Hello all, I'm in need of some information that would be near impossible to find; I'm not asking about putting anything together, I just need help filling out this sheet. I've never driven the car, so I can't answer the question of "RPM at 60mph." I'm fairly sure it's got the 3.23 gearing, as it appears to be the stock rear end. Also, I'm looking into buying a set of "ProComp Electric" heads off of Ebay. I've heard some things, both good and bad, but they look promising.

Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/370596975517...t_12243wt_1186

Of course, I've got the Borg-warner t10, and no real reason to think about swapping it out, but I'm open to suggestions, if you guys think I should.

Anyway, I'm going to Crane for the cam recommendation, and I need the information in the picture provided.

If anyone knows, thanks in advance!

 

pop the cover off the rear end to see what gears you actually have- the oil probably needs to be changed, anyways..

then go to one of the many online calculators that tell you what your final drive ratio and rpm at any given speed is and have at it..

an eaiser way to go about it would be to actually call Crane and talk to an actual person that can walk you thru it.. then after you hang up, call back and go thru it again since different people will give you a different recommendation. after a few calls, you should have a consensus on what cam you want to use.

 

I've got a pretty good idea, I just need some "guidance"- IE, I just know where I want the power to be, and not too much about how long the duration should be, or what degree the lobes should be separated...

What difference does lobe separation make, anyway?

Also, if I'm going to start to keep track of this build, where would I put everything?

 

So, no one has anything they want to say about ProComp heads, a quick opinion on lobe separation, or anyone that can tell me where to start a build page...?

 

Lobe separation will change how the cam applies power, and where it really starts and ends. It will also change your vacuum characteristics. A narrow LSA (like 106) will make explosive power while in the power band (and make it quickly when it reaches that point), and will also drop off very quickly when it's out of it. Narrow LSA's will kill things like power brakes without a pump/booster setup. It will also have that "choppy" sound that you hear in a lot of muscle cars. You see narrow LSA's in stree/strip and drag cars because they need the most power in their specified powerbands, and nothing below (or sometimes ABOVE but this is usually a restriction based on parts quality.. not necessarily the cam). That being said - I've got a 106 LSA on my current cam, actually. They're great provided your build is done methodically.

A wider LSA (112 or more) won't come on as strong into the powerband, but it will make power sooner and not taper off nearly as bad. A good application for wider LSA's are for "strictly" daily drivers and often times forced induction applications.. that, and people who have stock/smaller stall torque converters.

Duration depends on your compression ratio (and a few other things, but that's the most important one). Need to know that first.. that requires you knowing which cylinder heads you want to use, also.

Procomp heads are OK if you get them from the right person.. I'd only order them from Skip White if I had to choose since apparently he checks over them fairly well as he is a big distributor for them over the internet. They're not the best heads in the world, but they're much better than factory stuff in general. Call it a budget cylinder head I guess.

All of these things are also heavily dependent on your gear setup. Gears need to be matched with the cam. You can probably get away with a few decent cams with the 3.23's, but be careful or you'll find out your car bogs/bucks. I wouldn't go with a massive stick if I were in your position as you'll be needing the extra torque down low to get you up to speed quickly.





----- just looked at that picture.. you really do need to know what you've got. Do you not know ANY of that information? You don't want to just throw a stick in there, or you'll find out you're disappointed very quickly. Don't bother filling that whole thing out... just call them instead once you've got all that information and ask for their opinion... and once you've done that - call a few others and ask for their opinions. Once you've done that - make an averaged judgment on the cams each of them recommended. Why? Because every cam expert has a different way they like to do things, and you need to see it from different angles before you decide which way you'de like to go. That's what I did over the years, and it also helped me learn how this stuff works. Talking to different people yields different and potentially vital information. In your case - I'd pick the cam grinder you like the most and just pick a shelf cam they recommend to make things easiest. They could also spec you out a custom cam for your application if you desire, which will also work well.

 

Of course I know most of the information; for the information I don't know, I'll find it, or I'll know when I get to that phase of the motor. As for gearing, if I want some lower gearing, what would be the best way to go about doing so?

I imagine it'd be the axle, but I'm not an axle guy; I don't know what parts would interchange. Thanks for taking the time for a reply, guy. I appreciate that!

 

Just change the ring and pinion. There's nothing else you really need to do unless you feel like buying a rebuild kit for it to freshen things up while they're out. In a stock rearend I wouldn't go more than 3.73's. The smaller teeth and tooth mating ratio for the ring diameter isn't good from a strength standpoint in these rears.. particularly considering the rear-ends are weak in these cars. You can also ebay a set of gear for probably $80 or so in good used shape.

 

Bud, you've been a tremendous help. I thank you 150%.

One last thing; what forum would I post a "Build" thread under?

I'd like to think someone out there (Besides me) cares about what I'm doing...

 

http://www.compcams.com/Pages/413/ca...ion-angle.aspx

 

And now I can put that Summit Gear drive to use, if i ever want to retard my cam...

Which I might.

Thanks, that was semi-useful.

 

Most guys post their builds in the "Engine Swap" section of the forum. I didn't do mine there actually, but most end up there. I'll probably repost mine there once I make some more progress since it's been... awhile, haha.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me and I'll point you the right direction (or make a post in the forums, whichever you prefer). It's tough first starting out figuring out which stuff to get, and why.. but you'll get the hang of it fast. Keep your wallet fattened, though... because it's going to get hungry.