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finally putting my olds back togeather and trying to decide on camshaft

6K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  glastornjet73 
#1 · (Edited)
Like it says im finally putting my olds back togeather after a year and a half or soo and am trying to decide on a cam it either between a howard and a comp xe294 see specs below what do yall think and what are you having good luck with it is a 455 stock crank and rods, arp bolts, main studs, align honed, 2323f .030 pistons, total seal rings, .010 deck, pro comp heads (yeah i know they suck lol) milled to 72cc chambers, head studs, around 10.4-1 compression, crosswind intake, roller rockers and stud girdles, mallory unilite, headers, and a holley vac sec 770 now also on the howards cam you can get the same cam with 112 lobe sep also thanks for the input guys


Howards cam

Cam Style:Hydraulic flat tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range:2,600-6,400
Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift:235
Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift:245
Duration at 050 inch Lift:235 int./245 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration:289
Advertised Exhaust Duration:299
Advertised Duration:289 int./299 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.520 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.544 in.
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.520 int./0.544 exh.
Lobe Separation (degrees):110
Computer-Controlled Compatible:No
Lifters Included:Yes
Lifter Style:Hydraulic flat tappet
Valve Springs Included:No
Retainers Included:No
Locks Included:No
Valve Stem Seals Included:No
Timing Chain and Gears Included:No
Assembly Lubricant Included:Yes
Pushrods Included:No
Rocker Arms Included:No
Gaskets Included:No
Valve Springs Required:Yes
Camshaft Manufacturers Description:Lopey idle, street/strip or nostalgia. Likes headers and gears.


Comp cam

Basic Operating RPM Range:2,800-6,800
Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift:250
Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift:256
Duration at 050 inch Lift:250 int./256 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration:294
Advertised Exhaust Duration:306
Advertised Duration:294 int./306 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.554 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.558 in.
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio:0.554 int./0.558 exh.
Lobe Separation (degrees):110
Computer-Controlled Compatible:No
Grind Number:OL XE294H-10
Valve Springs Required:Yes
Quantity:Sold individually.
 
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#2 ·
Have you given any thought to a roller cam? They cost more but if you go with a a grind spec'd for your parts, the cam pays for itself. Why was the motor apart? Be sure to look into addressing some of the old's weaknesses while it's apart.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Long story on why is came apart basicly when i bought the motor the fuy had it built at a machine shop and the builder was a drunk and didnt put the pin in the hole on the cam gear so you can imagine what happened next so i took it apart the first time replaced all the valves new timing set ect... Cleaned the metal oit as best incould and put it back togeather and tan it for a season but the rear mail was leaking like no other so i took it out and found the bearings with metal contam so while it was apart to clean and replace the bearings i did main studs align honed smoothed the valley modded the rear main cap like timmonator says to do smoothed out passages ext re honed it cause the bores were all over the place on size rechecked the rod big end size rechecked the ballance decked it to a .010 bought the alum heads bought a crisswinds intake cause everyone says its the hot ticket so yeah i have addressed a bunch of stuff while it has been apart but my cam went and got rusty on me and i didnt really like it too much anyways so im gonna replace it but i dont know what you guys were having luck with i like voth those cams and the would seem to do the job quite nicely its in an 18 semi gull wing type hull it has a little gull wing too it but deff not as much as a tx... The pump is a conglomeration i build berk suction agressir 9 vein bowl american turbine a imp i was gonna do a stuffer but the bowl was soo close to the back if the imp like .035 i didnt bother with a droop and a race nozzle and a v blocker loader it would cavitate out of the hole but would spin about 5,050 rpm @ 70 mph before with a comp 280 around 9-1 comp. with a torker and k heads as for a roller i thought about it but tim jurnice said there is something with the oiling system that needs to be done special for a roller and $800 for a roller setup just isnt in the budget this year
 
#7 ·
That is the one and only ticket. The motor was never designed to spin past 5k. and there are no exceptions. Nobody has ever had any success with a hot rodded one in a boat.Yep, i have one, ran it in my v-drive hydro....never hurt it....for one and only reason, i never spun it past 5k. It did feel like it wanted to spin fast....i advanced the cam to kill that feeling.
You need a cam that is done @ 5k.
All that info and you didn't post the important stuff, bearing clearances..

Arp rod bolts are a good idea, so are studs for the mains. Look at the main caps, do they look anything like a BBC? Do you know that you can break a main cap with a 3lb hammer in one swing...

The blocks are nice and light, they weigh less than a 283 chev.
Why? Bcause they were never designed to spin past 5k.
Look at the valves. Chev put bigger valves in a 302.
And the crank weighs more than BBC and non functionality of the bore/stroke ratio has only been matched by HD.

Don't get me wrong, i like the 455. They are cheap to build because buying aftermarket parts has no value. I spent less than 500 on my short block including the 125 i spent on buying the vista cruiser that i bought because it had good motor. They are just structurally limited..

Best money you can spend on a 455...msd with a 5k chip...if you feel the need to spin build a 421 or build a 427...odd thing about the chev deal, i had to put a really serious cam in it and 11-1 compression to get the top end i wanted.....i am pretty sure the stock 455 will wax it for first 200 yards....
good luck.......really, i mean it.......nothing worse than investing a piece of you life in a motor and have it spit parts back at you.
 
#5 ·
with log exhaust you wanna stay under 240 duration and with out a idea of what heads your running its shooting from the hip, but if I was you I'd call clay smith cams he knows stocker olds pretty good and has great pricing for matched cam,spring,lifter kits
 
#9 ·
I agree with all that is said, Olds 455 will start spinning bearings after 5k. If you are dead set on running an olds, take a look at the olds 350 diesel block. Very strong webbing and will spin very high rpm's. I was an olds fan in my younger years and built a 350. I wanted to be different, spent a ton of money and put a 350 in my 71 cutlass... Still runs up to 6800 to this day and makes the chevy guys shit their pants when they look at the tail lights and find out it is an olds motor...
 
#11 ·
And im realisticly thinking around 5500 is all its gonna turn and very rarely if ever does it get ran wot for more than 30 sec so its not like i run the shit out of it all the time[/QUOTE]



You have heard from people with a lot of experience, but you are going to do what you are going to do. I dought you will get many more responces.

:no:
 
#14 ·
I shoulda f**ck*ng known better than even posting on this useless site any time you make any sort of a post about an olds it just turn in to and olds bashing fest about how much they suck and how your boat might as well sink to the bottom for having one in it i ask a simple question about a camshaft and have not gotten ONE SINGLE RESPONSE about a camshaft instead i get a dozen responces about how how its an oldsmobile an how its gonna turn a bearing or pump all the oil to the top and starve the bottom end OK HERES THE DEAL GUYS I DIDNT ASK WETHER OR NOT ITS GONNA BLOW UP I ASKED ABOUT A CAMSHAFT!!! And what one will work the best with my setup if i wanna blow it up thats my perogitive and i like how 5,001 rpm is a certian death sentence for an oldsmobile omg run it 5000 for 10 years and it wont ever blow up but turn it 5,001 one and its fuckin done for blown up give me a break guys consitanly running one for extended periods of time im sure will cuase damage to it but a few 5500 rpm passes from time to time beeing a certian blown engine is a joke!
 
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