okay ive found out through various people that i need a roller cam. however as i look through the magazines for a cam i have no idea what to do?
what do the durations mean?
what duration should i look for to be able to accelerate very quickly?
and i need power acessories brakes ect:

im very confused please help me

 

check out compcams web site. They have some good tech articles on there.

 

In the most simple explanation duration is the amount of time in crank degrees the valves are open. Read the comp cams website and try to find some Chevy High performance or Super Chevy magazines that have basic cam technology explanations. Both of these mags do stories about once a year and they do a decent job of explaning what the terms mean: duration, lift, lobe separion angle, overlap, etc.

If you still have questions about an application, which you WILL, try to call a tech line from comp, crane, lunati; pretty much any cam manufacturer will be able to help you decide on the best cam for what you want. Be honest with them and tell them exactly what you want and what you NEED.

 

There is more that goes into picking the right cam than could ever be covered in this thread. If this is the first time you are changing cams and are not sure what to choose.... ALL the major cam companies have tech support lines and cam request forms you can fill out and get their recommendation. They'll do a better job choosing than you will until you've had a chance to get experience with different cams and their real world behavior.

Now, when you say you "need" a roller cam I assume you mean because you have an 87-up engine that comes standard with a roller cam from the factory.

If so, that's not entirely true. Any 87-up block can run a standard flat tappet cam. Yank the factory roller lifters, take out the stock cam and put in the flat tappet cam and the flat tappet lifters. The lifters will look like they're way down in their bores but they will work perfectly. The factory did this with many truck and boat motors built off of roller blocks so it's perfectly safe.

Not saying that you necessarily want to do this but if money is tight a complete flat tappet cam and a full set of lifters is going to be much cheaper than just a new roller cam alone.

 

okay...but how well does this flat tappet cam work?
what are the pros and cons of this type of cam?
will i be able to increase the ablility forme to accelerate with this cam? does it sacrifice any of the brakes and stuff like that?
can i use my rebuilt quadrajet?
if it is cheaper but delievers the same or a little under a roller id be interested.i am tight on money so any penny i can savew is worth it. any more info u have on flat tappet cams would be appreciated?


im having the heads milled. does that mean i need a custom cam?
or will the flat tappet cam and its lifter work with out alteration?

 

A flat tappet cam is very different from a roller in many respects.

First the flat tappet has much more friction than a roller due to the fact that the roller uses a wheel to follow along the cam lobe. The flat tappet has a flat bottom. Actually it is very mildly convex.

Another thing that is different is the grind on the cam itself. On a flat tappet the lobe profiles are much less aggressive due to the fact that the flat tappet lifter would bind on an overly aggressive lobe like that used on roller cams. Roller cams allow for much more aggressive profiles of lobe grind. This allow the valves to open and close faster and sooner, depending on how it is ground.

I would expect more power and better overall performance from a roller cam. THere is nothing wrong with flat tappets though. The roller is just the better of the two in my opinion.

You say you NEED a roller cam? WHat year engine is it?
If you engine has a factory roller cam then an aftermarket replacement is not too expensive provided the lifters are in good order. If money is tight you can use a flat tappet. IMHO, I would stay with a roller is that is how the engine you have is equipped. Why go backwards?

Your brakes will not be effected if you choose carefully for your application. GET ON THE PHONE WITH MANUFACTURERS. They will be able to get you where you want to be.

Having your heads milled will get you a little compression ratio increase, but that alone would not warrant a new cam. If you plan on other mods down the road, go ahead and put in a cam now while the heads and intake are off.

Sorry to write so much, just tryin to help!!