yes I did do alot of searching. Since this 86 LB9 motor will be replaced in 2 years. I'm looking at a cheap/effective cam. I've narrowed it down to 2 cams from Summit which are Crane Blazers FYI.

#1 = 204/214 .420/.442 112 LSA
#2 = 214/224 .442/.465 112 LSA

#2 just a little TOO big?

Right now the car is BONE stock with TB coolant bypass, AIR and AC removed, and ghetto 3" flex alum. intake ducting. Car has a 2200 Vette converter and will be getting a 3.27 BW rear end to replace the 2.77 BW. While cam is being done I plan on porting the TPI plenum/base. After cam will come the exhaust/headers.

I'm also gonna try some 225/50/15 BFG GForce DR's this afternoon to get a baseline before swapping the rear end.
I know from reading Vader's and Ed Maher's (sp?) posts, the peanut can need to be replaced first.

THX!

 

#2 is pretty big for a 305, but it's not huge. You'd probably notice it at idle, but the power range would be decent for tpi.

 

2.77 gears is gonna suk with that cam tho.

 

What about this one: http://www.slponline.com/view_produc...RTNUMBER=51006 ? A friend told me that was a pretty good one, and I've seen quite a few people around here recomend it...

 

other than it is a roller and about $250 too much, nothing.

86's were still flat tappet,

 

?think that would work well with a TBI¿

 

Mista,

Just some of my opinions...

You've had good advice so far. V-8 Astro is right about the rear gearing, but your higher stall converter will counteract that to some extent, and you plans to increase (numerically) the rear gearing should just about even things out. Rezinn is right about the slight idle lope, but that isn't a huge problem with a MAF car. And Mista nailed it on the roller cam idea.

Since the engine is a candidate for replacement, I wouldn't get too involved by installing a roller. A flat hydraulic should work well for you for many years, although your LSA/duration is going to be pushed to the limits with a flat tappet cam. Unless you are up for changing to a retrofit roller, that leaves out the SLP cam listed.

The problem with the second cam's specs isn't the lift, but the duration versus LSA. The overlap is going to be a little wider than the TPI will like, but if you are still running a MAF system the ECM will not be as affected by the difference. Intake vacuum just doesn't matter a lot with a MAF, or certainly not nearly as much as a Speed/Density system like TBI or the later TPIs.

Another thing to remember is that with the cam change, you're going to need lifters and springs at a minimum. It's a great excuse to get rid of the exhaust valve rotators and install spacers, too.

I'll be watching closely, since I'm approaching the 50,000 mile mark on my '86 and am waiting for that "threshold" to start playing with it seriously. I'm thinking a dyno run is in order soon, to get a baseline on a mostly stock LB9 auto (ported plenum/runners, 1.6:1 rockers, 180° stat/fan switch, gutted air cleaner housing, Wells MAF) before the real mods begin. A new wobble-stick is in my near future as well, and I'm thinking seriously about a retro-roller. Besides, there is demonstrable fore-and-aft play in the camshaft, and that is enough of a "problem" to convince Momma that it needs at least a timing chain and thrust plate/button. As long as I'm there, I might as well, well, you know. Time to get the degree wheel out again...

I'll consider going roller on mine, although I don't plan on an engine replacement in the forseeable future. It's your choice, but I would tend to stick with the easier swap of a flat tappet if I was planning to replace the engine in a couple of years.

 

Sorry, wasn't thinking about the years

 

if your going for cheap, i've used the one's you mentioned and some others. the one i found worked great in the mostly stock 305's was the cam dynamic's with .440 lift. the grind number is 266 H10. it only has a 110 LSA, but for some odd reason works great with the combo. i would recomend an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and a chip change. i ran the jet stage 2 with that cam since i wasn't into burning my own chips at the time and it had no problems. cam selections like this are nice when you get to experiment with other people's cars too as i do.

 

Well I went a best of 15.29 on the peanut cam with 2.77's and 225/50/15 DR's. I'm about 3/4 of the way through swapping the 3.27 rear end under. After that I HAVE to replace the stock exhaust as it is about to fall off at the muffler.

I'm gonna go the smaller 204/214 cam+lifters from Summit for $72. Throw in some pushrods, springs, a $99 roller rockers and be done.

That should put be at about 14.2-14.4 on the stock 305 TPI. I might shoot it with 100-125 shot just for fun.

BTW the drag radials @ 24 psi didn't even bark when launched at 2200 rpm stall, it flashed to about 2500 rpm.

 

Go for #2 the bigger one and maybe siamese the base, I went with crane 2032 214/220 roller cam, below 1500rpm hurts sometimes, but big difference in mid range and 5000+ rpm, I think a custom chip is a must also with any cam swap just something to think about as well. My car is a 5 speed with 3.42 gears.

My best is a 14.4 @ 96.8 mph with a missed shift and 2.2x 60'.

So I'd say low 14s with drag radials would be expected, assuming you get an exhaust on there.

 

It is not recommended to get over the .460 lift mark when using standard 305 springs, either.

 

Mista, if you decide on the first one i have this exact cam i got from summit, i only used it for 1 week then removed the whole motor. if u want it make me an offer.