Street_Machine_302

Is it always better (for making power) to have more lift or is it better in the chevy 350's case to limit the size of the lift to say 0.525 and keep increasing duration.

I ask this because I want to know if the car will actually be more responsive with the smaller lift over the entire power band.

I am trying to put together a Trans Am Road Race 350 and I don't have much experience with driving different cam designs.

For example: Which one of these is better at delivering power more consistently across the entire engine range and will be good at both straight aways and cornering.

#1: 0.525 / 0.525 : 284 /292 : 251 / 262 @0.50 : 106 LSA

#2 0.546 / 0.563 : 290 / 298 : 252 / 260 @0.50 : 106 LSA

takeoffeh

It's a good question. It heavily depends on cyl head design. It wouldn't make much sense to put a .600" cam on a motor with heads that max out flow at .460". But there does seem to be some benefit, to a point, to using a little more lift than the heads should use. So if let's say, your heads reach max flow at .520", it doesn't mean a .550" cam wouldn't make more power. Call a major cam company(s) for their opinion.

NightTrain66

as far as lift, use as much lift as your valve trane (springs, rockers, pushrods, etc) can handle and live as long as you expect them to.

Assuming you do not ahve problems with screw in studs, pushrods hitting haeds and retainer to seal clearance issues like on Vortec heads, the more lift will help you on any set up, even if the heads stop flowing a t a lower lift point. You will have the valve at a higher lift for more durationa nd make more power.

Duration and the valve timing events (IVO, IVC, EVO, EVC) is more about what RPm we need to make power in. Weight, gear, stall, shift RPm, etc are all important as well as power brakes, emissions, drivability concerns, etc.

You can make power for about a 4000-4500 RPM 'window". Certrain things done in the cam specs will allow this to have a "wider" power band and less overall HP/TQ or a lil "narrower" powerband but more HP and TQ in this range.

Lots of variables and there are no timing events listed other info on the lobes you have listed to compare but based on the info there, the first cam will start/stop making power about 200 RPM sooner than the second cam.

the actual RPM thay make power in will depend alot more on carb, intake, haesd, header size, exhaust, etc.

What cam is best for you will depend on where you want the power to happen in (relation to RPM) and there again it ahs alot to do with the rest of the cam specs and everything from your carb to tail pipe and all in between.

Lloyd