old factory cams

[wayne]

I was just wanting to know how the old cams stack up with the newer stuff  .It was not to long ago the old streetmaster was no good till jay changed all that.

[blykins]

They don't....   

[fe66comet]

The newer profiles are completely different animals it would seem, especially with the introduction of hydraulic rollers and dual pattern camshafts. Technology has leaped in the last 10 years in leaps and bounds even for the two valve per cylinder applications, also the introduction of affordable injection systems makes the possibilities mind boggling at times. I myself have been relearning the dynamics of how camshaft selection affects performance not only with carburetors but now injection too. It seems to be a good time to be a rodder again after the dismal 1980s and 1990s.

[Barry_R]

I tested one of those...not as bad as one might think...

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/thread/1405164766/Going+old+school+-+dyno+test+on+427


This one was a "real" 427 - factory steel crank, LeMans rods, a factory iron block with small clean-up overbore and compression pulled back to the middle 10s for pump premium, a pair of decently ported iron F heads from another vendor, a tunnel wedge with a pair of BJ-BK carbs - and a factory "B" cam.  Yep - a 50 year old camshaft.  This one is very much something that could have been built in 1960-something.  Customer also had a pair of 660s - which turned out to be the best on this one.  I suppose those are considered "new" since they were probably from the 70s...

We went through the normal break in process - more than a little nervous about that cam - and had no issues at all.  Motor came around nicely and ran very well.  Seems those old guys had a pretty good handle on things...  <img src="/images/happy.gif" height="14" width="14" alt="happy.gif">

Cam specs - data lifted from some old posts made by Werbyford, tbolt2, and others:

the C4AE-B is the High Riser camshaft.

 56/88 88/56 with 112 deg overlap.
 242-242-106 
 324-324 duration
 242-242 at .050 duration
 .500 lift

Engine ran cleanly beyond 6400 while making pulls.  Peak power was at 6200 with 487 horsepower, and peak torque was 466 at 5100.  Noteworthy is a dead flat torque curve with readings of 460 to 466 from 4400 to 5300 RPM.




Video:

http://youtu.be/kJ0Mbs7LAr0


<img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/Barry_R/427TunnelwedgeandBcam_zps358c10d3.png" alt="[linked image]">

[linked image]
Barry Rabotnick
Survivalmotorsports.com

[GJCAT427]

Barry I don`t know if you saw my 56 F100 at Beaver Sprgs but it has a "B" cam in it and it runs like a scalded cat. On the run for the show cars I wasn`t even pushing the motor and it moved. I have a "D" cam for the tunnel port that I can`t wait to hear.

[RJP]

I have about the oldest true "high performance" factory cam in my 66 LTD 428. Its the ancient HP solid lifter 390-406 [flanged] cam, .479" lift/276 deg duration. It works surprisingly well with the 428/C6 combo and a 2.75 gear.  This car is a daily driver/road tripper, delivers about 15mpg, provides good vacuum for the power brakes, has decent torque in the 1800 to 4K+ range and has on a few occasions shown it's tail lights to 5.0 Mustangs and a few Craparos...Not that I street race or anything but isn't that what 2 lane freeway on ramps are for? Today that cam wouldn't be my 1st choice as I'm sure there are much better cams out there but it seemed right at the time when I built the engine in 1979. To add: The quiet clatter of the solid lifters adds to the personality of the car as well. Most kids don't recognize that sound anymore...Sad really.

[MeanGene]

I have a cherry B cam & lifters that I pulled from an old 427 V-drive engine that will probably go in the 57 Sedan delivery- they run pretty good, and very easy on the valvetrain. Also have a NI the tube 330/600 that might find it's way into one of these engines- there was a guy running one around the Bay Area in the late 70's and it was one baaaad sounding MF. Pretty lame down low, but get it revved up a little...

[wayne]

Yes that old 600-330 sounds real good can hear it about a 1/2 a mile away.

[RJP]

I have a cherry B cam & lifters that I pulled from an old 427 V-drive engine that will probably go in the 57 Sedan delivery- they run pretty good, and very easy on the valvetrain. Also have a NI the tube 330/600 that might find it's way into one of these engines- there was a guy running one around the Bay Area in the late 70's and it was one baaaad sounding MF. Pretty lame down low, but get it revved up a little...

Many years ago I ran a 330/600 in a 390...limp as a wet dish towel until about 4K...... then hang on, pulled like a Baldwin locomotive. Also I run a reproduction B cam in my 67 Fairlane [427 s/o, dual plane MR 8V, same lift & duration but slightly different L/C than the FoMoCo cam. Pulls strong to about 62-6300, has a good sounding choppy idle that sometimes attracts the wrong type of attention.

[gtxpress]

Really??     Like a Baldwin locomotive?  Is that age I sense? 

[machoneman]

Really??     Like a Baldwin locomotive?  Is that age I sense? 

Maybe to update

....pulled like Kim Kardashian's booty?

There, it's all fixed. LOL!

[fe66comet]

Kim's booty is bigger anyhow LOL probably has more high pressure gas too.

[bn69stang]

Thats getting into flow , and thats a  LLLLLLllllllllllaaaaaaatttttta  booty ... LOL

[cammerfe]

In regard to old cams/new cams, may I offer:

I put together a 390 several years ago, starting from a 390-330 '64 PI engine with the following---

C4 block with crossbolts and oiling mods.
Dove F-5 heads done to Dove suggestions by Wayne Kuchtyn with 2.100-1.65 valves.
Dove single plane manifold matched to heads. Holley DP 850 'dyno' carb. 'Dyno' headers.
Dove HD rockers and Smith PR.

I asked Comp cams for a solid roller with the street-driving manners of the factory AA cam
During break-in process the engine showed an ability to idle at 800 RPM and to pull to 7500 before nosing over.
It made 500 HP by a bit more than 6K and was still going up at 7K.

My first 427---in my '64 Custom---had a AA cam and spiral lifters and was all done at just better than 6K. I shifted at 6500.

KS