Hot Rods cam regrinding

I wanted an E-3 for an Olds, he didn't have the master. I have had other cams done at Shadbolts in the past, but it was before Geoff left. No reflection on the present staff intended or implied.

 

I'd like to tell you about an experience with Delta cams.

A friend had a cam reground by them to Patrick"s 264 profile and put this in a street motor GMC 302. This cam was reground about 6 months ago. Supposed to be a .440 valve lift and 264 duration, but they don't say where that duration is. Is it at .050 or at valve clearance of .012?

Then We have a racing 302 we run at Loring AFB on the Mile and a half. We had been 122 mph with a stock cam in a very mild 302. The fall event during Labor Day was coming up and we wanted to try a better cam, leaving all else the same except for tuning adjustments. We sent a stock core out to Delta and they returned it in about 2 weeks! Great service. We put the regrind in, it was tagged to be a Patrick's street grind, 264 duration and .440 valve lift, according to the label. We set it up for 108 intake lobe center (that Delta recommended) and went racing. After a day of tuning we got the new combination up to 118 mph.

We are kinda disappointed, so now we check the lobe lift and valve lift and it turns out to be .386 valve lift, very close to stock......Than seeing that we degree in the .050 numbers and find 212 on the Intake and 215 on Exhaust. Kinda disapointing. So we try the .012 numbers and see 262 degrees on intake and 265 on exhaust. And this is very close to stock, which is 252 degrees Intake and 276 exhaust.
So our conclusion here is that they sent us a stock cam with the journals polished and the lobes sprayed with something black.

I told my friend with his 302 street motor that we should check his cam. And all we did was check the valve lift and lobe lift and found .400 on the valve lift. So we come to the conclusion that that cam also is not as advertised and is just a cleaned up stocker. Remember they are telling us both these cams should be .440 lift.

No answer on an email sent to them.
But I don't care as my friends motor is for a hot rod Model A Ford with the 302 and it will still kick most any flathead Ford even with the stock cam, and be very street friendly. And our race motor will have a real reground cam from a very old sprint car motor that has ..525 intake lift and 266 degrees @ .050 and .555 Ex lift and 280 degrees @ .050.

Yup, the Delta web site talks a good job. And we have seen and measured their results.

Frank

 

^^thanks for posting that.