I have a 92 camaro rs that I put a 385 in. I have iron heads with 1.94 and 1.5 rockers that I plan on putting 1.6 in.I have a holley 750cc carb. It didnt come with a posi so Im putting a posi with 3.42 gears along with a 3000 tci stall. I also have hedman 1 5/8 hedders. I also have msd ignition. Im not famailiar with building an engine as my father in law didnt because he want somethinh reliable with decent gas mileage. Well once I got it back i was not happy that is why i am add the 1.6 rockers,3.42 with posi , 3000 stall. amonst all poly bushings,lca, torque arm. If I was to add a cam what suggestions are out there?

 

also have some jack stands and maybe a couple of other things to through in.

 

Well you have a few questions to answer first:

-Is this car a daily driver?

-What does the powerband of this car look like? (peak and falloff rpm power)?

-Do you care about mileage?

-What type of heads do you have and what is the specs of the springs?

-Do you have a flat tappet setup or a roller setup now? If you have flat tappet, you will have to also get new lifters, but if you have a roller setup, you can re-use them.



Once you figure those questions out you can narrow it down. Cams have what they are called "basic operating rpm range" and it is basically a range (2000-6000) for example where a cam will make power. After its max rpm, you get power loss, and valve float, so if you have a 1000cfm demon carb and a wieand single plane intake manifold that has potential to 8000rpm, you wouldnt want a cam with a 2000-6000 operating range. Youd be looking for 4000-8000 range.

Then think about the actual size of the cam. The average cam in the Camaros has around a .400 lift and a 200-210 duration intake and exhaust duration @.050. Those were the better cams in the TPI systems, the TBI ones had weaker cams that had .370ish lift and 190ish duration, from what I remember. The general size cam that you would want for the street is something around 215-230ish duration @.050 and lift at around the upper .400s and low .500s. There is also lobe separation angle that needs to be taken into account (but mainly for computer controlled cars this is important). Anything lower than 112 degrees, the TPI computer will suck at being compatable with. 114 would be the degree to stick with for TPI, as this is the degree of the stock cam. But for a carb, look for one that is either 110 or 112. I believe (and someone can eitehr correct me or back me up), that a lower LSA will make HP peak higher but shorter, and a higher LSA will make the HP peak lower but for longer time. Overall though, these numbers are important because they are the profile of the cam and will govern how the cam performs in your car.

Another thing that is important is the type of heads you have and the valve springs installed. If this cam is going into a motor with stock heads, then your selection is going to be extremely limited and you will have to use a lower performance cam, as the stock springs will not be able to handle high amounts of lift. When you order a cam, you will need to upgrade springs to ensure that you are going to be able to run the cam.


To give you an example, I have a Comp Cams XR-270HR-10. That means this cam is from the Xtreme Energy product line, has a 270 (advertised) duration (which is 218 intake and 224 exhaust duration @.050 lift) and has a lobe separation of 110 degrees. It's operation range is from 1600-5400 (when I had the TPI, i took into account that it is hard to make power past 5000rpm on a stock intake). Right now though I should probably be running a cam that has a range of 2000-6000 because I have a dual plane carbureted setup now, and can make power to 6000 easily. This is a fairly aggressive cam for the street and I probably won't be seeing great gas mileage with it. This car is my daily driver.


Search around on summitracing.com. The specs are listed in detail when you click on a cams product number, and all of these numbers will be available. Get back to us with your intentions for this cam, and answers to the other questions, and we'll be happy to help you more.

 

You just had it backwards, a tighter LSA 106-110 would give you more mid range torque, and at the cost of idle quality, and a wider LSA 112-114 would produce more top end power and give you a smoother idle.

 

Let us know how much the car is driven and what kinda power your looking for.

 

my father in law built it to be a daily driver. I didnt build and dont know much except I wanted more.

385ci block
dart iron heads 1.94 1.50
keith black flat pistons
air gap intake
holley 750cc carb
roller setup
I cared about mileage in the begging but never got it so decided more power couldnt hurt.
1.5 rockers but have 1.6 ready to go in
dont have posi but ready to put in with 3.42 gears
3000 stall ready to go in
the cam box is at the in laws just know it was an elgin
As you see i dont know much but am looking for info.

 

You are going to have to confirm the cam that is in the motor before you can truly know you are getting a cam that will make more power. I suggest you take a trip to the inlaws house and find that cam card. It will also let you know if it is a roller cam or not, in which case, you don't have to wait to take off the intake to order the cam.

That intake has an operating range of 1,500rpm to 6,500rpm, so pick a cam that has a matching operating range.

Stick with a 110-114 LSA

I would also recommend that you upgrade your springs when you get this cam to springs that are suggested by the cam manufacturer. That is, of course unless you can identify what springs are on there now, and if they are adequate for the cam, then they can stay. Take into account the rocker upgrade. If the max lift on the springs is .530 and you pick a cam with .510 lift, then you are going to have a problem when you install the 1.6 rockers.

Again, make sure you get new lifters if you have a flat tappet setup. Also, follow the manufacturers instructions on breaking in the cam. This is a HIGHLY IMPORTANT process and needs to be done right or else you can wipe a cam lobe.

 

Thanks for alll your help I learn a`little each time.