Hello everyone. MickeyC here. I have been away for a while due to family health issues. Now getting back to my projects. I have a vintage Lunati solid lift roller for a small block Chevy. I intend to use this cam in the original motor it was installed in around 1970. The problem is I have misplaced the cam data card. I thought I would just give the folks at Lunati a call and see if they may be able to provide me with The specs on this particular unit. So I called their tech line and was informed I was number 22 in line and about an hour and a half wait time. It seems Edelbrock now is their parent company. So I am hoping a member here of which many of us are also vintage, may be able to help me ferret out the specs on this cam The most obvious numbers on the cam are stamped in the face of the forward bearing journal where the timing gear bolts to the cam. The stamping reflects the information Lunati RR 400 106. The rear journal is stamped m b282 m. Any clues guys? Thanks
Your best bet may be to call earlier tomorrow morning. Hopefully they still have all of the old grind number's in the archive's. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd think that RR was roller, 400 was lobe lift and 106 was the centerline. B282 might be the manufacture date or something to do with duration @ .050". If that's the case, it sound's like a pretty healthy cam.
The cam is definitely a solid lift roller. I do remember both the lift and duration were well over 500. I dont remember the lash settings or other specifics. The motor was in a short track Chevell I had way back then. it was indeed stout and would pull well over 7000 rpms. I may find the cam card eventually. I have all the valve gear for the motor including a isky rev kit that had extra springs in the valley bearing directly on the rollers. this stuff is from the early seventies. The short block has been freshened and is awaiting assembly. I am bringing the heads to a noted race motor builder in this area next week. He may be able to measure the cam and determine what is what. I dont know how to do this. Thank you for your input.
This will (hopefully) drop you into an older catalog page (PDF). The numbers don't seem to match up, so they used an even earlier numbering system. 401A3 thru 401C3 is range. https://vdocuments.net/lunati-catalog-56a7f412888fc.html?page=158 The wayback machine didn't dive that deep into the website back in 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991012034636/http://lunaticams.com:80/Lindex.html will get you to an index, but you can't see any SBC cams.
You can easily figure out all the cam specs yourself. Just put it into the block along with the crank, hook up the timing set, and drop in #1 piston and rod assembly and then just degree it out....in effect, reverse engineering a cam card for it. Opening and closing points at .020", and .050" lifter rise will give you Advertised and @ .050" durations. Lobe lift will be easily measured, and simple math from the opening and closing points off the degree wheel will give you Lobe Separation and Intake Lobe Centerline. If you need a degree wheel for just one-time use, there is one you can just print off and glue to any flat circular object you may have....cheap plastic picnic plate or disposable pie tin, an old frisbee, small pizza pan, Masonite cut into a circle, etc. Tavia Performance Products Downloadable Degree Wheel
Good call, @Ericnova72. The lift will be more than 'advertised', because you need to subtract lash which is one thing OP is lacking. That will also affect duration a bit, but this can also be checked against other Lunati roller specs. Just go with the lash number from the cam that has the closest lift and duration. Most racers running a solid roller will try out different lash settings anyway.
Thanks guys. My buddy who is assembling the short block has a degree wheel and is way experienced with all things small block Chevy. I am thinking we can work out the specs using the methods mentioned. This motor was bought new as a 370 hp short block from a local Chevy dealer. I believe my motor guy called it an Lt1. I have had the motor under a bench for literally 50 years. Damn Im old! Anyway it is now bound for placement in my 40 Ford coupe. Along with the mid sixties muncie 4 speed that was in the racer as well. I am thinking the specs on the cam will give me some idea of how it will perform as related to street driving. It really matters not. the drive train in going in the 40 and it will be as it will be. I am reframing from using the Frankland quickchange that I still have as well. A new 9 inch is going in the coupe to repace the early olds that resides there at this time. Should be an interesting set up.
The easiest way to freshen up a sprint car engine in the 70's was to go to Chevrolet and order an LT1 short block ($12 - 1500 depending on who you knew). They came with a forged crank, forged 11:1 pistons, the "pink" rods and a cam similar to the old Duntov 30-30. I'd sell the cam and timing set to a hot rodder, open up the side clearance on the rods, bolt on my good stuff and go racing. I always wanted to put one of my sprint car engines in a Chevelle or Nova and run it on the street; never did.
Just saying….if the 400 is cam lift, (many manufacturers did this with the #) you used 1.5 rocker ratio that’s a .600” lift minus the lash, and advertised duration is above 300 probably over 320 this cam will be a lot on the street unless that what you’re looking for. I’m not saying don’t use it but remember how radical it sounded in the 70’s and how it performed above 4000 rpm and now your going to use off idle to 2500-3000 cruising. Good luck.
They didn't make 'mild' rollers! With all the expense and maintenance, nobody would bother copying a hydraulic or even a solid profile on a roller. The smallest one in the catalog I linked is actually kind of mid, but this is decades later. 401A3 2000 - 6500 .485"/.503" 238/248 272/282 112/108 .020"/.022" Excellent street/strip cam which will work as daily driver, very responsive. Needs 2400 RPM stall converter, head- ers, 10:1 compression ratio and 3.55+ or gearing. Fair idle.
My uncle used to do the same in his Sprinter back in the day...except they used the over-the-counter 302 (z28) short blocks, added their cam, ported heads and Algon Mechanical Injection, blueprinted the clearances and went racing. Sold each previous year's engine to other racers with limited funds.
Thats just what the fellow I bought this chevelle did. The motor has never been in any other vehicle until my current efforts. If the cam is unwieldly on the street I can chamge it to a less radical grind. It is going in as is to find out.
Hello folks. So recently I was seeking some knowledge regarding the specs on a vintage Lunati roller cam I have on hand. After some diligent searching I was able to locate the original spec. card. Now I'm not certain that is such a good thing! The card reflects .600 lift for both intake and exhaust valves. also .300 duration for both. Valve settings of .022 intake and .024 exhaust. The motor was in my 64 Chevelle oval track racer. The bottom end has been identified as a 1969 or perhaps 1970 Lt1 370 horse 350 cu in. The pistons and rods are the original forged items that came in this short block as purchased from the sole hi po Chevy dealer in this era. The pistons are the small domed items I believe that are 11 to 1. The pistons show no machine work other than balance type drill indentations under the domes. They don't appear to have been fly cut other than the stock slot across the face. The motor was running these parts when it was last raced many decades ago. My intentions are to run this motor on the street with these parts. Also a Muncie 4 speed. Now I'm having reservations? Can any of you fellows enlighten me on the characteristics I can expect to encounter if trying to motivate this combo on the street? Thanks guys.
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