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  #1  
Old 05-22-2004, 01:12 PM
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mrbill426 mrbill426 is offline
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Question Asking for Cam advice



We are in the planning and parts gathering stages of making some upgrades to our '72 'Cuda 340. It will be a Sunday driver with occasional trips to the track for some leisure bracket (or ET) racing.

The car has a 727 automatic with an open 2.23 "489" axle. We intend to install a suregrip with 3.55 or 3'91 gears. We are also thinking of upping the compression to 9 - 9.5 . The only "performance" item we have collected so far is an LD340 intake, in great shape.

Having said all that, can anyone recommend a good cam maker and profile? This is my first small block, my last engine was a + .060" 383 with 11.5 TRWs, a Torquer, 750 Holley, and a Crane 286 Hyd. Big difference here.

Any help appreciated.
Thanks,
Bill
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Old 05-22-2004, 03:28 PM
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Stick with the stock 800 cfm thermoquad. They work great on those intakes. Make sure to pick a dual pattern cam I'm guessing your 340 is running X or j heads which are some of the best besides the W series and aluminums. The dual pattern cam will help them breath on the exhaust side. A good starter would ne one with say 272 to 276 duration advetised. Can't remember the lift on it though. We even use dual patterns in our Sportsman cars to get it to breathe right on the exhaust side. Stick with a 1 5/8 header on the street though.
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Old 05-22-2004, 03:49 PM
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Opps, sorry, I did forget to mention that the original owner had replaced the TQ with a 650 Holley, I don't know the number but I am told it is a "street legal" one, it has vac secondaries and an electric choke. That TQ was 800 cfm?

I think I still have the AVS off a '69 383 RR I had, would that adapt? I think I also have a 780 vac Holley (also from the RR) too, someplace.

So, I should not spend the extra bucks on 1 3/4" headers?? If not, cool!

Now that wer're on a roll, I was thinking of some sort of manual valve body, the Slap Stick does not "slap" from 2nd to drive anymore. Any suggestions on a converter, or is a stock one ok?

It has a factory electronic ignition (actually a NAPA rebuild), am I "good" there?

Thanks!

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Old 05-22-2004, 05:23 PM
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rumblefish360 rumblefish360 is offline
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Your going to have to build a plan. Your ideas vary to much for any real suggestion other than in general ones.
Things like, at what RPM do you want to cruise at? Intended tire size? Gas mileage of any importance?

The holley or AVS will work fine on top of the LD-340. I myself like the AVS over the Holleys. The 383 AVS is small @ 630 CFM as per Carter. If you have a 650 Holley, you would be better off with that one. The T-Q's were 800 cfm on small blocks & 400's.
850's are found on 440's.
I have the Hooker Super Comp headers that are 1-3/4 inch tube size. There great fitting headers unless you use a scattersheild on a 4spd Car. (Guess how I know that!)
I installed these headers on my '73 Cuda without a problem or denting the headers. Minus the scatter sheild problem. Which is not a probelm on auto cars. Been there done that.
Worth the extra scratch. ($$$)
The converter should match the cam, carb, comp, and to a lesser, but still important extent, the rear ratio.
Notice how you don't know what your doing yet. You haven't decided on these things. To much is left out.
On a converter, call Frank Lupo @ Dynamic converters or Cope racing trans. Both excellent tranny guys. Cope is MoPar only. Frank is Hard core MoPar man but also does brand x's.
The factory ECU shoul;d be used inplace of the NAPA unit. I'll provided a link later to a hard core MoPar guy for a kick ass ignition @ 4 secondsflat.com.
A good off the shelf cam is a Comp cam Xtreme series, however, I would recomend a unit from Hughes or better yet, a custom (Only pennys more) cam from Racer Brown. This info at the top thread, ult. phone book. CLICK HERE;
http://www.moparchat.com/forums/show...threadid=79621
Click here for a smoking ignition, MoPar style like from a MoPar man. Tell'em I sent ya.
http://4secondsflat.com/
Click here for a MoPar only high performance engine shop.
http://hughesengines.com/
Click here for a smokin good tranny guy.
http://www.dynamicconverters.com/
Click here for Comp Cams.
http://www.compcams.com/catalog/
Click here if you decided to do a T-Q. Tell'em I sent ya.
http://www.thermoquads.com/
IMO a T-Q is the best street/strip carb. Small primarys for economy and big secondarys for power at W.O.T. As dwc would say, get a T-Q at Advanced Auto for cheap. This guy can mak'em sing. Good man he is.
Oh, by the way, that LD-340 is an excellent intake only outdone by the newer RPM. Not buy much I should add. (At least the but dyno said so.)
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Old 05-22-2004, 07:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by mrbill426


Opps, sorry, I did forget to mention that the original owner had replaced the TQ with a 650 Holley, I don't know the number but I am told it is a "street legal" one, it has vac secondaries and an electric choke. That TQ was 800 cfm?

I think I still have the AVS off a '69 383 RR I had, would that adapt? I think I also have a 780 vac Holley (also from the RR) too, someplace.

So, I should not spend the extra bucks on 1 3/4" headers?? If not, cool!

Now that wer're on a roll, I was thinking of some sort of manual valve body, the Slap Stick does not "slap" from 2nd to drive anymore. Any suggestions on a converter, or is a stock one ok?

It has a factory electronic ignition (actually a NAPA rebuild), am I "good" there?

Thanks!

USe your AVS or get a new thermoquad to get the mnost out of it on the street. The AVS should be a direct bolt on. The 1 3/4 headers will take some low end away from it on the street and will fit a little tighter in your car. Also run an X pipe in your exhaust for some extra hp and tq gains. The mopar performance dhrome box or and msd6a will do good with your set up. Also some mopar performance dist springs will help the dist curve some too. Don't ever use a full manual valve body on the street. It does not hold the low band and will let the over running sprag clutch over speed when it down shifts to 1st. If damaged it can explode. I have seen the whole floor removed from a sprag explosion before. Use a TCI manual/ auto valve body. www.tciauto.com will have what you need. After you pick a cam e mail TCI and get them to send you a converter to match your cam.
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  #6  
Old 05-24-2004, 12:26 AM
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Thanks much, to both of you for your input. Let me digest it and I will get back to you
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Old 05-24-2004, 12:47 AM
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Welcome, anytime.
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Old 05-24-2004, 11:44 AM
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Question

Our plan is a Sunday driver for car shows and cruises + occasional ET racing. On the highway we'd like to keep the cruise RPMs to 3K or less, it has an open 3.23 "489" case now. We are not above having a spare 8 3/4" with stiffer grears to swap in for the track.

Tires wise, it has P205-75R14s, while the spare in the tunk is an F70-14. I don't know if the 205s are larger or smaller than the F70. Looking around, I have not seen 14" slicks as yet, but I suppose the idea is to get as much tire under the rear as you can? We do not want to deal with narrowing axles, moving springs, and all that stuff, so what is the largest tire (slick) that will safely fit an E Body? If we go 15" tall, do the fronts have to be 15" too?

I might try to find a Thermoquad to put on in place of the Holley, were all the TQ 4 bbls the same for the 70-74 'Cudas, or do I NEED one from a '72??? Are there any "problem" areas I should be awhere of about these carbs before bying a used one (like e-bay)? Of course I DO have that AVS from the '69 HP 383.

Comp Cams lists an "Extreme Energy Cam XE274H that is 274deg and .488 lift, is that in the ballpark for an off the shelf cam? Will the factory rocker arms and pushrods be ok, or should we be looking for something a little stronger?

As I said, we are considering bumping the compression up to pre-'72 levels too.

Bill
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Old 05-24-2004, 08:33 PM
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Check Sumit Racing they have a Mickey Thompson slick 28 x 9 14" and 22 to 29" x 4.5 for the front. About a 255 60 15 would be close to max if you want to keep it somewhat level. You need either matching 14's or 15's don't mix and match and don't run bias ply slick with radial front tires either. Make sure to get matching sets. Bias ply slicks give better traction.

The Tq's are all the same as long as you get one for a big block. They are 850 and small blocks are 800 cfm. You AVS might be fine for a while though, but the TQ will get you out of the hole much better.

The cams fine and the stock rokers and push rods should be fine unless you get radical with milling the heads. Roller rockers would get you a few more hp if you can afford them. We have one set of Harland Sharps on one of our race engines that's about 8 years old now and still going strong.
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Old 05-24-2004, 09:27 PM
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Thanks!

Ok, so we stick with 14" tires and be sure they are the same "type", and have same wheel diameters front and rear, gotcha. We should though, be ok to just spring for the 14" radial slicks for now and retain the current front radials, or did I miss something?

You're saying I should stop my search for a "340" TQ and go for one off a big block instead? Think I'll locate a kit for the AVS and give-er a try in the meantime (it's paid for).

Ok on the cam, I will get stiffer springs and maybe splurge for roller rockers. I saw an aluminum (roller tips) set made by a company called "Proform" # PRO66869, know anything about them?

I only intend to mill the heads enough to make them "flat", not sure yet what kind of heads they are. Given that, should I be worried about valve/piston clearance with that cam if I install 9 or 9.5 to 1 pistons? I would think not, but....

I'm pretty sure is has a steel crank though, based on a photo I was shown of what the balancer should look like, though I may have that wrong. What ways are there to tell?

Bill
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Old 05-24-2004, 09:45 PM
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The 14's will do for now for a street strip car. Get the matching MT front too. The 340 TQ carb will be plenty. Don;t no about the proform stuff. I'd stick with brand names stuff cause there is too much china junk out there floatin around. Mill the heads about .035 and let them ride.
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Old 05-24-2004, 10:44 PM
DEMON SIZZLER DEMON SIZZLER is offline
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Biggrin

A 72' to 74' 400 or 440 ThermoQuad is a better choice for your 360. It will make about 20 hp more than a 340 T.Q. and about 15 ft lbs more tork. These big block carbs are all 850 cfm's VS the 340 T.Q.'s being 800 cfm's. #'s to look for are:
6322, 6090, 6140, 6518, 6545, 6460, 9036, 9024. These carbs will perform excellently on even a stock 340 or a mild buildup.
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Old 05-24-2004, 11:31 PM
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Thanks for the input and part numbers "Sizzler"

If I read right, dwc43, you are talking about the M/T ET Drag Slicks? Looks like the fronts only come in 15" and 17", so I guess we go for 28 x 9.0-15 for the rear, and then decide on a suitable front size for an E-body? The OD of both F & R should be about the same?

By the 255 60-R15, I assume you mean rear for the street? That's the tallest and fattest that we could safetly tuck into the stock fenderwells? We are thinking about adding superstock (big block ) leaf springs too, along with a Mopar adjustable snubber.

Hmmmm, this started as a "Cam" discussion. Maybe I should change it's name.

Bill
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  #14  
Old 05-25-2004, 12:00 AM
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Sorry, I forgot to look at the wheels size when I looked at the Et Fronts. The taller front tire will give you more roll out at the christmas tree so you can cheat the beams a little, but wont help a street light gran prix.

Yeah, the 255 was for street use. The Super Stock springs will be a good choice too along with the adjustable snubber.
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