Purple shaft vs Comp vs Hughes

[68-XS29]

After spending what seems like hours searching and reading through this forum for the info i was looking for, I decided to just make yet another cam selection thread. Sorry for beating a dead horse, but please humor me.

My engine is a .030" over 440, 10.4:1 compression, stealth heads (I know I am going to have to change the valve springs for more lift), headers, tunnel ram with twin 750 double pumper, in a 68 Charger with an automatic and 3.23 gears. It seems to work well and has gone 12.0 @ 115 in the quarter.

I am removing my 440 to install a Gerst Tubular Suspension kit and while the engine is out I would like to swap my .509 hydraulic purple shaft to a solid lifter cam. I have a .557 solid lifter Purple shaft I was planing to put in, but got to looking at other options from Comp and Hughes. In addition to the .557 Purple shaft, I'm looking at two different solid lifter cams from each Comp and Hughes. One from each that is similar in .050 duration to the .509 Purple shaft that I am currently running, and one from each that is similar in .050 duration to the .557 I am considering using.

I have read that the Comp XE282S (244/252 @.050) comes pretty highly recommend on this forum, and I am also considering the XE290S (252/260 @.050)

The Hughes cams I am considering are STL4650BS (246/250 @.050) and STL5054BS (250/254 @.050). The Hughes cams have .040-.050" more lift than other cams of similar duration. I assume because they're ground for the larger Mopar lifter? Hughes claims their cams will make more power than any other cam of similar spec, probably because of the extra lift? I haven't been able to find a lot of info on here about Hughes cams. Anyone have any Hughes vs Comp experience on either a dyno or on the street? Are these Comp and Hughes cams beneficial at all over the .557, or should I just stick with the .557 because saying you have a "purple shaft" sounds cool, and nostalgic  .

Iv'e also read that when swapping from a hydraulic to solid cam you should select one that is 10 degrees larger, is that due to what is lost from the lash setting on a solid lifter cam? I like the way my .509 idles and runs, but I don't want anything more rowdy for the street, the .509 is about as rowdy as I'd like to get as I do mostly street driving with it. But I also definitely don't want to go backwards in performance!

Any insight from you guys with experience with these would be tremendously appreciated! Sorry for the long post, just wanted to be thorough on all the details and what I am looking for. Thank you for your time guys! 

[b5blue]

  My 440 had a 509 purple shaft and for the rebuild I used the Mopar Road Runner grind. (Automatic with 3.23's in the rear.) Changing the cam and then later the convertor to a 145K Mopar greatly improved street driving manners but slowed the Charger quite a bit. (That I really enjoy much more.)
  Tell us what your shooting for? Drag/Race/Street/Track?

[68-XS29]

Mostly street, occasional visits to the track, (1/4 mile, no road track). Even though it's mostly used for street driving, I don't drive it a whole lot, or very far, so I don't mind it being a little on the rowdy side for the street.

[c00nhunterjoe]

The xs282 will have a similar idle to the 509 but make more power. The 290 will be a little bigger but may not like the tunnel ram on 3.23s.

[BSB67]

What LSA 509 cam do you have now?

Isn't the 509 248° @ 0.050"?

[68-XS29]

I have the 108° .509 and yes, it is 248° @.050

[BSB67]

Of the cams you listed, the Hughes 5054.  If you like what you have now and it works with your current set up, I would maybe consider something larger.

[68-XS29]

In your opinion, are the Hughes cams better than the comp cams of similar duration?

[c00nhunterjoe]

In your opinion, are the Hughes cams better than the comp cams of similar duration?

They are all within fractions of hp between them. If i were tearing it down and had a tunnel ram, i would go with the xs290 or larger, and more gear and a looser converter. Will be ignorant.

[BSB67]

In your opinion, are the Hughes cams better than the comp cams of similar duration?

Better?  Depends on your definition of better.

The Comp XE-S cam are tried and true  - good cams.  The Hughes cam has more aggressive lobes, and should make a bit more power everything else being equal (or make the same power but idle and low speed better).  More aggressive lobes = more power = harder on parts.  You'll have to decide.

Comp has a bunch of lobes far more aggressive than the XE-S lobes that would match the Hughes lobes.  So does Lunati, Engle and Bullet.

If you interested in going down this path, you need to contact a knowledgeable distributor for Comp, or call the others.

[c00nhunterjoe]

In your opinion, are the Hughes cams better than the comp cams of similar duration?

Better?  Depends on your definition of better.

The Comp XE-S cam are tried and true  - good cams.  The Hughes cam has more aggressive lobes, and should make a bit more power everything else being equal (or make the same power but idle and low speed better).  More aggressive lobes = more power = harder on parts.  You'll have to decide.

Comp has a bunch of lobes far more aggressive than the XE-S lobes that would match the Hughes lobes.  So does Lunati, Engle and Bullet.

If you interested in going down this path, you need to contact a knowledgeable distributor for Comp, or call the others.

If you are going down "that" path, i would call jimmy at racer brown. One of the reasons my junkyard dog 383 was in the 11s on pump gas. But definatly not for everyone.