pablofour20

I accidently posted this over in the vendor review, so I'm reposting it here:

Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with summit cams? I saw them in my catalog and they're only like $70 for the cam and lifters. My question is are the just inexpensive or are they cheap. I just want to know if they're a good deal or will I get what I''m paying for. Thanks.

P.S.
I'm looking to get a mild cam. It will be going in an 84 305 (L69). This car will be my daily driver for the next year or so until I finish the 400 sitting in the garage. So it only needs to last a year, maybe 2 at the most. Thanks.

85TPI400

I have built many different smallblock engines for myself and other people, used at least 3 or 4 different grinds of these Summit cams and they seem to be of great quality at a good price. I will buy more of these as I need them, I definitely think you get a bit more than you pay for with these..
Good Luck!

F-BIRD'88

If there was a big problem with Summit's housebrand
stuff like camshafts etc, You'd hear about it.
Doesn't pay for them to sell junk.
These are good generic/proven grinds that work.
Probabily manufactured by a big Name Brand cam Co. that
can mass produce.

Hint: starts with a C and ends in a E.

Sounds ideal for your purposes.

heavy_chevy29

i have a summit cams in my 408. it works great. they are a good price too.

e-man

On one of the vette forums I look at one of the guys brother works for summit and said that crane makes their cams(good) the lifters(bad) are some off brand that arent that great.

82firebird

I've got a Summit Cam and lifters in my 307, seems to work pretty well. I also heard that Crane makes their cams. For around 70 bucks, its a great deal!!

Mark A Shields

From my understanding when I was researching cams, they're cams are based on outdate technology, and putting a few more $s towards a better cam is worth the price.

But if you're out for a budget buildup, guess they're ok.

F-BIRD'88

You've probabily limited your researched the sales info.
Some of the popular advertisng would have you believe they've reinvented the wheel.

For about $70 U.S. you can find out first hand.
Select the "outdated" Summit grind that matches your present cam grind the best. (closest .050 duration rating.)
and compare the actual in car performance back to back in *your car*.
The Seat durations are rated differently. At different lift points.
So not comparable by looking at these numbers as they appear.



I think if you analysed both designs on say a Cam Doctor, you'd find they are in fact very simular and both follow the same cam lobe design theories. They will have much more in common than not.
Surley not exactly the same but definatly not outdated.
there is much more to a successful cam design and its actual overall performance in a motor than the popular sales info tells you.
I believe the comparable cam would be Summit #SUM-1105

You might just be suprised.
Would make for interesting "research" wouldn't it.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

No problems with the one I'm using.

JamesC

curt86iroc

my friends running one in his 355...no probs with it so far.....

fb305svs

i'd be willing to bet that the summit cams use an outdated LOBE PROFILE....

you pay for what you get. You can use all the cam prgrams in the world, but if you want to know for sure, throw em on a cam measuing setup. where the lobe and the shape are actually measured.

you can anylise lift and duration and lsa numbers all ya want, but the lobve shape is just as important.