Finally got the engine fired last night after installing the new Comp Xtreme Energy XS282S solid lifter cam. Got through the cam run-in after a couple of hiccups (new 8" damper and the stock waterpump pulley didn't play well together, got the distributor in one tooth [maybe two] off). It was getting too late to get the timing set properly and all, but it seems to have a different sound to it.

Need to change the oil, get the timing set right, run the valves (had them a little loose for the run-in), change the tranny & diff fluids, then we'll be able to check this puppy out.

First Test & Tune in 10 days!

 

congrats 57!
keep us posted on this one,i'm nearing completion on the 383 and would love to hear how the 396 behaves with this cam.i'm using the same one.
i think the 396 heads will outflow my vortecs by a good bit ,i'd like to see how bigger heads respond to that cam.
i might end up kicking myself for not going to bigger heads,but that's ok.
will you be dyno testing or strictly track?

how loose did you run the lash for the breakin?

did you use different springs,or just remove the inners?

i'm going to be using #981 springs @ 1.8" for break in which gives 65# at the seat.also i'll be using #941 springs at the same height to give me 113# on the seat and a really stout 357# open pressure!i'm determined to run this cam with stock diameter springs.i believe spring technology has advanced far enough to make this possible.

We'll see how long they live!

Eric B

 

Unless some dyno run opportunity now unknown to me comes up, it'll be track-only.

I set the lash at .018". The cam card says .016", the Comp tech rep recommended running .016"I/.018"E due to our altitude.

I talked to a fellow racer who makes a living building race engines about removing the inner springs for the break-in. He handed me a packet of ARP thread lube and told me to put it on the lobes & lifters. Said he's never removed the inner springs and never had a cam break-in problem using it. So, that's what I did.

 

I had never removed the inner springs for break-in either. Then I flattened a bunch of lobes on that exact same cam- Comp 282S- during break-in. Next one went in with the inner springs removed and no problem, although taking springs on and off twice and readjusting valves twice is a major PITA.

Later on down the road I found out the REAL reason the first cam went flat- it was never hardened. I had a Rockwell hardness test done on it in many different places (not on the already flattened lobes- those would alread have worn through the hardened case). It measured 25. It should have been 55. It was doomed right out of the box, regardless of what I would have done with the springs.

So now I'm back to NOT removing the inner springs unless I have tons of time to burn (rare).

 

SBC or BBC?

 

Get it tuned and post us up an audio clip. It is street/strip right?

 

Yep, driven to the track.

 

In my case, SBC. Comp makes no distinction about removal of the inner springs whether the cam is going in a SBC or BBC. I am aware that BBCs have higher ratio rockers than SBCs and can put more pressure on the lifters/cam lobes.

 

I was thinking about the "same cam" part.

Re-setting the distributor had it's own issues. Somehow the distributor and oil pump drive shaft didn't stay where they should be, so even though the distributor housing had dropped down to the manifold after turning the engine over to re-align them (or so I thought), it popped back up after I fired it. I noticed right away there wasn't any oil pressure and shut it down. I'm using a stud instead of a hold down bolt, the clamp got jammed against the stud, so I had to take the stud out in order to release the distributor. 1st time anything like that has happened to me.

After spending a half hour fixing that, when I started it again I could see the spark jumping from the #5 wire to the header. Apparently the 9 year old Jacobs wires had enough with the high-temp cam run-in. Of course this was after 6 p.m. on Friday evening, so the closest speed shop (still a good 10 miles away) had already closed. Had to pay a king's ransom for some MSD wires at Checker.

Draining the oil right now, came into the house to get an Exacto knife for the wire stripping, doubt I'll have a chance to fire it up again tonight. Haven't even started running the valves yet, going to change the tranny fluid & filter while it's up in the air. . .

 

Slow poke, what are you waiting for a written invitation? Well consider this it!

 

I bet that stick sounds wicked in a little 396!I sure like the looks of that grind,may use it in my next bigblock

 

Yes, it is going slow. I spent most of yesterday getting tires mounted and ready for the Camaro, then as related above spent what time was left getting the new plug wires installed.

Today I couldn't get to it until after 6:30 p.m., and then my son wanted to install the line lock on the Camaro. He started doing most of that with occasional help from me while I finished the oil change, but ran into snags so I ended up spending most of the evening on the Camaro. I decided to wait for the other fluid changes until I'm sure I can finish the other things that have to be done.

Tomorrow isn't looking much different, obligations until evening. Hopefully I'll be able to run the valves tomorrow evening.

As for how it sounds - With the bad plug wires it was a little hard to tell. I think the carb is running a little lean as well. But, when I did rap on it, it reved up much quicker than it used to, and does sound just a tad bit "bad". . .

 

Finally got the oil & plug wires changed, and fired up again last night to rerun the valves. I can say this without reservation - a remote starter switch makes this process a lot easier than it was 29 years ago when I last did it! (adjust mechanical lifters, that is)

I haven't fiddled much with the idle yet, mostly setting the idle speed up enough to get it running. I might have to change the air bleeds to get it to idle right. Other than that, once it's above idle, it doesn't sound or act much different than before.

Until you nail it. . .

I only had a couple of on-ramp test runs, but economy of words is in order here:

One word: Whoa!

Two words: Oh, my!

Three words, Oh, my, my!


(I know a bunch of you have faster cars, but I'm really looking forward to the first test & tune this Saturday!)

 

Sounds cool 57!

I was curious what heads you're running? It just says "self-ported" in your sig.

 

"I might have to change the air bleeds to get it to idle right."

Probabily not unless the idle jets wre changed before.

The motor will want a lot more base/idle timing than it did before, with the mild hyd cam. Otherwise your throttles will be too far open (past the transfer slot) at idle to properly meter the idle fuel flow. (rich mixture, poor throttle response) Give it as much idle timing as it wants ( 24 to 30deg). This will require you to limit the mechanical advance travel as you want to maintain the same total timing (36, 38deg for a BBC) You can also remove the carb, flip it over and equalize the primary and sec throttles so the idle is shared equally by all 4 barrels at idle.
Do all this before you start changing air bleeds as they are probabily fine as is.

 

Stock 1966 (702 castings) closed-chamber, 260cc inlet oval ports, 2.06"/1.72" valves. Hardened exhaust seats & valves for unleaded. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...bc-begins.html

Initial advance is around 22 degrees mechanical with 38 total. Vacuum is manifold, I forget exactly what it has with both at idle, but over 30 I'm sure.

I plan on doing more with the carb. I haven't done anything but re-jet and squirt some spray carb cleaner into the air bleeds from time to time in the 2 years I've had it (and it was used then). I have a rebuild kit, it also needs a lower PV (6.5 now), and, of course, my plan to run E85 this season will require other tweaks (mostly jetting & squirtering up).

Other observations:
Even with the mechanical lifters, the clatter in the car is no worse than it was with the General Kenetics hydraulic cam & lifters. Crusing on the freeway last night at 65 mph, 3200 RPMs, it was a lot happier than it was with the old cam - always acted like I was asking too much of it before. As I pulled off the freeway heading home, I was behind some traffic as we pulled away from the stoplight. I let them pull ahead of me, gave it a very little gas to get up to the speed limit of 40 mph, and it just pulled up to them with no effort whatsoever - it would have acted like it was working harder under the same conditions with the old cam. The stall seems fine, no laboring away from stops. So, it has very nice street manners, even with the significantly higher duration.

Speaking of seeming to work harder, late last season after I put the RPM Air Gap on in place of the Action+, it often seemed like it was being "lazy" in the mid-range, especially after the shift to 2nd. I was sure the timeslip would show a "lazy" ET as well, but it never did. I guess the Action+ just made it seem like it was working harder, when it really wasn't.

Speaking of shifting to 2nd, shall we say the car hasn't ever reacted to the shift like it did last night. . .

Thanks again for the cam recommendation. I'm sure the XS274 would have been fine, but certainly not as fine as this one appears to be!

 

awesome. i always broke my solid cams in with the inner springs out, and drove them, 'mildly' for a week or so, then added the inners back and set the lash. Worked perfect for both my 383's and 406.

Can't wait to see pics of the 396.

 

Pictures? What good would that do?

I'll see if I can get a sound recording. Only digital sound we have is my son's cheap digital camera, not sure how well it will work.

 

pics so we can see your detail work

 

I'm a function-over-form guy, so pics don't do much to enhance my reputation, if you get my drift.

 

Oh, not asking for or to add to your reputation, just was curious, if you were happy with what you built, you'd be willing to share the build pics and process. Because any good engine builder would be happy to show his masterpiece. But if you prefer not to, your call.

 

Well, I suppose the new wires look pretty good, so maybe I will.

However, I hear I'll be at work until about 9 or 10 p.m. tonight. . .

 

Which would be....? Or shall I try and fill in the blank? Sounds like it's coming along, can't wait to hear the times!

 

Yeah, when the only direction is up. . .

(Still at work, leaving for home now. . .)

 

I sure never thought that would be a street friendly cam in a 396.Jeg's owes you,because I just placed an order for one for my 468!The sad thing is,I'm going to tear apart a brand new,never fired engine to do a cam swap My heart just wasn't in it when I ordered the XE274H that's in it.Solids have always treated me so good,especially in a BBC.

 

I don't know if you've been following the oil and lifters threads. Earlier this year I was wondering about using direct-lube lifters. There are some threads about anti-wear additive reductions with the latest emissions-friendly oils. I decided against the direct-lubes (probably should have gone with them), but I'm using a synthetic diesel oil in the engine (also SL rated for gasoline engines) which retains the anti-wear additives. I don't anticipate any lobe/lifter wear problems.

 

Given a proper break in,which I'm confident you did,you should have no problems.I like Lucas for cam break in,but lets not open that can-o-worms.I've ran more than 1 .600 lift or larger solid flat tappet on the street with out problems,given proper maintenance.