I'm pretty sure most of you remember the old PAW catalogs of performance auto parts. I even bought parts from them, and that's really what this thread is all about; I need some help if any of you have one of these catalogs lying around. Years ago, I bought a SBC, flat tappet, solid lifter camshaft and kit, that is in my "spare" 327. Somewhere along the line, I must have thrown out my PAW catalog, and now I need one. And, I can't find the cam card that had the specs for this cam; I especially need that to set the valve lash. The camshaft was a Super Stock Industries ("house brand" of PAW???), part number SSI 10342. The last car the 327 was in was a 1963 Chevy II station wagon, with one of my own, beefed aluminum Powerglide transmissions, a 4500 RPM stall torque converter, and a 4.88 geared, Positraction rear end. It all made for a nasty little sleeper. The engine has sat for some time now, in a heated garage, with the rocker arms backed off. Can anyone help? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
The cam card info won't be in the catalog, at least I never saw that in my old catalogs. Gonna need to find out who did the cam grinding. I've been in the last two shops that they had, never saw any cam grinding equipment. As a guess, being more of a "race" (?) cam, I'd give .022" int., .024" exh. a try. Experiment from there for the best performance. Mike
Here you go: Gross lift is .488, 112 loc, .030 - .030 valve lash hot. Price was 44.95. Bob From their 2005 Catalog
Wow! 277° duration @.050" lift...that's a monster amount of duration in a little 327....and only .488" lift? Must have been intended for stock heads(or stock-ish) I like the #10343 a lot better. #10396 is a rough copy of the 2nd design GM "offroad" camshaft. Would not have guessed the majority of their solid SBC cams to be such loose lash, at .030".
Back then saying 30-30 meant something...PAW was great and I could drive over to get parts. My son and I did his first engine using PAW...
Yep, it was awesome to have catalog as big as the old yellow page directory, just for GM parts, too. And then you could get one for Fords...way cool. You could look at all of the major suppliers products and make an educated buying decision. Bought their complete SBC 671 Blower set up. Couldn't have been happier with it. Glad I saved the catalog to reminisce.
THANKS guys!!! I was thinking the valve lash was .018 intake/.022 exhaust for some reason. I knew the lift was somewhere around .480+, but the 316 duration and 277 duration @ .050 surprises me; explains the idle for sure. Old school cam profile. I'll have to have this info tattooed on the backs of my eyelids so I don't lose it again. I'd initially posted this over on HotRodders.Com, for ericnova72, and he suggested posting here also; should have just posted here to start with. As far as "stock heads", well that's actually a little off; old school ported and polished/2.05-1.60 stainless, tuliped valves/pinned studs (said they were old school)/spring-retainer-keeper kit/Harland Sharp roller rockers. This is actually the very same engine, but with a cam change, that was in my FED in the late 70's/early 80's, with a best of 9.23 ET @ 146 MPH. Stock 340 HP/L-79 short block with a cam change, the already mentioned 461 X heads, Holley 300-25 intake and 750 DP Holley, Single point distributor, ****** up swept dragster headers/Powerglide with a trans brake, and a 4500 RPM stall converter, 4.10 Pontiac-open rear end. Econo/bracket dragster I built for less than $4000.00, including the trailer/fire suit-helmet. The engine, with a change to a hydraulic cam, went into my DD P/U truck for a while (where it burned an exhaust valve), and then later on, into my 63 Chevy II station wagon/street racer, with this cam slipped into it. The engine was freshened up some 25 years ago, has sat on the engine stand, with the rockers backed off, and in a heated garage. Hopefully, it goes into the sedan Delivery this summer; I need MORE POWER (as Tim "The Tool Man Taylor would say)! THANKS AGAIN guys!!! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I think the reason the full specs are posted in the catalogs, on these SSI cams, was because they were PAW's "house brand cams". I also had the sales slip from PAW, so I had the cam number. I'll probably find the original cam card now that I've gotten the specs. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Those PAW catalogs were what dreams are made of; too bad they are no longer. They could probably come back as an online store. California Discount Warehouse was another one; I think they are still around, only deal in just hemi stuff and only on E-Bay. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
A view back in time...a complete blower setup, just add an oil pan, carbs, oil, and torque wrench....2005 pricing.. Good stuff!
If you want to see parts prices that will put a lump in your pants you need to look through some old ones like these. Even with the cost of living differences and a guys ernings its still shocking. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I see a '67 catalog there. In 1967, a Shelby Mustang 350 coupe cost about $4000. That is roughly $32000 today, Not bad but the median household income in '67 was $7200 so not much has changed.
Firstly, .030 hot lash sounds excessive to me. Secondly, 277 degrees duration @ .050 lift also sounds excessive for a street-driven 327. Finally, the numbers won't help with degreeing the cam; you need to know opening & closing events. Personally, I wouldn't consider using that cam in anything other than a race-only car, and if that's the case, there are better choices. For the street, you'll be happier with a duration @ .050 lift of 240 (or less), but I wouldn't run 488 gears on the street either.
I hope I'm not putting a nail in 56sedandelivery's coffin if he's still with us. But hasn't he p***ed away?
The Jalopy Journal
