433 Isky vs 400Jr vs Schneider 284F, .425" lift......

If you go over a 400jr you will need a lot of high falootin lifter work and bits .DONT do it for the street ! Think , reliability !

 

wrong....

 

"The specs I do remember are .408 lift, 114* lsa. IIRC it was ground on a .904 base circle. I don't know the duration, but I do know the advertised (@.006) was longer than the 400 jr, it had a "gentler" lobe. "

The cam you are talking about is a 6355 H&C.
284 duration, .408 lift.
I have been looking for one for a year to make masters off of.
I ran one at Bonneville in 1955.
It is probably one of the best cams without going to radius lifters
for top end hp.
In an over 300 ci engine it will easily make one hp per cubic inch on gas.
Radius lifter cams are probably the best for street performance
because of the great area under the opening curve.
They are NOT cost effective for a street engine however.
Lifters ARE AVAILABLE though.
As far as the wrong info about big (over 300 ci) being no good for the street, I say
you have never done it. The last one I had was 323 and the next one will be 346.

If someone can come up with an H&C 6355, we need to talk.

 

Hot Rod Mickey,if you want to run , say a potvin eliminator or a Isky 433 YOU WILL have to use special lifters that dont rotate .they are stopped from turning by running in a type of keyway slot that must be broached in each of 16 lifter bores .Also ,special wire retainers clip into each lifter and these slide in the said slot. startin to get the picture ? Same drama for roller lifters .All this block work is fiddly ,exacting and expensive ,the clips dont last terribly long and the radiused lifters wear fast.Id call this , High Falootin ,by any measure !

 

Hate to raise the 'Red Flag' card, but you're incorrect on these two cams. Both of the cams you mention use standard lifters -- they do not use Radius/Keyed lifters like the Isky 404-A, the experimental 505-A, etc..

 

I KNOW that a Potvin eliminator works really good with stock lifters.......
From experience.......

And a 400jr is a shit cam.

Michael

 

Hey Pete1,
You're about the second guy besides me I've heard of running the 408. Was a little doggy below 2500 but 3000 and up that SOB pulled like there was no tomorrow. My father in law was a rodder back in the day (late30's-40's) and had a 32 roadster. Out ran the cops once but got a bullet hole in the rear quarter panel for his trouble.First time I took him for a ride in the Merc he couldn't believe it was really a flathead. I was at 286 ci, that 6355 HC would be a beast in a big inch flatty.

 

Yup...I had it in my roadster for awhile and also ran one in my 41 push car for awhile.
Funny thing, someone always came along and wanted to buy just the cam.
This was before I was in the cam business and I sold them...Now that leaves me without masters for it. I am looking though.
You are fairly close by so therefore you should come by for beer or coffee sometime.

 

Hey Pete . . . I'll keep my eyes open as well. I did pickup a H&C 6372 the other day, thanks for the specs on it. I wonder who ended up with the H&C masters? Any Idea?

 

No idea on that....I have been out of that loop too long.

 

I got back into drag racing after a 50 year lay off. I put the Scat kit [304"] and a 400 jr. in my '51 block. It's in an '88 Ranger behind a mazda 5 spd. It's not street legal. Been out about 5 times & it runs pretty desent. Best time in 1/8th is 9.56/73 mph.I sure like that 400 jr.only other cam I've had experience with is a Clay Smith 284/2 that's in my hi-school engine[& still runing] It's got a lot of "ka voompa ka voompa if thats what you're after.............flathead ranger

 

I ran a Potvin Eliminator cam in my dragster in the late '60s. Really woke the engine up.
Don't think it is a street cam however. Ran with plain adjustable lifters. Running stock lifters and grinding the valve stems for clearance is a REAL PAIN. I would keep the displacement at 296 or less. Very hard to feed and exhaust more cubes.

 

Brother, you are going this far, an extra $150 for Ross pistons isn't going to break the bank.

Don't be penny shart and dollar foolish. Many guys make that mistake.

Also, I highly advise boring with a torque plate to get the best seal that you can.

I also agree with Dale's suggestion, don't go to 3/8ths unless that is what it takes to clean it up. I think there are guys that will make 3/8th + .010" pistons, but I believe they are in the neighborhood of $600-$700 a set.

 

I was going to suggest a roller from Tatom or Crower.

From Crower, looks like a jewler ground it. Downside, you need a 14K wallet to pay for the proper roller lifters to run it.

Any way you shake it, a cam is a compromise. You either lose low end but get the killer sound or you save the bottom end for streetability and lose out on some upper range HP.

It ain't an easy choice, but I love the Potvin 3/8ths. So did Bill Jenks (RIP).

 

I have the 284F Schneider Cam in my 304"

 

I also think you'd be happy with an aluminum or lightened flywheel. Help you get the revs up quicker, therefore on a bigger cam's powerband quicker!

 

I agree with Fullhouse all you need for a strong street engine will be delivered by a 400Jnr, more than enough performance. Remember it's always a pleasure to start up and hear your engines sweet unique note, driving your hot rod will be even more special!!

This cam will not frustrate you and will provide a solid grounding for further experimintation.

It's a Flathead man, only the best engine ever made for Hot Rod!

 

I used a 1007B grind on Pete's advice in my 286 I just built ( I was wanting more bottom end and midrange ) and loved it, you are probably wanting a bit more for yours but Id trust Pete for cam choice. If you buy a cam from ISKY you should check it with a degree wheel to make sure its what its supposed to be. Mine wasnt even close. I went with the same grind from Delta and it was on the money.

 

So When does the engine Start to make power ?
What is the max Rpms ?

I Wonder Pete didn't Suggest a Potvin grind for your engine

 

i've had good success with Schneider Cams give Jerry a call.
a friend has a high boy 31 roadster modified flathead and 5 speed with 4:10 gears likes the overdrive on the highway and the way the rpm drops making easy on the motor and can travel without thinking the motor is going to blow-up

 

When I asked for cam advice, I said I wanted a good bottom & midrange cam. I would have likely put whatever he suggested in there. He comes Highly praised from many Oldtimer flat head guys. Also, unlike most people wanting cam advice, I asked for a cam that WORKS well in a street car. I was not concerned with what it sounded like (although it sounded great too) Im running a top loader 3 speed and a 3.12 gear so it needs to be able to chug along with strong bottom and midrange power. Thats just what it did too. I never ran it above about 3500 and it was still pulling good there.

 

I use his cams all the Time !

I have a 304 ci with a 404A Cam , and that Fucker pulls Hard with 3.25 Gears
Lifters etc. From Pete