This is typical of so many threads. The nay sayers have absolutely no experience with these cams and base their opinion on a complete lack of knowledge. Meanwhile those that have actually used these cams, are aware of their specs and built their cars accordingly have good results.
Yes, but you are going to sacrifice (power) to make that gain (sound). Do not muddle the fact it's original intent: the sound.
I have a customer rite now that is ordering a Thumper or Mutha Thumper for a 351 Cleavland, he is a "poser", aren't most of us to some extent? Last I counted "poser" was not a 4 letter word, let em have fun!
It all depends on what you are after. I don't see any difference in putting in a Thumper cam for the sound than finned valve covers for the look. Having said that, I have a 27 T Roadster with a 400 SBC, Vortec heads and a Comp Cams Mutha Thumper. I have a TH350 with a 2800 stall convertor. I drive it on the street. The car really pulls hard from 3500 RPM up. My car is a street car and I drive it. I have not had it on the 1/4 mile track yet but Spring test & tune is around the corner. Just how narrow do you want to get with what is a hot rod? What makes a man? Anybody ever listen to the Rolling Stones?
Its not for everyone, I like cams with the wide lobe seperations. Probably why cam companies make so many profiles, because there are so many engine/car combinations.
A very realist re****al. Some you running Thumper cams are reacting as though being persecuted. And the ones making real power, are already equipped to do so. Big variables.
I've always used short-track grinds, (like a Crane Sat. night special), in mild (10:1 comp.) engines in my hot-rods. They sound like a hot-rod and have great low-to-midrange power. Tune it and gear it right and you have no worries. '57 Ford, 406sbc, 10.2:1comp, world 200 heads, Crane sat night special cam, Performer RPM manifold, 750 holley, 700R4, 3.70 gears. 3400lbs. 20mpg; 12.90et
Where's the slip??? Hell with the slip I believe a saw a video of the run? He has nothing to prove...............<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Start reading on this page in my Truck thread from back in 08.........I have several shoe boxes filled w/ slips that this Truck has clicked off..I do***ented my every victory and downfall in this thread.....I still have the cam and lifters and will use again for the street....It was its fastest time I was able to squeeze out of it before I made a bunch of changes...All drag racers remember their #'s that were milestones ! ......Littleman http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215723&highlight=littleman&page=13
. Um ya, Littleman is a do'er not a talker. If he says they work, they work. I have used a Big Mother Thumper in a 408 small block chevy with Dart heads and a well sorted combination. The car ran HARD. I sold that car before I got the chance to run it at the track. That said, I have owned ligit 10 second street cars. I'm not one of those ***-talkers who thinks his 13 second car will run tens. The Thumper can work with the right combination. .
A friend of mine is running a Thumpr in his 55 chevy. When he was debating what cam to use, he was in constant contact with tech people from comp. Now he says that the tech from COMP called it a "parking lot cam" but I don't know how much truth to put in that as I know his tall tales as well. It does sound good and my dad, who has ridden in it, does say its runs well, feels strong and is smooth.
Tempory minor hijack here..... Nice truck LM! I see you run Thompson. I didn't see it there, but then, I was kinda buzy. What's that truck weigh? About 1600-1800 lbs.?
High overlap cams take richer idle circuits, idle circuits stay in play until about 2000 rpm so milage will most likely suffer.
I'm building a flathead for a guy and he bought a Thumper. The cam is supposed to be ground with 5 deg advance. When I checked it, they had ground it straight up. Always check a cam's timing, don't rely on them grinding it right. Of course when I called them, this is the first one they ever heard of being off.
i have the small one in my f-1 with a chevy small block and 5- speed. best investment i could have made. i can feel it pulling at around 2000 rpms up. sounds good, very drivable. read the specs on them. rodders journal had a good article on them
Well I'll admit to being a doubter on Thumpr cams, and listening to the people who had never owned one debate they were posers with no good charachteristics. I figured they were all sound and no performance, and p***ed on using them in two different SBC builds. Then a friend asked me to put one in his 350 Chevy and it was the mid range Thumpr, in a fairly stock engine. It sounds great, and actually does perform good. So another friend asked me to put one in his 350, and I suggested he should go with the entry level Thumpr. It sounds almost as good, and I think it performs as well. Both of these were flat tappet Thumpr cams. If I were using a Thumpr in a fairly stock engine, I'd go with the entry level cam, as it will probably work better with stock components and lower compression. If your SBC has some other performance pieces, or higher compression, then I'd go at least the midrange cam, or higher.
Have a thumper in my 327, good performance, I put about 3k miles on it this summer, 15 mpg and low 9s in the eighth mile, race it, drive it, enjoy it...
I have the hydraulic roller thumpr in my truck, and love it... It does all I expected from it, sounds great and performs well. I am sure that I could have called in for a custom grind, that would have been more efficient, and a better set up than the Thumpr, but I am not racing the thing, its a cruiser, that has some at***ude off the stop lights. Here is a video of my truck, taken by a friend when I stopped by his house, it has a nice chop to it for sure. <object width="1280" height="720"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/1334956701647"></param><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/1334956701647"
Thump'r cams seem to be doing good things. People love the sound and noone I have spoken to believes that they made a bad cam choice. (Wish we could all say that... right?). I think that if you must have the sound and you want the power, give it a shot. If you get things setup right in a std crate small block, you'll have a serious 2000rpm and up 400 horsepower or so small block that literally shakes and rattles at idle. go on youtube, go back and read the link that dyno test and then call some cam companies and see if they can talk you out of a thump'r cam. Just my stupid advice on the matter.
After the two I put in SBC engines, I purchased one for myself to put in my 464ci BBC I'm ***embling presently. I bought the mid level Thumpr that's supposed to have a 2,000-6,000 rpm range for my Falcon g***er build. I'm running a set of Edelbrock oval port heads, Weiand tunnel ram, with 4 speed behind it, and 3.73 gears. Hopefully I'll have more input when I get it ***embled and the car finished in a month or two.
I'm not racing on the street so its going to work fine for me.A trip around the Sonic with the Grandkids is what I'm after
You asked for pros and cons - pros - good power with the right parts combo- great sound. Cons - you have to have right torque converter if you're running automatic- vacuum will probably be on the weak side . I personally love the sound of em.
I've been running one for two years in a stock 302 with a Holley 600cfm, Edelbrock dual plane manifold and headers. Performs and sounds exactly as I wanted it to. Goes like snot on the street and I gets good mileage if I keep my foot out of it(rarely).
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