is very flat above 4200. Currently using a performer intake with stock 4100 carb. 351w heads ported with 1.94/1.6, dougs Tri Y,2.25 duals all the way back. 9.5 C.R. With these heads. I recently changed from HP exhaust manifolds with 2" duals and turbo style mufflers to the Dougs Tri Ys thinking this must be the problem. It had very little effect. This is a cruiser so mileage is a factor, so is drivability.

The goal was to keep it stock appearing and make 300 hp but I would guess I'm making closer to 230 by the seat of the pants meter. I ground off the Edlebrock name and painted the intake black. Takes a sharp eye to tell its not the factory intake

Back when I was 17(oh so long ago) I had 2v 289. I changed to a solid 475 lift 225 duration cam added headers, F4b intake and 650 carb. That motor made easy 50hp better than this one and I am getting frustrated on what Im doing wrong. Maybe the carb? The guy at Pony Carbs swore that this carb would out perform a Holley 600. I guess I drank the koolaid.

horseballz · Sep 8, 2012

What size are your rear tires? What ratio 1st and 5th gear in your T5? I think you biggest "seat of the pants" issue is the 3.25 rear gears. 3.50-3.80, depending on your T5 ratios, would likely wake the car up as it is. A well tuned 4100 with a properly curved distributor should be quite nice & healthy!
My $.02,
Gene

65FBE2 · Sep 8, 2012

The tires are 215/60/15. Thats about 25.5" tall. The first gear is 2.95. Thing is, what I had years ago was 2.78 first gear, same tires and 2.80 rear gear. That car ran 15 flat in 1/4. This thing will not break 16 and top end is 110 after about 1.5 miles flat out. I just changed from a T5 WC to a T5z to go from 3.35 first as I found it to low to be good for much as the motor will not make power over say 4500 rpm. Timing is set at 34 total at about 2800. Stock ford dizzy with petronics.

rbohm · Sep 8, 2012

i will be using a comp cams retrofit roller cam for a 351w, .480/260 advertized duration. i should be making about 320hp when my engine gets built and still have a decent idle and good vacuum levels.

bacfire · Sep 8, 2012

I'm thinking you have a problem other than mismatched components. That cam should pull well past 5000 rpm in a 289. Do you know that it's properly degreed in? If you just lined up the dots, it's possible that it could be quite a bit advanced. That could shift your powerband downward to some extent. Check your lift at the rocker arms to make sure you haven't wiped a cam lobe or two.
Could there be an issue with airflow through the air cleaner? Short filter? What kind of shape is the distributor in? Could it be causing spark scatter at higher rpm? You have plenty of cam to carry it past 4200 rpm. If it's falling flat there, there is something out of whack.

bartl · Sep 8, 2012

C9OZ-6250-C Hydraulic version of the original HiPo cam.

65FBE2 · Sep 8, 2012

I made a test run the other day with the air cleaner off as I was thinking the same thing. Not the problem. I did have the engine builder dgree in the cam so thats not the issue. Comp cams grinds this cam 4 degrees advanced though. The only thing I havent yet changed is the carb? As I said before, Pony Carbs made a pretty convincing sales pitch that the 1.08 was all you would ever need. I can say that backin the day I had a 4100 on my car and I switched to a 650 dp Holley and that made a huge difference for the better. Thing is I have no ideal what kind of junk yard 4100 I had on it. Back then they were a dime a dozen.
Bartl. Are you using that cam? If so I would be very interested in your feed back.

bartl · Sep 8, 2012

Not using the hydraulic version, but had the solid lifter version at one time.

woodsnake · Sep 9, 2012

Is it this cam?
http://www.jegs.com/i/Comp-Cams/249/31-409-3/10002/-1?parentProductId=
Not a lot of camshaft there. If you add in the 3.25 gear (for an O/D trans, especially a stick) and today's fuels, I'm not surprised at the lack of butt-o-meter performance. I would think a camshaft closer to a .500 lift would be more fun, and at least a 3.50/3.73 gear. I am running an Edelbrock Performer RPM cam, .496/.520 in my 289 in my 68 cougar. It has a 3.50 posi, and is honestly under geared as it sits. At least a 3.73 would have been MUCH better...At 65 MPH, I'm only turning 1800 RPM, and so I have to go back to 4th to pass anybody...

65FBE2 · Sep 9, 2012

Thats the one. It was the best fit on their lap top dyno cam selector software. I was also using hp manifolds so I liked the stock exhaust note. That will teach me to trust some dam software. I like to show he car in stock class so a smooth idel was important along with the power bakes. This is not a race car but a cruiser that my wife and I take on short 200 mile trips. But now the lack of power is really starting to bug me. As you will note I changed the exhaust already so there goes my stock apearing engine. Now its the principal of the thing. This motor will make power if it kills me.
On the performer rpm cam, hows the idel and any issues with vacuum for power brakes. I am ok with the 3.25 gear as it runs 2,000 rpm at 70 mph and decent milage. I have stock GT 4 leaf springs with no traction device. So high school burn outs are not part of the plan. By the way what I just said about burn outs makes me wonder when the hell I woke up so damed old.

65FBE2 · Sep 9, 2012

One the issue of rear gear, the first gear on a T5 x the rear is egual to 3.45:1 with a toploader wide ratio and 4.10:1 with the close ratio tranny. Now considering that drag racing is not the main goal here. I think these gears are fine. I just hate getting smoked by the teenager down the street in his honda civic with the sewer pipe exhaust!

zookeeper · Sep 9, 2012

I have a Comp Cams 268XE and really like it. Good idle, still sounds nice and lots of grunt down low.

woodsnake · Sep 9, 2012

Here is an audio clip of my 68 with that cam...A 3.50 gear isn't enough for the power band of the engine...Honestly, for the money you've spent, a gear change will yield the greatest improvement....I couldn't take getting beat by a fart can equipped Honda either..The new Subaru WRSX is a tough car for sure, but not an accord.....
http://s819.photobucket.com/albums/zz114/woodsnake4462838/?action=view&current=gracecar013.mp4

S-Car-Go · Sep 9, 2012

I'm no expert, but I'd loose the Performer intake and install a Wiend Stealth or Eddlebrock RPM. I'd think the performer would choke the top end.

65FBE2 · Sep 10, 2012

I agree with loosing the performer but I have until recently, tried to keep the engine stock looking and its a better manifold than the stock cast iron. If I change manifold I am going with a Blue Thunder Cobra remake. That way the engine is still period correct in appearance.
I think I am going to try a holley carb first. See if that helps, if not then its a new cam

bacfire · Sep 10, 2012

woodsnake said:
Here is an audio clip of my 68 with that cam...

Nice. What kind of exhaust/mufflers do you have there?

bacfire · Sep 10, 2012

My experience on mild SB Chevys is that Performers are good for at least 5000 rpm; more on a small engine like a 289. You're going to progressively lose some power (vs a bigger manifold) from 3000 on up, but not enough that it feels like it's falling flat. However, I found this old dyno chart from a magazine comparo that seems to show the SB Ford Performer as a total dog above 4500 on a 302. Hmm...

65FBE2 · Sep 11, 2012

My exhaust is 2.25" all the way back. I have kind of a trick set up that dumps right behind the rear valance panel and the GT tips are welded onto a bracket that attaches to the tail pipes. They shake and move with the exhaust but are not functional. Unless you crawl on your back you can not tell they are fake. The mufflers are by heart throb exhaust. They make all the summit kits that are listed as made in the USA. They happen to be a local company and they did the complete system and custom installation. The muffler is very simular to a flow master 40 series internaly.

woodsnake · Sep 11, 2012

My exhaust is 2 1/2 pipe, with magnaflows..Again, as you already have an over drive transmission, I would really look at gearing up the rear end..

clement · Sep 13, 2012

i dont think the cam is the problem, unless you have a wiped lobe or another valvetrain problem. id replace that carburetor. holleys are junk too. the combo actually looks pretty good, except i would put one of these carbs on it.....

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/AED-650HO/

the difference will be night and day.

Engine What Cam? 289

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