413 cam selection

[413henryj]

I,m building a 53 henry j gasser,and have a 65 413 out of an imperial. I can't seem to get a straight answer on how big a cam i can run without flycutting the pistons,or what i should run for valve to piston clearance. I have a factory 413 superstock cam(wrapped in a 1968 newspaper,no less)which i believe is 320 duration,519 lift( i don't have the book in front of me.)which i would really like to run, or i was looking at the 292 purpleshaft.Practicality is not an issue,nor a concern. i will be running a tunnel ram(unless anyone can give me advice on a cross ram for standard heads)a gear drive,and will gear the car accordingly. how big a cam have you guys run without piston problems?
I know how to select a cam, i am however unfamiliar with the rb motor beyond the restoration rebuilds i've done.

[Shaun]

That cam you talk of sounds weird,but who knows,it could be 320* Adv and .519 lift.
How tight is your piston to head clearance? I run a .039 piston to head clearance and have a .501/.507 240/246* at .050 with plenty of room for the valves. I say stick your cam in,button the rockers down and check the clearance!
BTW-I got a car 413 with a pushbutton tranny on the back-just got it. I am going to let someone take it off my hands.
Shaun

[Paul Precht]

I had a 62 Belvedere street car in the mid eighties that I put together with any junk I had laying around. I had a 65 413 and 7 11 to 1 Max pistons someone gave me. I put it together with one stock cast piston which is what you have. I used a set of 346 heads that were milled .060" and the blue Felpros. The cam was a Lunati 302/312 with 558" lift. It ran a best of 12.07 at 114.21 with a 60' of 1.82. After 4 years it was torn down for Stg 3 heads and crossram just for fun. The cast piston had no sign of valve interference. With the full lash of .026" the intake V to P clearance was about .030". The Ex was about .090". I'm not recommending this little clearance but it shows how tight you can get if you're careful not to over rev it.You'll have no problem with that cam but I hope this isn't a stock engine that has never been torn down, 516 heads and such. If it is you might not be pleased with the results. Usually the rings are very worn and many time stuck to the ringlands. Paul.

[dave5711]

Originally Posted by 413henryj

I,m building a 53 henry j gasser,and have a 65 413 out of an imperial. I can't seem to get a straight answer on how big a cam i can run without flycutting the pistons,or what i should run for valve to piston clearance.

1) Cool car!

2) There is no straight answer as far as how much cam you can run.. You'll probably be ok,BUT you absolutely have to check it on assembly. Either with dummy springs,a nd a dial indiactor, or with some playdough.
Make sure your head guy cuts the guides dpwn enough for the springs and retainers to clear too.

3) I believe the mopar performance engine book specifies .100 as a good number to shoot for, as far as piston to valve clearance. This should be easy to get.

As said by paul, sometimes you can run tighter. I know a ralley guy with a hi comp vw, who only runs less than .020 valve/piston clearance.

[413henryj]

thanks guys. what i,m trying to do is use this superstock cam without the $800 ross custom pistons,because then, well,--whats a few more grand. I figure the gear drive will keep the timing from fluctuating. I admit i'm a cheap bastard,but i will tear down the engine and check the parts for wear and reassemble accordingly. I don't know the miles but theres more than sufficent sludge.I am either going to run the original heads,with the 1.74 exhaust added,or a set of 346's, either with stainless valves,,haven't got that far.
car is a 53 henry j,ladder bars and coil overs out back,57 ford nine inch, and a 54 chevy 1/2 ton front axle. with the 413 and tf, it should weigh about 2200 pounds wet.
This is what happens when a die hard chevy guy(and i still love em) gets sick of seeing every#@%&thing with the same motor.i figure this ought to be different enough.
damn powerwagon with the 440 six pack motor was too much fun.

[dave5711]

Sounds like it will be a cool rig.

I'm fairly confident that cam will work without mods, or custom slugs.