Stock 400ci Cam Recommendations

[bordin34]

My Charger has been at the shop awhile to figure out why the car didn't run good. The guy said that there was a "racing cam" in the motor and that is why it was running bad. Also the engine came alive at higher rpms which was another reason to believe this. The engine is a basically stock 1973 400 ,that the previous owner said was rebuilt, originally with a 2bbl but now with a 670cfm 4bbl, 452 heads, 1970 383 intake, headers, 2.5" exhaust with an h-pipe. I have around 2.47 rear end gears in an 8-1/4" rear and a stock 727 with most likely a stock stall converter. That being said, what cam would you guys recommend I put in the engine? The car will be street driven, possibly daily but I would also like it if I could get a little bit more power.
Thanks,
Dan

[71chally416]

Never heard of a Mopar 2.47 rear  Your biggest problem is you have a mis-matched combination of parts. With a performance cam and a short stroke big bore engine you need some kind of gears other than the highest ratio (lowest numericaly) that Mopar makes, assuming you have a 2.XX rear. It should have a tag on the rear cover somewhere with the ratio. Great rear for a cop car, horrible rear for 1/4 mile performance. If you're wedded to keeping that rear put something like a stock 440 cam in it. It'll definately run better.

[Moparal]

I had a 247 gear in my 72 sat plus. With a hp400 man that thing had a great top end. If you were going comp cams Id say around a 268 chryco will say a better brand for you.  Keep it tight tho with the compression being low

[bordin34]

I am keeping the car just how it is. I don't have the money for a new ring and pinion so it stays. Would one of the Summit Cams be good for this or should I really go for something else.

[71chally416]

WOW. That's a cruiser rear gear.

I saw a 360 Challenger budget engine buildup with a .441" lift Summit cam and the small valve 360 heads using 3.55 gears and it did 12.60's. I guess they work pretty good. 

[Chryco Psycho]

you have an engine with very low compression so long duration cams will bleed off even more pressure ,the way to make power without increasing comporession is to use a high lift short duration cam that traps cylinder pressure & fools the engine into making more power / compression , , I would be using a Engle K52 /K54 split profile or an Lunati VooDoo cam such as the 60301 or 60302 grind

[moper]

Small Summit grind would be my quick cheap choice.

[Supercuda]

The recommendations from Chryco are spot-on, as usual. The Summit cam might also be a good budget choice, but the Engle grinds totally kick a**! I love mine. The 8 1/4" rear came in 2 flavors, a carrier for gears of 2.71:1 and lower (mine now sports 4.10s!), and a small  carrier that only accepts the 2.45:1 gearset. This is a crappy gear for any type of performance, but it can really surprise a lot of people to take off a little slow, and then not shift into second until they are almost done with all their gears. I street-raced a Corvette 4-speed once with a 71 Satellite I built a 425hp 383 for. My 2.71 gears gave him the starting line edge, but I never lost more than a fender to him off the line. I got it back, and stayed right next to him (about 1/2 fender in front of him), and let him hear me shift into second as he was topping out third gear. He turned his head, did a double-take at my car, and backed out of the gas and turned off the road. High gears can really be fun. With a performance engine, a higher stall speed in the convertor would get it to respond a little better, without lugging the engine.

[bordin34]

Thanks I was recommended the K54 on DC.com also so it looks like I will most likely go with that one.

[Supercuda]

Definitely go with the dual-pattern camshaft grind recommended by Chryco. The MOPAR bigblocks like a split pattern, and the smaller engines love them, especially with stock heads.

[bordin34]

I have the car now and will be buying the necessary stuff to make the repairs. The mechanic said he was sure that it has too big of a cam, but I am not sure if he is right. If I give it a little bit of gas it runs kinda rough but when I give the pedal a good push it just takes off great. The idle also sounds smooth and not lopey at all. My thoughts are that he thought it had too big of a cam because of the 2.45 gears.
Anyway, would the K52/K54 be better for me than the 60301.

[Chryco Psycho]

eiuther will work great , Engle backs their porduct better though
 what is you manifold vacuum at idle in gear ?

[bordin34]

Ok, thanks I think I will get the engle.
I don't have a vacuum gauge right now. If the vacuum is low at idle in gear than that would suggest a big cam right?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

If the vacuum is low at idle in gear than that would suggest a big cam right?

   Yes.   

[bordin34]

Well I am looking at getting a cam again. The engle is out I think because it now lists the k-54 as an AMC cam in their catalog and dont know if I will get the correct one if I order. So what would be best for my engine, the Voodoo 60301 or 60302. Thanks