wow madwolf you kinda sound like my dad. I got the "that thing isnt going to be driveable at all" speach and the "what is wrong with you?" when he found out my cam specs.

I think you're right about the EFI vs carb thing with driveability. I think my cam is driveable (thanks to you) and even my dad was surprised.

i dunno about you guys but I love my eyes burning from the car idling, the car bucking slightly when the converter locks at 50 mph at 1700 rpm, the car rocking back and forth at idle. not the gas mileage though lol.

im not joking I really do so much that I drive this more than my daily driver!

Yeah, and you get the people that buy the "BIGGER IS BETTER" idea.

"Oh, I need that big cam now, but down the road I will get the heads to match the flow. And while your at it, I take that 4" exhaust system too. That will make my 300 hp scream."

Good write up Ion. It's about time someone speaks up and lays out the facts of life.

Scott

I love my lil ol 502.

My friends 248/252 .600+ lift 114lsa cam in his blown 383 is as streetable as my 222/230 112lsa cam, and it kind of makes me wish I went bigger on the cam.

its not possible

You're not talking about me are you? I'm 99% sure it is my valve lash...they're LOOSE, we'll see once I have them readjusted.

It helps that he has a 383. More cubes the smaller the cam seems.

That's a big cam regardless.

Yes, I'm talking about you.

If you consider the 383 and 114 LSA and then 350 and 112 LSA, it will be kind of close in the way it should act. Plus, blowers sometime actually help driveability issues.

LOL the driveability was fine before the rockers loosened up on me...I was just trying to get some opinions.

It's still a huge cam though, even for a 383.

I've driven a 236/245/112 cam in a 383 and it felt like a 224/230/112 cam in a 350. There is another guy here on board for which I did dyno tuning recently; he has an XE 236/242/112 383 and it also is pretty smooth. That cam you're describing has more duration, but it is also on a 114, so I wouldn't call it unusual. From my experience, a cam in a 383 feels like a 12-13 degrees smaller cam in a 350. (same LSA) There are also a number of other factors besides LSA and duration to how a cam will behave.

I love my car shaking and the smell of gas doesn't bother me at all. My car has ALOT of bottom end, I don't know why......but it does. I don't have any surge unless the converter locks up at 50-60 MPH's. I don't regret getting the cam I got at all. If I had it to do all over again I must admit though, I'd get a custom grind.

Good posts. My 230/236 in my 396 idles fairly well. A little rich, but with no cats and LT's what did I expect. Heck, even my 5 year old rolls the window up saying it "stincks" because of the fuel at idle. But when she says blow that car away daddy , well, it can be a fun thing to drive.