Cam and engine run in today.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Awesome. Good job, the whole process can be stressful.
Get some miles on that car and it’ll all get easier.

[67428GT500]

Thanks Drew. I was concerned because of the reuse of the cam in a new block that the cat had scattered the lifters out of the lifter tray.
Slightly aggravating being I spent 30.00 and bought a tray to keep that from happening. I think the ziplok numbered snack bag for each lifter is the way to go, as had been in the past if I have to do it again at some juncture. ( Hopefully not for a LONG time)
Randy and Steve Long said I shouldn't have an issue because of lobe design. It worked out fine.
With all the stories of new cams and flat lobes running this one made me very nervous.

I will set the timing and button up the small details post my last leg and return to KDFW.   
Thank you, Drew and others who gave pointers.
                                                                      Keith

[Drew Pojedinec]

Don't feel bad.
When I did the cam break in on my Galaxie, well.....
I wired my fans backwards so there I am with an engine at 220degrees trying to pull the bullet connectors off and flip stuff around.
I may or may not have burned myself on a handful of things.
Course cuz it's good common sense, I decided to fire the engine and do cam break in on a day that was 104 degrees.

I forget the rest of the details, but it was one of those days where "If it coulda been done in a way to make life harder, it was done."

Like the "old man" used to say when I'd mess up:  "Experience.  It's that thing you really needed 30 minutes ago, but you got lots of it now."

[67428GT500]

It was in the upper 90's and humid. Miserably hot with that clutch fan pulling all that hot air through with the hood off . Standing over it was like being out in the Sinai Desert in Egypt during  the Bright Star Exercises.  The only positive was I was lacking the fine blowing sand that gets into everything. Sealed or not.

I set the timing where it ran best and most responsive.  15 degrees initial, 37 all in at 2900 RPM.  Idle is about 900 rpm.  The Idle mixture screws are about 1.25 turns out.
The cam is  5.59 INT 5.77 EXH. 232 INT  240 EXH @50.   I think 10 inch of vacuum at idle seems a bit low.  If that is the case I'll have to figure out a vacuum reservoir that I can T into the line without it being obvious and hide the reservoir tank.

[Drew Pojedinec]

You may find it isn’t needed, you’ll make more vac with a lil rpm.
Test and see

[gt350hr]

  THE reason I suggested Keith would not have a problem with "mixed up" lifters is because ONE guy (Steve) grinds the cams on an older grinder he's used and maintained for 40 years. The lobes he grinds are VERY precise. He also has complete flexibility  to adjust "lobe taper" to work with various lifter diameters to ensure proper rotation with modern low zinc/phospherous  oils. Because the lobes are carefully ground one by one and the "run time" was low , the lobe taper was still good and the lifter "crown" was still present. That combined with a little cam lube allowed the lifters to be mixed up and not fail. Many aftermarket cam makers are not that flexible and mass produce cams that could not tolerate a lifter mix up.
    Randy

[67428GT500]

Well, Randy. Even Steve gave me a 70% chance with the block change to go along with the scattered lifters. I did EVERYTHING I could think of for a successful outcome. Steve Long did offer to cut me a new cam and get it out the same day if I lost the battle. Now that's service!

                                                                                            -Keith