396/375 hp crane cam solid camshaft

[1968 nova ss]

guys,i went to install my new crane 396/375 hp blueprint cam and realized the cam was not the correct cam (when checking the #) well the problem is now their seems to be a 2 to 3 month wait on this cam .i called about 7 or 8 places today and they all said the same thing.any help out their on a place that may have this cam so I get this 396/375 nova on the road.P.S. the crane is the only way to go and prefer this cam ;i have seem dyno test and it outperforms all the other makes.chris Teed

[Mr. Chevy]

Not to start a huge disagreement, major discussion or "burst anyone's bubble" on these cams, but I just recently spoke to a very reputable and good engine builder in my neck of the woods who chuckled when I brought this very same topic up. He told me that basically one maker/grinder makes most all of these "non-special grind/general" cams and sells them to the major companies such as crane, comp., etc... who put their name on them.. He said they are all about the same at this level..

However, he told me that when you start getting into the "high end" or "special" race cams is when these companies develop their own cams/grinds and make same.. He said it is at this level that they take a certain pride in their cams and the engineering that goes into same..

I guess this is just "food for thought" and I am passing on what I was told which I found interesting... He was saying the same holds true for lifter sets...

With that said, I have a comp. cams L78 grind cam in my Nova and it has been a great cam!! The motor has been together since around 1999.... I'm sure alot of guys here will disagree with what I was told and have their specific preferences and may have experienced differences with the different manufacturers of these cams, but like I said I found this interesting and have never heard this before....

Rich

[TDW]

See if you can get ahold of U.D. Harold on the www.chevelles.com (http://www.chevelles.com) site. He may have one of his Lunati grinds for your application.

[JRSully]

What about re-using originals, from the day, Chevy cams, assuming minimal wear.? Any problmes or experiences.? (I have a couple of nice originals)

[Seattle Sam]

[ QUOTE ]
What about re-using originals, from the day, Chevy cams, assuming minimal wear.? Any problmes or experiences.? (I have a couple of nice originals)

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you need to keep used cams together with their lifters and keep everything matched up? Can you break in a new set of solid lifters together with a used cam?

[Chevy454]

You could if you used a set of Schubecks...http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

[Chevy454]

Chris:

PM sent! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[L89DRMR]

From what I understand, using an old camshaft is fine as long as the original lifters are used in their previous positions. Mis-matching the lifters will wipe out the camshaft lobes very quickly.

Dave

[Chris_69_SS]

[ QUOTE ]
From what I understand, using an old camshaft is fine as long as the original lifters are used in their previous positions. Mis-matching the lifters will wipe out the camshaft lobes very quickly.

Dave

[/ QUOTE ]

that is correct.

[JLerum]

Chris,

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=CRN%2D969961&autoview=sku It's the one you want.!!!!!

Jim

[Chevy454]

Jim: look at the top of the page:

Estimated Ship Date: 12/22/08

I found one in a wharehouse in Tennessee from some other parts place...haven't heard back from Chris to see if he picked it up?

[JRSully]

That is probably one of Chevy's finest, well thought out camshafts, hence the wait to get one. Crane even uses the 143 Grind #

[1968 nova ss]

rob,I called the # you gave me and the camshaft is on the way.thanks,buddy.chris Teed

[Keith Tedford]

Between the L72 and L78 cars that I have had, I have driven a lot of miles with never a cam related problem. With headers and tuning an L72 Chevelle can run well into the 12s and do it for a long, long time. It is docile enough to drive in stop and go city driving or you can wail down the strip. About all you need is better valve springs, especially if you are going over 6K rpm.

[Mr70]

That's why the factory introduced a more durable valve spring beginning with the introduction of the 1970 solid lifter engines.
Warranty work increased do to too many dropped valves on the previous 69 releases.

[Chris_69_SS]

for springs I would say Crane 99893s are THE best all around spring. I have used these on everything from .520 lift hyd cams to the .622 ultradyne solid I run now....last forever

[JLerum]

Crane Camshafts doors are closed right now. Unless the banks give them a second chance, you better find an alternative for a reproduction camshaft. The 969961 is gone unless you can find one hidden on a shelf from somewhere.

Jim

[Smokey]

So this is old news??




CRANE CAMS ACQUIRED BY MIKRONITE® TECHNOLOGIES

Crane Cams, a leading manufacturer of camshafts, valve train and electronic ignition components, has been acquired by Mikronite Technologies Group, Inc. of Eatontown, New Jersey. Mikronite is an industrial technology firm with contracts in the aerospace, automotive, commercial and medical fields. Crane Cams and Mikronite have enjoyed a business association for over a year, utilizing Mikronite’s proprietary surface finishing process on a number of valve train components.

Jeffrey H. Coats, President and CEO of Mikronite and now Executive Chairman of Crane Cams, is pleased to announce that R. Lance Harris has joined Crane Cams as Chief Executive Officer. Coats said, “Lance has a solid track record in operating manufacturing companies engaged in sales, engineering and production of powertrain and driveline products, and will a great asset to Crane Cams.” Prior to joining Crane’s management team, Harris held executive positions at FormTech Industries LLC, GKN, and MascoTech Inc. He started his career as an engineer with General Motors Corporation.