i have a a 79 camaro with a 355. it does have a cam now but i want to try to get one with a little more power and with a rougher sounding idle. i would like to get a cam that also comes with the lifters. i think i want somthing between a .440 lift and .480 lift, (is this to much?) i am also looking for the main power band in the mid range. so which cam should i be lookin at here? any suggestions?

 

Unless you are getting a roller lifter cam, you need to get new lifters whnever the cam is changed. Also, once broken in , the lifters cannot be moved around from as they are now mated to a particular cam lobe. As for a particular cam, the best thing is to contactthe tech people at one of the big cam companies, such as Crane, CompCams, etc., and tell them what you have in mind and what equipment you are running. They then will reccomend a grind to suit your needs.

 

.480 lift is as high as you can go without changing valve springs. high lift means nothing unless it has a long duration to go with it. the lift isn't what gives you the lope in the idle it's the duration. the longer the duration the more fuel it's going to intake. if your heads and combustion chamber is unable to process all the fuel it's gonna leave you running very rich. i have a 480 lift 304 duration cam in my 305. my heads are stock. at high rpm's it is literally forcing fuel through the spark plug threads. i've tryed to lean it out with the carb but, it just isn't enough for the amount of fuel drawn in. i'm getting ready to pull the heads and have them ported, shaved, and bigger valves installed to see if i can increase the flow and burn some of the excess fuel. the machinist i use is gonna port them above the valves as well as porting the intake chambers. if that don't work i guess i'm gonna have to spring for better heads. have been told that GM heads just don't flow very well. beginning to see that fact. you also have to be careful with high duration cams on street machines. at high durations your vacuum drops considerably. that can leave you with very little to operate the brakes and any other vacuum driven components. save yourself some money and do as pete suggested. trial and error is an expensive way to build a motor. sick

 

just a quick fact hydraulic cams are known for making a slight rougher idle then mechicle cams wiht the same specs.

 

so around what size cam should i be looking at for the best power/sound?

 

This in my opinion is a decent cam kit for a fairly stock engine, but it recomends a hi-stall converter, headers, and the right gear setup. the cam will work without the extras but, you'll never see it's full potential without them. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-C...73012039QQrdZ1 ... sick

 

for your application ide probably go with Comp Cams magnum 270H or 280H. they both come with a lifter and cam kit. the 270 is JEGS part number 249-12-211-2, and the 280H is JEGS number 249-CL12-212-2.