Help Me Pick Between These 2 Cams
Help Me Pick Between These 2 Cams 
Yep, another cam choice post. But, I think I've made this one easier in that I'm just asking you to pick between 2 cams.My combo-370 CI/6.0/LQ9, Texas Speed Long Tubes & 3" Y-pipe. No cats. 3" Magnaflow bullet muffler, 3" turn down. Cometic Head gaskets .041", milled 799 heads with dual springs, LM7 Truck intake. I'm over 11:1 compression. Current cam is on a 115.5 LSA, Lift is .558/.551 Duration @ .050" is 208/218. 4L80E Trans with Circle D 2800-3200 stall. 3.42's (about to switch to 3.73's!)Truck is a daily driver that will never see a track.
The cam in the truck right now has ZERO sound. I've tuned it and it starts, idles, and runs perfectly-just sounds dead stock. I feel like the only thing that is missing is just that nice rumble that a performance cam makes.
Here are the choices-both are made by Elgin;
Cam 1. E1840P Some people call this the sloppy stage 2.
.585/.585 228/230 112LSA
Cam 2. E1839P
.575/.575 220/224 112LSA
If you reply, please tell me which one you prefer, and just as important-WHY you picked that cam.
All input is sincerely appreciated.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 179
From: Virginia
If you're going for sound, it would seem that the larger one would have more overlap, and hence the rumble your looking for.
In other news I just replaced my TSP stage IV cam, and it's available... 235/239 112 lsa (13* overlap) and it has .369/.367 cam lobes. It was at .647 on my 1.75 rockers. You know, if your feeling froggy... that cam makes A LOT of noise.
I went even bigger
In other news I just replaced my TSP stage IV cam, and it's available... 235/239 112 lsa (13* overlap) and it has .369/.367 cam lobes. It was at .647 on my 1.75 rockers. You know, if your feeling froggy... that cam makes A LOT of noise.
I went even bigger
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Saskatchewan, Canada - where arguing "DA" is for the slow and weak...
Yeah the larger cam makes good sense in your truck with the supporting mods. Depending on your tire height you may want to consider 4.10s. I have them in our TBSS and couldn't imagine life without them on 32s.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Virginia
+1 vote for cutouts. Of all the mods on my car, that is by far my favorite. If you put them right on the back of your headers, then you can go from "suppressed" to full "'murica" mode at will. I have made more than one Honda rattle lol.
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I'm thinking cam #1 as well. It will have a performance sounding idle, the other one has a negative overlap. With your stall it should work well.
I'm curious about any problems you may have had with detonation though. How much have your heads been milled? I'm thinking 11.1-1 static without allowing for milling, your dcr must be getting up there with the early ivc of your existing cam.
I'm curious about any problems you may have had with detonation though. How much have your heads been milled? I'm thinking 11.1-1 static without allowing for milling, your dcr must be getting up there with the early ivc of your existing cam.
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Verdad Gallardo Thanks to everyone that replied.
ChopperDoc-WOW! That's a muy grandi cam! Too large for my needs.
ddnspider, I have not considered playing with anything in the tune to try and create a "ghost cam" sound. I'm an old school 1st gen Chevy engine builder from way back. In my mind a car is not a "hot rod" unless it has that lumpy idle sound. Yes, I may be sacrificing some driveability, but I had hoped it would not be that detrimental. We put a GM HOT Cam (Howards knock-off) in my sons truck and it has just the right amount of lope at idle, but then drives almost like a stock truck from just above idle, all the way up to about 6000 RPM. So, I feel like if his cam can do everything I want in a daily driver, I should be able to get away with something close. Everyone says there are better alternatives to the GM Hot Cam so that is why I was looking at the Elgin. Seems like the split lift, and split duration would be more beneficial over the GM H/C.
Motorhead mike-Currently with the 3.42's my full throttle shifts are;
1-2 53 MPH
2-3 100 MPH
3-4 ??? never found a safe place to get it going fast enough to shift into 4th. My tires are 29.2" tall. I had thought about going higher numerically than the 3.73's but I really want to keep my cruise RPM @ 80 MPH at, or just under, 2500rpm. I think the 3.73's will put me right there at 2500.
So it looks like I'm going to order the E1840P cam right now. I've been very pleased with how the truck runs up to this point and I think having a better sounding cam at idle will push me over into the "ecstatic" realm.
ChopperDoc-WOW! That's a muy grandi cam! Too large for my needs.
ddnspider, I have not considered playing with anything in the tune to try and create a "ghost cam" sound. I'm an old school 1st gen Chevy engine builder from way back. In my mind a car is not a "hot rod" unless it has that lumpy idle sound. Yes, I may be sacrificing some driveability, but I had hoped it would not be that detrimental. We put a GM HOT Cam (Howards knock-off) in my sons truck and it has just the right amount of lope at idle, but then drives almost like a stock truck from just above idle, all the way up to about 6000 RPM. So, I feel like if his cam can do everything I want in a daily driver, I should be able to get away with something close. Everyone says there are better alternatives to the GM Hot Cam so that is why I was looking at the Elgin. Seems like the split lift, and split duration would be more beneficial over the GM H/C.
Motorhead mike-Currently with the 3.42's my full throttle shifts are;
1-2 53 MPH
2-3 100 MPH
3-4 ??? never found a safe place to get it going fast enough to shift into 4th. My tires are 29.2" tall. I had thought about going higher numerically than the 3.73's but I really want to keep my cruise RPM @ 80 MPH at, or just under, 2500rpm. I think the 3.73's will put me right there at 2500.
So it looks like I'm going to order the E1840P cam right now. I've been very pleased with how the truck runs up to this point and I think having a better sounding cam at idle will push me over into the "ecstatic" realm.
I just don't get posts where people go through all the trouble for more noise and worse drivability lol. If you say you want to make another 20-30hp or up the rev limit AND you want the sound....ok I'll buy that. 
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,220
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From: Virginia
New cam is a 244/252 @ .050, .634/.634 with 20* overlap. Seat to seat is 297/305 with 93* of overlap lol. It's a Pat G cam for my 427 stroker.
Lol, then I shouldn't mention the size of cam I went with. I have a 3200 stall though, so it doesn't really mess with drivability as much as you might think. I know that from my tsp stage 4. It was still drivable. Sounded good too. I'll take a video when I get this thing started and tuned.
New cam is a 244/252 @ .050, .634/.634 with 20* overlap. Seat to seat is 297/305 with 93* of overlap lol. It's a Pat G cam for my 427 stroker.
New cam is a 244/252 @ .050, .634/.634 with 20* overlap. Seat to seat is 297/305 with 93* of overlap lol. It's a Pat G cam for my 427 stroker.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 179
From: Virginia
I don't mind the sound though, can't wait to hear this thing make some popcorn... and some power.
Well in that case, Cam 2. It will drive a lot nicer (difference of -2* vs. +5* overlap) and still make plenty of power. TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,220
Likes: 179
From: Virginia
Well duh, lol. With your stall you can put that bigger cam in there no problem. Have you considered giving Pat G a call? Or just go to his website and download the form, fill it out and send it back with $25... his discount to have the cam made by TSP is roughly $50, so it offsets his cost. I paid $400 for my new custom cam. I'll update when I get the car started and dial the tune back in. I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of idle tuning on my popcorn machine.
Great advice so far guys. I ordered the E1840P today. As soon as it gets here it will be installed the same day.
Chopper-I can't afford that kind of coin! I'm not rich like you guys. I have to scrape my pennies. Hence the reason for the Elgin cam, to replace the white box, no-name, off-brand, cam that's in it now (which I suspect is a China knock off of somebody else's grind). My machine shop purchased it for me. No cam card. Just some #'s printed on the end of the box.
I'm so excited about the cam swap. I think after the cam swap I will probably move on to swapping the intake, then the throttle body, then maybe later some TSP CNC'ed heads! The affliction never ends.
Chopper-I can't afford that kind of coin! I'm not rich like you guys. I have to scrape my pennies. Hence the reason for the Elgin cam, to replace the white box, no-name, off-brand, cam that's in it now (which I suspect is a China knock off of somebody else's grind). My machine shop purchased it for me. No cam card. Just some #'s printed on the end of the box.
I'm so excited about the cam swap. I think after the cam swap I will probably move on to swapping the intake, then the throttle body, then maybe later some TSP CNC'ed heads! The affliction never ends.