Cam advice for a 408 stroker

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Offline Daves74chally

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Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« on: April 22, 2009 - 05:56:19 PM »
Need some help. Im not all that good on cam sizes and what would work best. So I wanted to see what you guys thought. As some of you may know about my motor I just built, 414  stroker. Stock heads, stock rockers(going to rollers this summer with the cam), Headers, .060 over KB forged pstons, Eagle 4" cast crank. 2000 stall converter, 3.23 gears, 670 carb(should get bigger). As of now it still has a stock cam and I know for a fact that I need to get a new one. Funds got tight during the build while in school so I had no choice but to move on.

So advice on picking a cam, I dont know where to start when looking for the right size. Thanks
1974 Dodge Challenger 414 stroker, 727 trans, 8 3/4 posi [OO/`````\OO]

Buffalo, NY




Offline femtnmax

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Re: Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2009 - 10:12:54 PM »
The "proven engine combo" section of this forum has some ideas.   I would also highly suggest contacting Engle Cams or Lunati Cams tech people, they have both been very helpful whenever I have called either of them.
I have read numerous articles on just your subject.  For example, here is street/strip combo built by School of Automotive Machinists of Houston TX.

Hot Rod Engines magazine, spring 2008 built the same 414:
Compression:  10:1 using Wiseco pistons with 21cc dish
Heads:  Edelbrock RPM Magnum, fully ported, with 65cc combustion chamber
Rocker arms: Comp Hi-Tech full roller 1.65 intake, 1.60 exhaust ratios
Cam: Comp 242/248 @0.05 hyd roller with 0.594/.581 lift, lobe sep angle 110 degrees
Intake:  Edel Victor single plane, max power achieved with 1 inch open carb spacer.
Eagle crank and rods
Headers:  Hooker Super Comp 1 3/4 diameter primary pipes.
Mildon 7 qt oil pan with stock Melling pump
MSD ignition with timing at 32 degrees.
Holley Ultra HP 750 cfm carb
ON the dyno with open headers: 503 ft lb torque@4300 rpm, and 501 hp @ 5700 rpm
sorry to ramble
Phil

Offline moparmaniac59

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Re: Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2009 - 10:27:01 PM »
I am not an engine builder, but selecting a cam can be a tricky thing and buying an "out of the box" cam may not provide exactly what you are looking for. I chose to have a custom grind done by Cam Motion. If you talk to them, they will need to know what you are looking for such as a 1/4 car, cruising car, top end street/strip ect. You should have this info for any cam company you call such as vehicle weight, tranny type (auto/manual), rear end gear ration, stall speed (if automatic), carb size/type, type heads, valve size (intake/exhaust), compression ratio, exhaust type/size, collector size, transmission mods, tire size ect.  All the pertinent stuff that comes into play when selecting a cam. The more info you can provide the better the cam can be selected to best meet your needs and engine/drivetrain combo to give you the most optimal results!! good luck!! :2thumbs:


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Offline 71chally416

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Re: Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2009 - 10:47:36 PM »
With stock heads, a 3.23 rear and that little carb I wouldn't go crazy with the cam. Something mild is in order or you'll have a bad mismatch.
Something like the 280 MP cam would be my choice. It'll maintain your low-end, you can use the stock springs if they are still good and you should have no valve clearance issues. Can't speak for any of the other brands. :thumbsup:
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Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2009 - 04:37:38 AM »
depends where you want the powerband but something in the Engle K 56 /K58 split would be my choice
« Last Edit: April 25, 2009 - 12:29:20 PM by Chryco Psycho »

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Offline moper

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Re: Cam advice for a 408 stroker
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2009 - 11:22:10 AM »
I would not use a single pattern (where the intak and exh lobes are the same size) because of the street car bit and the drivability bit. Also, for a 4" stroke, especially a stock port iron head one, you need a serious cam to make up for the head issues. I would start at an intake lobe around 240°@.050, with an exh around 250°@.050. Lift needs to be over .540. These are not profiles that stock stamped rockers will live with. You need to upgrade at the same time, and the heads will need the spring seats cut and guides trimmed for the springs modern cams need. IMO, patience, and do the package right. Much more important to get the cam and rockers than the carb.