Cam recommendations from forum members
Thread Starter
9 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 818
Likes: 215
From: VA
Cam recommendations from forum members We have a blessing and a curse on this site. There is a lot of intelligent, knowledgeable and proven results guys then we have the others........ I see a lot of people ask for recommendations and I also see a lot of people just toss them out to folks for ***** and giggles. Lots of..... you should have advanced or retarded that thing blah blah blah or even that is the wrong cam and you could have done this or that instead. Most of these come from folks that have pros spec their own stuff. Just be advised the camshaft is not the end all be all. It is the combination of the ENTIRE set up from the front of the car to the rear of the car. Weight of the car these days can vary significantly and play a huge factor in cam choice. Can you make a car fast with a big ugly bump stick..... you sure can. You also can do it with a stock cam too. Many ways to skin the cat. Hell some folks just want to sound bad *** in a parking spot at the local cars and coffee and care less about performance. Rant over and I am sure this thread will not make it 24 hours lol Hope the post helps some new member do some research when they ask for or are just told the cam they should be using is X.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,298
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
Good stuff Lazer! Also a firm believer in the COMBO! Apart from that, too many lose track of the importance of the heads. A cam should not be chosen until head flow is known, whether from an article or done yourself.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
Good stuff Lazer! Also a firm believer in the COMBO! Apart from that, too many lose track of the importance of the heads. A cam should not be chosen until head flow is known, whether from an article or done yourself.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,898
Likes: 467
Good stuff Lazer! Also a firm believer in the COMBO! Apart from that, too many lose track of the importance of the heads. A cam should not be chosen until head flow is known, whether from an article or done yourself.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
I saw a great video called "How to Properly Select a Camshaft". He (never caught his name) goes thru everything that is peripheral to the cam. It is done by Myvintageiron7512, if that means anything to any of you. I learned quite a bit, and it confirmed a lot of suspicions about the process.
It's a good one.
75%+ intake/exhaust flow ratio go well with single pattern camshafts.
It's common sense to not use a camshaft that produces more lift than what your heads flow.
Plus a lot more.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,298
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 384
From: South Carolina
I recommend a 3/4 racing camshaft with dual points and a double pumper *spits tobacco juice*
Originally Posted by EngineLabs
The term 3/4 camshaft likely originated in the ‘50s as the burgeoning hot-rod industry was modifying Ford Flatheads to drag race on airport runways and attempt top-speed runs on dry lake beds. The legendary Ed Winfield was one the early pioneers in grinding camshafts with more aggressive lobe profiles, and the cams were often labeled as full race for promotional purposes. And then some guys wanted a milder cam that could also be used on the street, so they called it a three-quarter race cam because it didn’t have as much duration and lift
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,298
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
Here’s a great thread from our own Speedtigger from 7 years ago. Pay attention to who posted there. It’s a “who’s who” of builders. The problem with amateurs poorly attempting to spec cams on this site, and giving out bad advice, has been here for many, many years. It’s a big reason why a lot of pro builders went away. Stinks really. Anyhoo, give this thread a read. It’s pretty good...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
Last edited by Che70velle; Aug 4, 2020 at 05:52 PM.
Thread Starter
9 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 818
Likes: 215
From: VA
Here’s a great thread from our own Speedtigger from 7 years ago. Pay attention to who posted there. It’s a “who’s who” of builders. The problem with amateurs poorly attempting to spec cams on this site, and giving out bad advice, has been here for many, many years. It’s a big reason why a lot of pro builders went away. Stinks really. Anyhoo, give this thread a read. It’s pretty good...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 384
From: South Carolina
Here’s a great thread from our own Speedtigger from 7 years ago. Pay attention to who posted there. It’s a “who’s who” of builders. The problem with amateurs poorly attempting to spec cams on this site, and giving out bad advice, has been here for many, many years. It’s a big reason why a lot of pro builders went away. Stinks really. Anyhoo, give this thread a read. It’s pretty good...
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-l...t-huggers.html
Me being 63 years old my first cam swap was on my first car a 1969 AMX 390 CID.
Just wrenching on an AMC gives me salty dog status
Originally Posted by The salty dog
The guy has been doing it since the beginning of time. He has a shop and races some and has decades of performance experience. His cams are based on his experiences of what he has done and what he has seen over the years.
I get a kick out of this. It's a forum first and foremost second a bit of a community for the regulars. I'm as ignorant as they come but I welcome advice from all and try my attempt to sort through the bs as I see fit in my little ignorant simple mind. I think there's plenty on any given forum that truly believe they are way above and beyond any others. I have little that I feel that I can absolutely add value with certainty but when I do I try and remain humble. Bottom line, don't take yourself so God damn serious no matter how great you think you are.
Stock cams work pretty well. And the hardest part of the whole equation is getting the pcm to work with the big nasty thumpin cam erryone wants to recommend. The pcm sure works with the stock cam nicely tho.....and the pcm is the most important part of the motor.
I prefer making the car perform better. The motor is just part of the car.
I prefer making the car perform better. The motor is just part of the car.
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 426
Likes: 293
From: Lawrenceburg Ky
I can see both sides of the fence on this because not all of the people that you call to get a cam ground are truly professionals.....sometimes the guy on the other end of the phone is just salesmen looking for a commission. In my case last year Darth did a much better job designing the cam for my 447 than the previous cam that was designed by a big name "professional" and it paid dividends on the dyno and the race track.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 365
Likes: 133
From: California
I'm still waiting to find out how my Camaro will run with the small cam upgrade I made not long ago. If you're looking to daily drive your muscle car then a mild cam is likely a better choice, but some people want to have a noticeable cam lope at idle. I think heads come before cam choice and GM produced some awesome heads for the LS1/LS6. Once you have that squared away then looking at cams is a good idea.
10 Second Club
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,427
Likes: 226
From: over dere
I can see both sides of the fence on this because not all of the people that you call to get a cam ground are truly professionals.....sometimes the guy on the other end of the phone is just salesmen looking for a commission. In my case last year Darth did a much better job designing the cam for my 447 than the previous cam that was designed by a big name "professional" and it paid dividends on the dyno and the race track.
