cam specs?

[markmitchinnh]

would this be a decent cam for a mild 350 TBI engine with vortec heads?

lift @ cam intake @2947 @ valve 442
lift @ cam exhaust @ 3100 @ valve 465
cam timing @ advertised duration 272 intake 282 exhaust

[1Gary]

Assuming you talking about a hydro roller block.Look at this.It's a GM part number that Lockdoc used with a smooth idle and tons of low end torque.

GM#14097295

Duration 288/309

Lift 431/451

Center line 109

Priced right and can be see on:

www.GMpartsdirect.com

You can see with the center line,it is ground for torque and that is what you want for a heavy van driven on the street.

[1Gary]

This link I suggest you spend time reading.It's a very good read and a very important part of a cam selection.

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article ... shaft.aspx

[doyoulikeithere]

Hmmmmm.
I pasted the number 14097295 into your GM link.
It said No parts were found matching your search.. bummer.

[1Gary]

Summit still lists it:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-14097395/

$179.00.Pretty good deal.

[1Gary]

One of the things I didn't say is engine builders sometimes uses a given compression ratio with todays gas,use a cam's duration to try to bleed off some for that compression.It is a band-aid fix on a engine that either should have the correct compression in the first place and a cam to match it or a cam that matches the higher compression.The end result is a choppy idle with a power band that isn't normally usable in street driven vehicles.

The other thing is to have heads to supply that cam and compression ratio match as well.Rule of thumb is .5 X the CU inch of the engine for the number of cc's for the intake runner.So .5 x 350= 175cc's.That rule applies in 80% of the cases.Higher compression ratio's take a different turn in the road like race engines spinning up to the higher rpm range.(not you)From 5,500 rpm and down.RHS make a brand new head that is 180CC intake runner and does not require any porting because of their clean cast technology.You can get them in either 72cc size or 64cc size.

The O.E.M. roller lifters and retainers should not exceed 5,500rpm.In fact the more towards 5,000 rpm is better and less of a chance of valve float issues. Comp Cams has i.d.'ed a issue with that and sells a kit to address it.Still 6,000 is the max with their kit.Error'ing on the safe side.

So when you ask a question about a cam,it can't be just the cam to consider.I suggest you look at the big picture of all of it.