Another cam choice

[Lowrider]

Another one of those "help me choose a cam" posts. Car is a 61 Starliner 406, 3x2s, toploader 4sp., ps & pb & either a 3.00 or 3.50 gear. Ignition is a stock dual point dist. Probably going with 225/70 14 tires. A little more detail, it has flat top pistons (going for .005 in the hole deck) C2SE heads, shorty cast iron manifolds running thru a mostly stock (probably go bigger on the pipes) exhaust. Everything is at the shop now getting machined and balanced. I was gonna go with the Crane factory type grind until I read the 114 lobe separation put the power at the upper rpm limit. Just using the car for shows and cruises I'll never get there. Here's some cams I've looked at.
                                   Adv. duration.  Duration @ 50.   Lobe sep.      lift

Crane C3AZ-AA.               284.                  244.                114.           .524

CompCam 33-244-4.        270.                  224.                110.           .540

Howard 252342-10.          265.                  230.                110.          .560

Lunati 30330511.            272/282.           236/238.           112.          .569/.580

Lunati 30330508.            290/300.           241/251.           108.          .525

Not a fan of dual pattern cams but I put a couple in anyway. Would any of these cams be a good choice or do you have any suggestions. Just looking for that good FE "thrash" without a radical lope.
Thanks, Dan

[ericwevans]

I'm running the CompCam 33-244-4 in a 352 in my truck.  It pulls really strong through 5k, but, it has a lope to it.  Here's a link to it idling so you can decide how radical it is.  https://goo.gl/photos/VbRgVySDqhxhAwmD7

[blykins]

The cam that is radical in a 352 would be baby-ish in a 406.  That's why you can't read a description underneath a camshaft and expect it to hold true for every displacement.  Even cylinder heads and intakes will make a difference in how a camshaft performs and sounds. 

If the OP is wanting an off-the-shelfer, that Comp 270H would probably work really well.  With a heavy car and a high rearend gear, you don't want to get carried away on duration and you don't want to get carried away with overlap, because your vacuum will suffer.

If he's willing to go for a custom grind, there's lots of ways to tweak a camshaft to optimize a specific engine combination.

[Lowrider]

Thanks for the replies. Eric thanks for the video, sounds good. Wonder how it will perform with a mostly stock exhaust.
I admit to being a dinosaur on some of this. Back in the 60's you didn't have a lot of choices and I believe the specs were figured differently on cams. Figured out some of the specs on cams but still not up to speed on all of it. Like I mentioned before I was going to run the Crane factory grind C3AZ-AA cam until I saw the 114 lobe separation put the power way up in rpms. The 270S (I'm running solids) that Brent recommended seems to be the closest with a tighter lobe sep. That said would the 282S be too big.
            Adv. duration.      Duration@50.     Lobe sep.        lift
                  282.                    236.                110.           .571

I'm thinking the lift is getting a bit too much for my needs. I assume the vacuum would suffer also.
Any thoughts or other suggestions.
Thanks, Dan

[My427stang]

I think the 282S would work well with the 3.50 gear, and don't be afraid to step up the exhaust to whatever the exit size of the shorties is.  However if you go 3.00, I'd go 270H or 270S.  The 270H is a good cam and I think would do well

BTW, 114 LSA alone does not determine RPM range, intake centerline, lobe design and the rest of the combo all have a say in it.  Personally, assuming you don't have too much compression, the 270H with stock hyd rockers would be maintenance free, sound healthy and run great on the street with either a 3.00 or a 3.50, especially if you have a decent intake manifold and a good curve in the distributor

[Dot Heton]

I don't think Comp offers the 270h for the FE right now. They have a 268h that is loved by the pickup truck crowd.

[Dot Heton]

Ok I'm dead wrong about the cam not being available. You can buy it from Summit right now. Four months ago I made the decision to go to solid lifter so I could use that grind. The FE's future keeps getting brighter.

[TorinoBP88]

For shows the 250 at 0.050.

For actual driving the comp 270 224@0.050.

More gear, less cam for real world street driving.

110 separation will be more fun than 115, 108 even more pop to it,  but softer off idle.

[unclewill]

Just call Schneider Racing Cams, tell them about your engine and your needs, and they will custom grind you a cam.
http://schneidercams.com/

[TorinoBP88]

Oregon cams can custom grind you what you want.  They can even regrind your stock cam. Ken loves the FE.