I’ve got my block at the machine shop now (waiting on parts) for boring and a possible line hone. I need some advice on cam selection based on my build. Keep in mind shock towers have been removed. Goals: purely a street car. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to a track and if I do, probably once or twice just to get some benchmarks. Probably 90% around town, to and from work on occasion, etc. Some longer trips 3-4 hours the other 10%. I like a real lopey idle but still want it streetable. I will be retaining AC, PS, power brakes. Looking for 450-500 at the crank. Car details: c4 (standard build, will be rebuilt with upgrades), 3.00 rear gears on 8”. I have 3.55’s standing by but going to start with 3.00. If I grenade the rear end, I’ll upgrade. 94 351w standard roller block Bored .030 over Scat 9000 crank (purchased) Eagle forged I-beam 6.25” (purchased) Mahle forged flat tops, -6.5cc reliefs (purchased) Standard Felpro 9933 gasket Intake undecided...thinking Performer or some dual plane but need to worry about Grabber hood clearance Carb undecided. Thinking perhaps a Quick Fuel 950 Heads AFR 205 with 72cc chambers, likely some upgraded hardware and springs Hydraulic roller lifters 28 oz external balance I calculate about 10.3:1 static CR assuming a simple deck job not quite to 0. Any thoughts on a cam here? Any good off the shelf worth looking at or is custom better? If custom, what are some good makers to look into?
call a cam company , they will ask you some questions. for what you want they can also tell you the carb. and intake to get you to where you want to be.
Using a very mild Comp cam in a 410 Windsor with 165 & 195 AFR heads, Engine Masters produced these numbers. With 220cc heads, HP was almost exactly same as with 165 head, proving huge ports are a handicap. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-35-421-8/make/ford This engine is a helluva street piece.
That is a retrofit cam with reduced base circle lobes for use in older blocks. He has a roller block and should run a full size cam.
One thing I wish dynos showed is response time from a given RPM, 2000, to another RPM, say 5500. That would really tell you which setup is most responsive.
If you put on headers with free flowing exhaust, you will not need much duration on the intake or exhaust. That engine will probably still run good with a cam that is not ideal, but if you get a hold of one of the custom cam guys, some of them pick the best lobes for your set-up from the comp cams catalog, and will give specs to position the lobes for best performance. If you choose your own, I would find a good dynamic compression calculator to make sure your running compression is tolerable. That is a real sweet build you have going.
I ended up going with Chris Straub’s cams. He also convinced me to go down to the AFR 185s for my goals since I’m not looking for a high-reving street machine. Last thing to decide on and purchase is intake and carb. Will be doing that shortly. Thanks for all the input.
Personally, I think consulting an expert is money well spent during a build where there is substantial cash invested, especially when in the parts gathering/planning phase. After this motor is built, you can goof around and experiment with your old one if you want. I also hope you have posi and good tires, lol.