I looking to put a cam into an 86 305 TPI motor. The motor is all stock. The only upgrades I plan on doing to it is a set of headers. The car is used as somewhat of a daily driver. Im just looking to get some more performance out of the motor. Which of these cams would be best for my setup? Would I have to make any modifications to the computer? And what else should I do if I put one of these cams in? What kind of performance gains could I expect?
http://www.compcams.com/Technical/Se...umber=12-262-4

http://www.compcams.com/Technical/Se...umber=12-249-4

 

The 249 is hardly better than stock. The XE262 would be a noticeable improvement with no problems for the computer.

Get new valve springs & retainers while you're at it.

 

Would I be ok with changing the springs without also changing the retainers?

 

itll be fine people here just frown upon stock retainers because theyre heavy and bulky.

 

Will my motor be able to handle the lift of the XE262?

 

With new valve springs, yes.

The retainer thing - stock exhaust retainers have a heavy rotator, which doesn't do much for you. It will lead to valve float, although with a 262 cam, probably won't be a problem as long as you don't use factory springs.