Well built 390. Edelbrock rpm heads close to 10:1 compression

[Fireater1968]

What do you think of this cam for a roller fe
Howard's 256425-12

256425-12 adv duration 267 277 .050 due 215 225 lift .547 .547 lobe sep112 108 Hyd. Hyd. 1,13 98117-K3210 1200-5200 Street Force™ 2, Good idle & throttle

[jayb]

I think that cam is too small for a 10:1 engine, you should be looking at something with around 230-236@.050 on the intake side.

[DuckRyder]

AGREE

More specifically based on these numbers installed as ground IVC is 61.5.

You should go look at some of brents cam videos start with the one about common mistakes in picking cams.

I think the group is going to need a definition of "well built" and "close to 10:1" to go further.

[My427stang]

Depends on use and depends on what close to 10:1 is.  Compression generally comes in lower than guys expect, often there is more deck clearance, Edelbrocks tend to be larger than advertised and gaskets vary.

Regardless, that specific cam seems pretty small for many reasons, but if you are even slightly under 10:1 it'd be fine on pump gas, you are just giving up a ton of power.  It's a baby cam even for a 390

An Edelbrock head doesn't really need a 10 degree split, and 48 degrees overlap is very tame, if it has headers you are giving up some power.  Could add another 5-10 degrees over overlap and setill have power brakes and pul a lot harder on the intake port.  Additionally, no reason not to open the valves a little more unless you have a valve clearance problem

Really need to know the rest of the build, car setup, fuel, and use, and to do it right need an exact compression number too.

[Fireater1968]

K. Well it's a zero decked block. Flat top piston .030 over . H beam rods hand has a comp cam HYDRAULIC ROLLER – High performance for street cars with 2200+ stall, 9:1+ compression, headers. Hyd. Hyd. 2200-5800 34-432-9 XR280HR 282 288 .050 duration 230 236 .lift .521 .532 ..lobe 110

But it too much cam for enjoyable driving.  Yes i have a 2400 rpm stall convertor...my gearing is too high for this setup. And it either change gears and make it more crazy or less cam and enjoy a good running 390

[blykins]

The cam isn’t too big in duration, it just has too much overlap for you. 

You need a different cam, not necessarily a smaller cam. 

[My427stang]

That's why many of us grind custom.  You have 65 degrees of overlap, which is fine for a 445 or 462, but a bit much for a 395 inch engine

The downside with the XR series is not enough advertised duration or lift, the FE likes both.  You can build a pretty mellow 390 with the right lobes and do better.  We have all cams ground for use, I rarely use a shelf cam anymore,  it makes a better combo because you aren't stuck with cookie cutter or small block lobes.

That being said, to change the cam, likely need to go through spring setup, and would need to know piston manufacturer to know if you have room for lift, probably yes unless builder style pistons, but would be wise to check.

 I do have a customer with an Comp he isn't using, made for Edelbrocks, 227 degrees in the intake side, I didn't spec it, but it's a good piece.  He is going for a big inch big power build.  It's a decent custom made for a street 416, can see if he still has it.

[cjshaker]

.

[Fireater1968]

Perhaps this instead
Howard's 253745-12  adv dur 280 286 .050 dur 227 233 .lift 525 .525 separation 112 intake center 108

[frnkeore]

The way I figure it, if your using 2291 pistons and "0" deck clearance, running a FelPro 1040 gasket, your only in the ~9.69/1 CR range. You can increase that to ~9.81 if you use the Victor/Mahle 3389 head gasket.

Howards will grind a custom cam at no extra cost and ordering a cam, using these lobes, with 112 LSA (59° overlap) and a 106 ICL (6° advanced) will get you noticeable overall increase over the shelf cam and everything your looking for. These lobes are the next step up from the shelf cam, with more ex duration. The 6° advance will help you with DCR and still easily run pump gas.

bhr225327 278 225 143 0.327 = .566 lift w/1.73 rockers , w/1.76, .576
bhr235327 288 235 150 0.327 = .566 "

In any case, you still need to be sure of PTV and coil bind clearance.

[blykins]

K. Well it's a zero decked block. Flat top piston .030 over . H beam rods hand has a comp cam HYDRAULIC ROLLER – High performance for street cars with 2200+ stall, 9:1+ compression, headers. Hyd. Hyd. 2200-5800 34-432-9 XR280HR 282 288 .050 duration 230 236 .lift .521 .532 ..lobe 110

But it too much cam for enjoyable driving.  Yes i have a 2400 rpm stall convertor...my gearing is too high for this setup. And it either change gears and make it more crazy or less cam and enjoy a good running 390

The reason why most of us are so vague is probably because of the data that you've given.  The subject line says close to 10:1 compression, but the post I'm quoting says 9:1.  Can you nail that down closer? 

When I used to use Edelbrock heads, I found that they don't need a lot of duration split. I usually split them 3-4° on a street engine.   That in itself will cut down the amount of overlap.  As I mentioned up above, you don't necessarily need a "smaller" cam, maybe by a degree or two, but that shelf cam just has a lot of overlap for your application.  You didn't mention whether or not you have power brakes, etc., so that overlap number will depend on a lot of variables.

You have listed a few Howards cams but you have to watch a lot of the lobes that they use for FE cams.  They can be pretty aggressive, which will be noisy and will require a little more valve spring.  Any time that you subtract the .050" duration from the advertised duration (that's called hydraulic intensity) on a hydraulic roller and the difference is 52-53°, there's a higher risk of noise and a higher risk of losing control of the valvetrain at higher rpms.  There are a few more variables that can play into that, so not every case will be that way, but for the most part, I stay away from lobe aggression like that on an FE.  Works ok sometimes on a lighter exhaust valve, but generally not on a heavier intake valve.  Ford FE stock (and Edelbrock) valvetrain is pretty heavy, with 3/8" stem, larger diameter valves. 

You also can't go by the notes in the catalog on what characteristics the cam will have.  I'm not even real sure why they put those in there because cam behavior changes with displacement, head flow, and a few other variables.  These cam companies don't know what size engine you have, but will tell you that the cam will be good for "1200-5200 rpm".   They don't know if your heads have been ported, or even which cylinder head you have.  Without knowing about your engine, there's about a 10% chance of nailing down the powerband.   It's best to reach out to an engine builder who has experience with the engine family that you're working on, to see how a particular cam would behave.   Don't even begin to trust them on the required valve springs either...

[My427stang]

I sent you a PM.  Cam available, not mine, but a custom grind for a 416 street car with Edelbrock heads.  He'll share data, likely a more inexpensive way to get where you want to be.  I don't even think it was run.

[e philpott]

what application is the engine in and used for? Big or small car, truck, dragster on the weekends or street racing ? What made the other cam seem too big ?

[427LX]

What do you think of this cam for a roller fe
Howard's 256425-12

256425-12 adv duration 267 277 .050 due 215 225 lift .547 .547 lobe sep112 108 Hyd. Hyd. 1,13 98117-K3210 1200-5200 Street Force™ 2, Good idle & throttle

Well that cam is a bit hotter than what came in the 428CJ/SCJ and they weren't no stones!