LT1 camshaft suggestions?

[NorCam]

I'm going to wade in here with a couple of cam suggestions for someone who wants a somewhat lumpy idle, but still wants to retain some good driving characteristics. The first is an updated solid camshaft which serves as a great replacement cam for any small block from the 302 right up to a fresh LT1. Sounds pretty stout at idle, but still retains decent street manners with enough vacuum to run power brakes. At .500' lift with 247/254 duration on a 112 LSA, it has a tight lash (.012) with modern ramps. Best suited to a 4-spd car with some gearing, it's designed to run from 2300 up 6900 rpm. I found it was better from about 2800 up with a wide ratio stick running 373's. I recently recommended this cam to another sYc member and his 302 dyno'd at 365hp with this cam profile. In a stock LT1 build, I would imagine that the same gain would be appreciated netting close to 400hp with the additional cubes.

Comp Cams Nostalgia Plus 12-673-4 Mechanical Cam

Idling in my green Z/28 with freshly built DZ 302 (Fast Idle)

Now...if you're looking for a very driveable cam with excellent street manners, a lumpy idle, and something that will garner some attention from light to light, here's another cam that Dave @ Crower recommended to me a few years ago and I am so impressed with. I ran this Crower 00471 Hydraulic Roller in a mildly built 350 LT1 with pop-up pistons and freshened 462 heads that had a little bowl blending done. The result was a great lumpy idle and a cam that worked really really well between 2400-6500 rpm. Sounded nasty at idle, pulled real strong through all gears, and was very smooth with great torque through the entire rpm range. The bonus with this roller cam was less valve train maintenance and the $hit assed grin I always wore while driving this one. The cam was so good, I am considering building another 302 and might run this cam again. It doesn't run up into the 7K range, but more than makes up in the 3500 to 6500 range.

Crower 00471 Hydraulic Roller Camshaft (Perf Level 4) 2400 to 6500 rpm

Idling away in a freshly built 350 LT1 (68 Camaro Build)

And here it is on a nice 3 gear pull while I was breaking in the new motor.

[scuncio]

Graeme, I have a very similar hydraulic roller on the shelf that I pulled out of a 406 years ago to swap in a solid roller. I think it's way too big to work in a 302, but I'm curious what you think, as I was strongly contemplating it myself.

Originally Posted by NorCam

I'm going to wade in here with a couple of cam suggestions for someone who wants a somewhat lumpy idle, but still wants to retain some good driving characteristics. The first is an updated solid camshaft which serves as a great replacement cam for any small block from the 302 right up to a fresh LT1. Sounds pretty stout at idle, but still retains decent street manners with enough vacuum to run power brakes. At .500' lift with 247/254 duration on a 112 LSA, it has a tight lash (.012) with modern ramps. Best suited to a 4-spd car with some gearing, it's designed to run from 2300 up 6900 rpm. I found it was better from about 2800 up with a wide ratio stick running 373's. I recently recommended this cam to another sYc member and his 302 dyno'd at 365hp with this cam profile. In a stock LT1 build, I would imagine that the same gain would be appreciated netting close to 400hp with the additional cubes.

Comp Cams Nostalgia Plus 12-673-4 Mechanical Cam

Idling in my green Z/28 with freshly built DZ 302 (Fast Idle)

Now...if you're looking for a very driveable cam with excellent street manners, a lumpy idle, and something that will garner some attention from light to light, here's another cam that Dave @ Crower recommended to me a few years ago and I am so impressed with. I ran this Crower 00471 Hydraulic Roller in a mildly built 350 LT1 with pop-up pistons and freshened 462 heads that had a little bowl blending done. The result was a great lumpy idle and a cam that worked really really well between 2400-6500 rpm. Sounded nasty at idle, pulled real strong through all gears, and was very smooth with great torque through the entire rpm range. The bonus with this roller cam was less valve train maintenance and the $hit assed grin I always wore while driving this one. The cam was so good, I am considering building another 302 and might run this cam again. It doesn't run up into the 7K range, but more than makes up in the 3500 to 6500 range.

Crower 00471 Hydraulic Roller Camshaft (Perf Level 4) 2400 to 6500 rpm

Idling away in a freshly built 350 LT1 (68 Camaro Build)

And here it is on a nice 3 gear pull while I was breaking in the new motor.