Call Crane,or Isky,or one of the other names that have been around since that engine was new ,and tell them what your going to do with the engine,and get their input.They should have records of what really works well,and most are happy to help.
Plus they will ask you all the questions people here will tell you they need like what compression, vehicle weight, gearing, trans type, boxers or briefs?
Go to http://www.348-409.com/forum/ lots of info and good advice, just remember to be respectful and no BS, it is a great site because of this.
^^^^^what he said. All your answers are over there, great bunch of knowledge on the W engines. I used to play with the 348/409's. I ran cams from a fella that has p***ed which won't help you out now. Good luck with the build.
Make sure you check piston to valve clearance when going with a performance cam. Also find the best lifters you can.
I ran the Isky 425 Hp 409 cam in this. It was punched out to almost 360 cubes also https://www.chevydiy.com/chevy-348-409-camshafts-and-valvetrain-guide/
Hello, In our waning A/Stock cl*** racing at Lion’s Dragstrip, the writing was on the wall in 1959. We had some great success learning the ins and outs of A/Stock cl*** racing from 57 to 60. With the newer, more powerful 335 hp 348 motor and 4 speeds coming onto the scene in 1959, it was game over for the 58 280 hp Impala. later years with the changes in wheel color We thought about building the motor up a few c.i. with a new cam and head work. But, that still would have put us in a C/Gas Cl***. The 348 motor was a first for Chevy. It was reliable, had tons of horsepower and was virtually trouble free from new until we sold the Impala in 1965. No changes other than spark plugs when in the stock cl***. Racer Brown Cams from Inglewood, CA But, when we got the solid lifter, Racer Brown Cam and Kit,(in 1959) it was now weekly adjustments, for tuning. Still nothing happened to shut us down for weeks of any repair. It was reliable and it gave me some top end power surge, too. Jnaki Perhaps we could have done more modifications and gone larger in motor cubic inch size, but we were happy as it was and served its purpose faithfully since new in 1957. Countless full throttle runs at Lion’s Dragstrip, countless runs on the local Cherry Avenue Street and surrounding hideaways. Never had to do anything other than get it ready. Just in case… if we knew something was brewing for Friday night or Saturday night, the 4:56 Positraction was put in place, the Bruce Slicks fit nicely under the rear wheel opening and we were ready for anything. The only thing we had to remember is that when the 12 midnight “dew” or mist rolled in from the ocean, caution was the main form of driving with the slicks. Reliability and performance were the two things my brother wanted, plus he wanted something that could keep up with his friends Oldsmobile powered 34 Ford Coupe. The odd thing was, they never raced. They talked about it many times, challenged and laughed about it, but actually never raced. A sleeper mild custom car close to the end of ownership. Thanks, @themoose The 58 Impala was so reliable that our mom took over the driving chores during the days I went surfing. She liked the sounds coming from the 348 motor, but never stomped on the throttle. With the C&O Stick Hydro, it drove like an automatic car should, but it just shifted a little more precisely and sometimes gave the unsuspecting p***enger a neck ache on shifting. These days, our Racer Brown Cam mfg. is no longer. Isky is still around, but so is Clay Smith Cams in So Cal. They both have respectable reputations and are good products. YRMV Or, a Duntov Cam The oddball thing was that in our last race for our 292 c.i. SBC 671 supercharged motor in the 40 Willys Coupe we built, it ended up in C/Gas and was quite compe***ive. (.40 sec off of the national record.) Our last race in August 1960 was against a heavy 58 Impala with a bored and stroked 348 motor. The 409 c.i. plus the weight of the Impala put them in C/Gas. They were very fast and at one time had the C/Gas record. Our 292 c.i. blower spec SBC motor had a Howard Cam and Kit + other speed parts. It was a powerful motor. In that last race my brother was off to a 2 car lead through the 1/8th mile and just before the traps, the clutch blew and all He%$#@ broke loose. We crossed first with my brother trying to put out the flames, but eventually had to jump out of the burning Willys. The crazy thing was the Impala was listed as the winner of the cl***. Our burning Willys Coupe shut down the whole drag strip at 9:30 pm. Now, Buena Park, CA 58 impala 280 hp stock 348 motor
Bought an Isky for mine based on info from the guys on the 348-409 forum, as all ready mentioned, very helpful bunch
When the machine shop I use did my 348 motor I think they used an Isky cam, which one I have no idea.
The Jalopy Journal
