I know I'm opening up the whole can of worms here but would like to revisit "what cam have you used"... 327 Chevy with 041 heads, Edelbrock C26 dual quad intake with AFBs, long tube headers, standard transmission, 3.55 rear gear, in a 57 sedan... Looking for experienced recommendations for an old grind. I'd like to be able to run sh!t gas in it so 9 or 9.5:1 compression or so. 91 octane is what we got here. Wondering if that rules out the old L79 cam or not. Some people say it absolutely needs compression and some people say it still pulls pretty good with the relatively low compression. Also thinking of the 097 cam. I just want an old off the shelf cam that has slow ramp rates and will last forever but not "waste" the dual quad induction. Maybe I'm asking too much of the situation but TIA for any ideas...
Call Jim at Racer Brown Cams... 410.866.7660 after 2pm. Most of the grinds were created in the '60's and '70's, but still make good power. I have used a fair amount, have seen a bunch that others have used and the track and dyno results. You won't be dissapointed. Gene.
I put an L79 in an original 283 Power Pac engine , which was completely stock other wise. The calculated CR was 9.8:1 and it ran on regular gas ( 1966 regular gas). I think your engine would be fine. My 327 has on honest 10.2:1 and it runs on 91/92 whatever is in the pump. My cam is .500 lift and 300 deg. advertised duration. Duration @ .050" is maybe 250 to 256 intake. That just means it bleeds off more compression than the L79.
L79 cam is fine, its usually what I run in my 327's. The original 327 in my O/T 68 Camaro is the stock 10.5 to 1, had a L79 in it for a few years then went to a 30/30. The L79 cam ran great. In our 55 Chevy, the 327 has what I am guessing to be a 10.5ish to 1 as well. Its running a comp xtreme energy 286 cam. Has 1.94 camel hump heads and then a 3x2 setup with 2GC carbs. Has a pretty nice lope on it.
The L79 is a grate cam the wide lobe center tame the idle .I also like the 097 lower lift makes it easy on valve train and it has the idle. People don't like solids because of having to set valves was less of a deal with leaded gas than today if you don't have hard seats but you also get to run the lifters that have the small hole in the face which helps with cam life.
Thanks all! I think I'll stick the L79 in it. Seems like with the intake valve closing pretty late it will bleed off static compression, so I'll shoot for 10.5:1
Summit 1105 is a pretty decent white box cam. In the grand scheme of things, it is still conservative and should do great in your combo. I'm happy with mine.
I have this cam in a 59 El Camino, 3.54 rear, 4 speed with 462 heads. 12 degrees initial timing with ported vacuum advance, rams horns and an old Edelbrock Street master with a 600 Holley . It runs good to 6000 rpm, with the intake and exhaust manifolds being limiting factors. I don't remember vacuum at idle, 16 or 18. Good low end driveability, and I only run 87 octane ca gas. I had an L 79 cam in a similar 327, but an automatic, with 3.08 gears in a 66 c10. It ran just as well, but didn't like the gears .
I build a 327 several years ago. 2.02 valves , flat tops and single carb in front of a muncie in a 69 camaro. 3:08 gears which were a little tall, but I used a Crane. Cam card pictured. That engine would scream. It is still together and runs great. Good lope, amazing response.
I’m guessing an L-79 cam would be a good choice in a stock 350 as well? 8.5 to 1 compression, 624 heads, ram horns, Quadrajet, stock intake. 3.55 gears and a 3 speed manual. 1950 Chevy 3100.
Late intake valve closing point effectively lowers the running compression ratio. This is different from the theoretical compression ratio based on cylinder volume measurements. Early 80's there was an article in Hot Rod Magazine by Bruce Crower regarding this. I still have it somewhere in the basement. I'll find it and scan it tomorrow, as it seems to be an answer to what's being asked. Not the only one, but one that stands today.
With less than 10 to 1 compression, the 151 cam might be as big as you want to go. The 097 Duntov cam might be a better choice. Or... call your favorite cam grinder and ask for a recomendation. Isky makes a good cam and lifter's.
I'm a computer illiterate as you will see in this posting. I couldn't get the scanner to work and transfer the image to my tablet, so I took a picture of the cover and the 1 page article. Hopefully I'm not the only one who never tosses back issues and someone who is computer literate will get a better copy of the article for posting. Yeah, I know, an engineer who has issues with computers... Anyway, here's the 2 images. July 1980, page 100, Hot Rod Forum, by Bruce Crower. Big mileage-a different approach. 2/3rd of the way thru the article, he says "I would like to draw attention to effective compression ratio compared to full cylinder compression ratio. The engine discussed had a theoretical compression ratio of 15.84:1. The effective compression ratio was 8.15:1. It lived on 87 octane pump gas ((r+m)/2). It was all in the cam. As I remember there's a modification of the basic otto cycle, the name of which escapes me right now, that is what this is based on. The compression part of the cycle starts only when the intake valve closes, but the expansion part of the cycle uses essentially the whole stroke.
I recently built a 327 for street use in a 4 speed daily driver car. I wanted to be able to run pump gas from anywhere. I also wanted to make good torque as a 7,000 rpm screamer isn’t fun to drive as a daily driver. Here are the specs: 461 heads, 1.94” intake, 61cc 13cc dish pistons. 9.2:1 compression Edelbrock ESP intake, Edelbrock AVS carb. Isky 264 Mega Cam, 214 @ .050, .450” lift, 108 LCA Over 300 lb ft torque from 2000-5000 rpm.
We just put a '65 L79 in my friend's 1965 C10, with a Saginaw 4 speed. It runs fine at 6600' above sea level on 91 octane, and we put as much initial advance in it as the starter will allow. Runs great, good power, with no detonation. The short bed C10 weighs around 3700 lbs, and has 3.73 gears.
Check where it is when installing. The L-79 I installed was -2* so I installed a kit on the cam gear and added +6* so it ended up +4* advanced. It was in a 62 ChevyII custom 100 with a .030 over 283, Muncie 4 speed and 3.08’s for work and 4.56’s for play. Cast iron exhaust covered it up pretty well. I had a lot of fun with that car..
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