I just called them up requesting advice on a cam.
Let's get a few things said. I have a 305. I know. I don't care. I'm just running the snot out of it until it blows.

That being said,
They wanted to know what motor-305sbc
heads-8113 heads
compression-9.5-1
what tranny-th350
stall-stock
gears-3.23

they said at the most, they'd recommend a 212/218*@0.50, with a 449/456 lift on a 112 lsa

now, maybe thats just me, but doesn't that seem rather small?
The guy wouldn't listen when I told him that once he recommended a good cam, i can change parts based on that...i'm looking at doing a 28-3500stall, 3.73's, and nitrous, now give me a cam that'll compliment that. He didn't want to hear any of that. Just that it was a 305. No SH*T it's a 305! I just told you that!


Now....what would you guys recommend? And again, I'm just running it until it blows. It's a weekend fun car. No emissions. Other info you might want is the 2460's, and i'm 95% sure i'm getting a lt1intake in the next month or 2.

 

i've had similar problems with varying companies. if you personally don't know of any shops in your area you can deal with in person on this matter call and ask to speak with a different person.

unless your dealing with a smaller company like tpis with 3 or 4 employees you should be able to get someone coherent enough to help you out. they do make a good product. i had the same problem recently when i called and spoke with one comp guy the next day they recommended something else......

point and lesson you can learn from myself is do your own homework and don't rely on anyone to make your decisions even if they claim to be an expert.

 

no offense but if you're going with a huge stall and gears.....tell them that. Don't tell them stock stall, stock gears if you want to hear a huge cam.

Now I know Jbenge is running a XE274 on his but his isn't fuel injected. With fuel injected you are limited until you get into custom tuning and proms. good luck.

 

That sounds perfectly fine to me. He recommended a cam for the engine you have, not the engine you wish you had. A stock 305 couldn't take much more then 218° and no way more then 450" lift unless you want to break stuff the moment you crank it over.

You can always call them back and LIE to them. Tell them you have a big stall, high gears, nitrious and whatever. Then you will get the bigger cam specs you want but if you try to run that one in your stock 305 you'll be suprised how ****ty it runs if at all.

 

Stock TPI has more to do with your limitations than anything else. Nitrous, stall, and gear isn't going to change that. Unless/until you're willing to put about a grand into upgrading the induction, you aren't going to be able to use any more cam than what they recommended.

The heads are your next restriction. As stated, they need work to handle more lift. 1.94" intake valves, upgraded springs, guides cut to give clearance, and screw-in or pinned pressed-in rocker studs, plus porting, are all on the list.

I seem to be missing your exhaust upgrades.

You need to build a complete "package". Replacing a few components while ignoring key ingredients is a receipe for disappointment. I'd say you're looking at around $2500 before you can expect to benefit from more cam.

I'll have to give Comp credit for protecting you from yourself. Most companies will just sell you what you're asking for, with no concern at all for the results. Comp has a lot more reputation to protect than you do.

 

Oh, '85 TPI is about the least capable engine upgrade EFI system out there. Better up that cost estimate.

 

That cam sounds perfect for your TPI 305. Like mentioned above your limited by heads and induction, they reccomend that cam for that reason. If you call and lie to them your just going to end up with an engine that runs worse then a stock one. Its much better to under cam then over cam.

 

like was said they base it on what you have, not what you want to have or might have, and they do tend to be a little conservitive. the tech guys are usually pretty good at knowing who they're talking to and where you're going to go with your car and engine.

 

Sounds to me like everyone is on the same page here- the cam they reccomended sounds good to me.

MY experience with CAM HELP? They gave me the cam for the motor I thought I was building, not the one I built! I overestimated my CR at 9.5/1 instead of the 8.3/1 I actually have.

I ended up with a 268XE in an otherwise stock '74 Malibu engine, flat tops .030" over, a Wieand dual plane, headers and a Q-jet are all it has along with smog dog 76cc chamber 882 heads.

I have a cam with a 1600 to 5800 RPM powerband with heads that cause it to fall on it's face at 5200.

I should have stuck a 262XE in there and I'd have the same top end I have now with more low end and mid range torque and better part throttle fuel economy.

With all due resect we aren't trying to slam you, we just want you to realize the folks at COMP are giving real world advise based on dyno tests and R&D with various combos, and they know what they are doing.

Eric

 

Thanks for the advise guys.

I know I have a few limitations-
tpi-getting rid of that and going with johns converted lt1 intake
85 tpi-i have the wiring harness/ecm from my 86 waiting to go in
exhaust-hooker 2460's +cut out
heads-being hand ported+gasket matched
tuning-will be done once it's all put together

has anyone heard anything or know anyone running the comp Nitrous HP series cams? I think the longer exh. duration would help out a good bit for me. I do know that I don't want to rev past 5800-6000rpms.

 

theres one older guy that works there.
he always sounds annoyed as if you're bugging him by asking a cam question.

the guys a dick.. once he says somthing, he'll jsut keep repeating that cam over and over.

 

Over the years I have talked to almost every cam company and I'd have to say that Comp Cams has the most "****" tech representatives. They always seem like your bothering them. My favorites are Isky and TPIS. I recommend you call Isky at 323-770-0930 or TPIS at 952-448-6021. These guys really act like they want to help. You'll see the difference in attitude compared to Comp.

Now, Comp didn't sound too far off when they recommended that camshaft. I'd also like to hear what Isky has to say.

 

If you really want performance out of a 305, do what I did with my tbi pickup. Upgrade the springs and rockers and get a slightly higher duration cam with a lot more lift. My truck has a 350 now, but the 305 made it 225k miles with my upgrades at around 160k. The upgrades didn't kil the motor, just the way I drove it afterwards. If I can find it, I'll post the specs on the cam that was in there. It was around 205 @ .050 with .470 lift, IF I remember right (doesn't always happen .

 

no worries...i'm going with one of the comp nitrous hp cams. if it runs like donkey, thats what TunerPro is for. If it blows, out with the 305, in with something else. :shrug: