Talk me IN or OUT of this Straightline Performance solid camshaft for my 440

Author Topic: Talk me IN or OUT of this Straightline Performance solid camshaft for my 440  (Read 3882 times)

Offline KillerBee

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My engine builder just finished a 440 engine for my wife's car and he has some rare free time available so I could sneak another one of my 440 engines in to him to get freshend.

This 440 engine is for my 4 speed Challenger that will be mostly street driven with a frew trips to the dragstrip in the summer.

Streetabilty is the priority but I would like the car to run very strong also.

The engine has low miles and ran great but has been bagged and stored for about 7 years.
It is going in the be inspected, new camshaft and timing chain installed, assembled and run on the test stand.


-Shortblock is .30 over with Keith black pistons
-Heads are aluminum Edelbrocks  (84cc)  that have been very lightly smoothed and ported
compression has been calculated at 10.25
-Intake will either be my current Torker II (which I've had great performance from) or if I can find a nice Holley Street Dominator i might try that, I want to fit everything under my Challenger's R/T hood if I decide to put it back on.
-Carb is a holley 4150 750 double pumper
-Hemi 4 speed transmission with 3.73 Dana 60 out back
-TTI headers with full TTI 2 1/2 exhaust.

I picked this cam up years ago but I'm getting older(and hopefully wiser) and I'm concerned it might be too much for what I need.

So from the cam card below what do you all think?

Thanks.



« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 10:14:15 AM by KillerBee »




Offline Strawdawg

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That cam is pretty hot for a daily driver.  I suspect the power will come on around 2600 rpm.  It will work better with your 4spd, but some gears will help it get going on the strip.  I would not be surprised to find the 3.73's would be okay altho' 3.9-4.11 is probably better suited.

You might have to dump it pretty hard with sticky tires to get a good short time so a good clutch would be nice.

You will need a good valve train because it will be making power into the 6500 range or so.

The compression will help some altho with the aluminum heads, it will be more like 9.5 from a heat standpoint.

I would suggest something with a bit less duration, myself, as I think it would be more responsive in normal driving...something with more like mid 230's duration at 0.050".  I think that would be more fun on the street and still work with premium gas.

Offline cudabob496

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seems your whole car is set up to be fast on the street.
I think the cam is a good match for the rest of your car.
Springs seem a little weak.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline KillerBee

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Thanks guys.

Good info.

Tough choice.
I really want good street manners but want to take full advantage of the aluminum heads, better compression and big block power.
The 3.73's are right on the edge of good street manners, especially cruising on the highway, the 4 speed helps.

Currently the cam in current tired 440 engine is the MP .520 solid which has been decent.
I'm just wondering if the newer technology offers better cam choices.


Heads will be diassembled during inspection.
Valve springs were upgraded in the past but will be checked and updated if needed depending on final cam choice.

Car is built very close to stock E-body Trac Pac specs (except the 3.73 gear in the Dana)

« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 01:34:06 PM by KillerBee »

Offline Strawdawg

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I think something like the Lunati Voodoo 704 will be better overall for your intent....:)

Beautiful car!

Offline KillerBee

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I think something like the Lunati Voodoo 704 will be better overall for your intent....:)

Beautiful car!


Thanks.

Are you talking about this Lunati cam?
http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=1580&gid=362

Offline Strawdawg

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yes, that is the one....makes good torque low and high....works with your rear gears and will sound good if that is a criteria :)

Offline KillerBee

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yes, that is the one....makes good torque low and high....works with your rear gears and will sound good if that is a criteria :)

Thanks.

Cam specs look more like what I was thinking, too bad they don't make one like that in a solid cam.

Would I be giving up much in power between the solid vs. hydraulic?
« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 03:29:56 PM by KillerBee »

Offline cudabob496

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My cam is very streetable, but will make gobs of power.

Crower solid roller, .600/.625, 254/258 at .050.  centerline 106

springs are 175/475
« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 09:31:17 PM by cudabob496 »
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline Strawdawg

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My cam is very streetable, but will make gobs of power.

Crower solid roller, .600/.625, 254/258 at .050.  lobe sep 106

springs are 175/475

I thought your car was a 496 with a TF and a 3500 rpm stall converter.  I would hope it made gobs of power..but it is a totally different combo?

Offline Strawdawg

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Thanks.

Cam specs look more like what I was thinking, too bad they don't make one like that in a solid cam.

Would I be giving up much in power between the solid vs. hydraulic?


this one is pretty close http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=5316&gid=366

I don't have a problem with solid lifter cams...my experience is that solid lifter cams are more consistent above 6000 rpm as they age but as long as the springs are high quality so they don't start dying after its been wrapped up to 6500 a few times.  This cam appears to have good low rpm torque as well.  I consider that important on the street when you don't always have time to downshift and want it to start accelerating as soon as your foot moves.

They have some solid rollers as well...something like this would also work   http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=5948&gid=369
but I don't see the value for the money on street cars altho someone will say different.  Me, I would like to see the dyno sheet comparisons before I will believe it  :D

Chryco has a lot of experience with the various Lunati cams and Moper can offer good information on the Comp equivalents based upon experience building and results on testing them :)

« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 06:47:43 PM by Strawdawg »

Offline KillerBee

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Honestly I don't anticipate running over 6000 rpm much with the engine.
Maybe the hydraulic would be a better choice.

Just finished a 440 Six Pack rebuild for the wife's car with a Lunati 60302 cam per Chryco suggestion :2thumbs:



I saw the Lunati solid
How close is it to my current MP .528 solid?


Lunati
Solid Flat Tappet. Excellent hot street/strip cam with excel- lent torque and horsepower from low end to high end. Needs 2500 RPM stall con- verter, headers, 10:1+ compression ratio and 3.55 to 3.73 gearing. Lopey idle.
•Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 264/272
•Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 235/243
•Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .526/.546
•LSA/ICL: 110/106
•Valve Lash (Int/Exh): .016/.016
•RPM Range: 2400-6600



Mopar .528
Basic Operating RPM Range:
2,400-6,600 

Duration at 050 inch Lift:241 int./241 exh. 

Advertised Duration:284 int./284 exh. 

Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:
0.528 int./0.528 exh. 

Lobe Separation (degrees):112 

Thanks.





« Last Edit: July 12, 2016 - 08:10:16 PM by KillerBee »

Offline Strawdawg

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Those are awfully close to each other.  Two degrees difference in LSA is not very significant.  The mopar cam has a step up in duration which Lunati may counter with the slightly lower LSA.  My guess is just that, but, I suspect the Lunati will have a bit flatter torque curve but we would need to know about the advance, if any, built into the cam, etc. and some modeling software, I think.  That's my guess :)

When specs are that tight, I think you have to run it thru the software with the rest of the combo to know what the prediction is.  Probably not more than a handful of hp between the two in the end

Offline KillerBee

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How much power would I be losing with the Lunati hydraulic you listed and where in the power band would the loss be?
Again I don't need big power at the top end, under 6000 rpm is where I would be most of the time.

•Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 276/284
•Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 234/242
•Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .513/.533
•LSA/ICL: 110/106
•Valve Lash (Int/Exh): Hyd/Hyd
•RPM Range: 2200-6400

Offline Strawdawg

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another guess!  I think the loss will be above 6000 and probably 5-10 but I believe it will have more torque down at 2500-3000 rpm...I think throttle response will be crisper down low and the car will be more fun to drive at low speed with your current combo