Good Cam Profile for a 482?

[RedCSX1]

Wondering what is a good cam profile for a 482 with wide ratio top loader and 331 gears. The Cobra spends 60% on the street and 40% on the track. That is the goal anway. The carb is a 830 mech Holley DP. Would like to stick with a Hyd. Roller, so I know I might be limiting myself. My current cam has 633 lift. With 252I and 262E @ .50. Wondering if this is too much lift?

[Rick Parker]

Morgan: To eliminate constant valve train maintenence and inspections, (and problems!) look for a cam with about 238-242 intake duration @.050 and about .570 lift. The rollercams with higher lift and longer duration put extreme loads on the rocker arms and their pivot points/shafts that they were not designed for. And things can happen.......

[Burgs]

Red and Rick,

That cam is the same one Keith installed in my Pond 482 last February. I have put just under 500 miles on it this summer sorting things out. One of my requests when purchasing the motor was that I did NOT want to be dealing with those things under the valve covers! I was told at that time, that I would need to adjust, and re torque, the valve train initially, but should not have to mess with it after that. I need to check a few things with them in regards to this anyways, so I will ask about future needs again, to clarify.

Brad

[RedCSX1]

Originally Posted by Burgs

Red and Rick,

That cam is the same one Keith installed in my Pond 482 last February. I have put just under 500 miles on it this summer sorting things out. One of my requests when purchasing the motor was that I did NOT want to be dealing with those things under the valve covers! I was told at that time, that I would need to adjust, and re torque, the valve train initially, but should not have to mess with it after that. I need to check a few things with them in regards to this anyways, so I will ask about future needs again, to clarify.

Brad

Brad,

We have the same motor. This past month I had two lifter adjusters break. Some bent valves and push rods. Just trying to determine the cause and attempting to prevent the same thing from occurring. I am not placing blame on Keith. The adjusters themselves are suspect and will be replaced out with ones from T&D which are superior. The heads are now at Keith Craft for rebuild. He did not intially build up the edlebrock heads, this was done by Trans Am Racing in Gardena CA.

[Burgs]

Morgan,

I'm sorry to here of your troubles! Keith used Erson roller rockers on his stage two heads, and supplied everything from the oil pan to the carb on my build. I'm pretty much done driving until next spring, so I'll be checking things out here soon. If changes need to be made, to sure things up, now would be the time. I am also going to change the oil pan, as there is no windage or traps in mine. I had not planed on any road course action, but I see now it might be hard to stay away.


Kevin,

Things are a bit choppy down low until the motor comes up to temp. Once it's up to temp, it will idle at 800 rpm all day, with a nice lope, and rolls thru the gears, at low rpm, with no effort. I chose a .64 TKO 600, with a 3.50 rear, and in 5th gear at 60 mph it lugs, at 70 it smooths out, and at 75-80 it's cruisin' at just over 2000 rpm. It's all good as far as I'm concerned.


Brad

[Burgs]

Morgan,

I spoke with Keith this AM, and discussed the valve train maintenance with this set-up. It is a good idea after a few hundred miles or so, not a must, but if you want to, you can retorque the intake, heads (not as critical), rocker studs and 1/2 turn preload on the lifters. Doing this on a cold engine is fine, and once you do this once at the beginning, and you will not need to do it again.

Brad

[KevinM]

Brad,

How do you find that cam for street driving? Is it manageable at lower RPMs? Where does it idle?

Thanks,

Kevin

[decooney]

Morgan,
Did you originally purchase the Edelbrock heads raw without valves/springs or did they come with them and someone just ported them for you?

...If you used the Edelbrock valves/springs that came with the heads, I have something to share with you after experiencing the exact same type of failure with my former .640 lift cam

[496fe]

Hate to keep pouring it on, but I agree on the cam being the right one. The idle is slightly lopey, but idles fine at 850 RPM. Shakes the mirror a bit, but not the car. Torque starts about 2,500. You get everything to the ground because the power is constant and predictable. My dyno runs showed 606 HP with 9.4:1 compression! Perfect dual-purpose motor - even gets about 11 MPG.

Good luck!

[Jamo]

Morgan already knows my specs: 482ci Shelby arruminum with opened up Edelbrocks, 850DP, 10 to 1...

I'm running a flat tappet Clay Smith custom grind with about .680 lift/ 264 @ .050 after dumping the solid roller of about the same specs that had me considering buying bronze futures. Runs like a train, idles smoothly at about 900rpm. 3.31 gears behind a wide ratio toploader. T&D stuff up top.

Sorta goes thump.

[decooney]

Ron,
I always wanted to ask you what failed on the roller setup you had before and do you recall the brand/type of roller lifters used?

Seems Comp, Crane, Crower have all come out with newly re-enginerred ones over the last year or so; different oiling holes/grooves, etc... obviously something had to fixed...Haven't heard any complaints yet on the new stuff that's out now; only time will tell. Like you, i'm on Solid Flat Tappet for now, but possibly considering hydraulic roller for a different motor in the future after seeing how this new FE roller stuff holds up over a period of years of driving on the street.

[FUNFER2]

I'll extend the question concerning if the Edelbrock's came complete. The stock springs are rated only to 600 lift. I would recomend steel shafts, stands on the ends & good roller rockers. I have been happy with the Earson set up with double springs.

[Jamo]

Duane

I think hydraulic rollers for FEs have pretty well proven themselves...KC's a big supporter of their use and I think he's put enough of them on the ground to show that they do indeed work well.

Solid rollers...biggest problem was using those little bronze gears, asspecially with high flow oil pumps adding to their strain.

When the lifter's needle bearing let go (who knows why), I had the engine completely torn down and rebuilt exactly as it was...and starting wearing through bronze gears again. Comp has come out with polymer gears to replace them in Chevys and SB Fords, but not FEs...feedback on the Chevy forums show they seem to solve the problem with rapid wear and breakage after extended use, so a future FE fitment would take care of that.

If the needle bearing failure was caused by the lack of oil from splash, then I agree the advances made at getting oil directed at the bearings will help that.

I got to the point that I just didn't want to worry about bearings and gears anymore, so I pulled the perfectly good solid roller cam and put in the flat tappet setup of about the same grind. (the solid roller sits on a shelf) I can live with the expectation of a slow death of a flatening cam versus waiting for tiny little bearing pieces to start banging inside the motor any day. KISS still remains the ultimate universal truth.

In furtherance of KISS, I also pulled that doggone internal hydraulic TOB POS and replaced it with a good ol fork/external slave setup, which can be repaired without tearing half the drivetrain apart.

Next, I'm on the hunt for asbestos brake pads...

[RedCSX1]

Funfer2 and Duane:

Bare Edlebrocks ported and bowls worked over, SFI stainless 2.19 Int. and .175 Exh., Crane springs set at 370-380 pounds(if I recall).

Valve train: POP Billet shafts/Aluminum end support stand and Aluminum Roller Rockers/ Crane Roller Lifters.

Have spoken to a few engine builders who are considered experts around here and they say the cam specs are fine.

Jamo thank just being around to add input.

See attached pictures

[FUNFER2]

Get to work buddy, should not have a problem with the parts you have & should rumble.

Kevin

[RICK LAKE]

Jamo if you want a polymer gear for an FE, just ask. I will send a private e-mail with the info for you Rick Lake

[Jamo]

Thanks Rick...I'm running a non-roller solid now, so it's metal to metal for me.

[decooney]

Hey Morgan,
All seems within reason to me. When I saw your rockers at the track that day, I keep wondering if those lock nuts just backed off or something. Strange thing to me was the one that broke off from the nut side flush with the rocker itself; almost like some kind of faulty material or something. It happens sometimes. Did you find the root cause of what actually happened?

[RedCSX1]

So two of the adjusters broke. unfortunately one made it's way down to the oil pan. On the way down the adjuster decided to stop off and visit a cam lobe.
Pulled the cam this week. Motor is ready to go back together this weekend.

Adjusters were from Jesel. I have all new adjusters from T&D that will be installed in the rockers.

Morgan

[Jamo]

That just blows me away that the adjusters would break.

Are they bronze?

Hurry up...still some driving weather left.