FT Cam For Trick Flow Heads

[NCMopar]

We are down to the point of choosing specific for the motor build. We're building this as a street car, shouldn't see the track. That said, we're use to making good power and I want to maximize what we have, without hurting drivability. While I had originally considered going with the Eddy RPMs on a .30 over RB, the new TF heads are intriguing and look like something we could use down the road, should we decide to go back later and stroke it to over 500 cubes. That said, I'd like to stay with a flat tappet cam and stamped rockers and am looking for a recommendation to take advantage of the increased flow.

Proposed build
10.25-10.5 CR
440 +.30 over
Forged Pistons
Six Pack Rods
TF Heads
RPM Intake (probably a restriction with these heads, but concerned about low end torque and hood clearance)
FT Cam (looking for lope, not chop and will be running HydroBoost so not too concerned about vacuum)
Fuel Injection (looks like either FAST or FI Tech right now)
1 7/8 Headers
4L60E Trans w/ 2800 (or so LU converter)
3:55 rear gear
27.5-27.8" tall tire

I appreciate the assistance and look forward to being a contributing member in the future.


Regards,
John

[firefighter3931]

The stamped rockers are going to limit your options. 

The 2800 stall and 3.55 gears is another (limiting) issue as well. The Lunati 268/276* VooDoo hydraulic would work given those parameters/restrictions.  It'll make over 500hp easily and have excellent throttle response. 

https://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=1579&gid=362



Ron

[NCMopar]

Ron,

Thank you very much for that info. Given the flow capabilities of the heads and the cam you noted, what would a 1.5 HS rocker set up provide performance wise and would I want to go 1.5 or 1.6.


Regards,
John

[firefighter3931]

Ron,

Thank you very much for that info. Given the flow capabilities of the heads and the cam you noted, what would a 1.5 HS rocker set up provide performance wise and would I want to go 1.5 or 1.6.


Regards,
John

Hi John,

The TF heads can move a lot of air but you need to open the valve a bunch to successfully access that flow potential. The RPM intake is a bit of a cork on the induction side and will limit power. You might consider a Holley street dominator which is a low rise single plane intake. 

I'm not a fan of increased rocker ratio with hyd lifters. The rate of acceleration off the seat will cause problems with valvetrain stability at higher rpms. Most fast rate hyd profiles are all done by 5700-5800 rpm then they go into valve float. Adding more ratio just lowers that terminal rpm. 

Have you considered a solid flat tappet cam ? Valvetrain instability at high rpm is a non issue with a mechanical lifter 



Ron

[NCMopar]

Ron,

I had not considered a solid as we'll be driving this car quite a bit and don't want to have to worry about the frequent adjustments. Would you recommend a solid on a car that will sometimes see as much as 10k miles in a year? Honestly, I'm thinking of biting the bullet and going with a roller set up, but I know it will be overkill and unnecessary, given the intended use of the car. Of course, the same could be said about the heads, but for the price difference (and the fact that I'm buying alum heads either way) I can justify that.

All things being what they are, I'm going to run with your cam selection and check out the Holley SD intake. I'll plan on using the stamped rockers and, when we decide to stroke the motor, look at a roller set up.

I really appreciate the sound advice and should you be @ the show in Farmington, NC this weekend, you can count on a few free beers from me.


Regards,
John

[firefighter3931]

Hi John,

The modern solid cam profiles are very good and require little maintenance. My last flat tappet solid would get lashed once a year at the beginning of the season. After the initial setup the lash never changed from what I remember. The odd one might have loosened up a thou or two. Same deal with the solid roller I now run...lash remains quite stable. The tight lash solids are completely different from those of the days past 

That being said ; if you're not going to buzz the engine past 5800 there's no real need to go solid lifter. A cam with enough duration (at least 245*@.050 valve lift) to make power past that rpm wouldn't be compatible with your components anyway. You would need more stall speed and gearing to make that work properly. 

The 268/276 Lunati is a great choice for your "current" build and I would stick with something like that so you're not disappointed. It'll idle nice with some lope and produce sharp throttle response right off idle. In the future when you build the stroker the cam will need to be swapped out but for now this is the one to go with 

As for the intake manifold ; the RPM is the better choice with this engine package. Heavy car with lowish stall and mild 3.55 gears needs as much torque as it can get. The SD is an awesome manifold and it will make the same torque and bigger HP numbers vs the RPM..... but the torque peak will come in 500rpm higher. I had an SD on my old 446 with ported RPM's and it worked great but that combo also had 4.10's and a 4200 stall.

You can revisit the cam and intake later on when the stroker build comes into play 


Here's a build similar to yours (with dyno numbers) using a dual plane 6-pack intake manifold. I recommended the same cam for Bill's 440. Your heads are better than his so it will make more power than his did....at least 25-30 more. The 6-pack intake is a dual plane and makes similar power to the RPM at approx. the same rpm range. Bill is also running the same trans/converter you're planning on running and he is very happy with the overall performance. 

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,52477.0.html



Ron

[NCMopar]

They must call you "Saint Ron" around here. Incredible reply, thank you very much.


Regards,
John

[firefighter3931]

They must call you "Saint Ron" around here. Incredible reply, thank you very much.


Regards,
John

You're welcome John.....I'm sure it will turn out fine. Just stick with the recipe and all will be good ! 


Oh, and welcome to DC.com....just noticed you're a new member   



Ron

[c00nhunterjoe]

+2 on solid. There is no constant adjustment. Its an old myth. If you have to constantly adjust lash, then your cam or lifters are wiping. The 350 in the nova has not needed an adjustment in 6 yrs. Pop the covers annually and check them. Its an OLD grind .565 lift 288 cam. The 572 in the arrow is .780 solid roller. Used to check every few races and it never moved so now it is only checked annually. The 426 max wedge falls into the same category.
    In my opinion, rocker choice and adjustment lock is very important here. Dont skimp. Dont have to buy jesels, but dont buy the 440 source house brand either. The comp steels are a great middle of the road rocker and is whats on the max wedge with a .750 mechanical cam, trouble free. Go solid and dont look back.