OK folks, here is the situation. My dad has a 68 442 with a factory 400, factory non-ac 325HP cam, C heads, 4 speed, 3.23 gears, iron intake with Qjet, points ignition, dual manifold exhaust, a really nice originalish car. The engine is making internal noises after 50 years of beating. Rather than rebuild the long stroke 400, we have a grandma fresh 70's G head 455 that was running good when removed that I would like to put in it. I think this is the situation a lot of oldsmobilers find themselves in. I have had good luck in the past with the generic wolverine/melling/edelbrock 214/224 474/496 cam being better than stock, but sometimes they are ground on a reduced base circle so you have to get longer pushrods to have them work in a non-adjustable valvetrain engine. What is a modern cam that will wake up a 8:1 compression otherwise stock engine, and are ground correctly to work with factory valvetrain plus small block ford valve springs? I have a similar question in the SB forum.

 

Since it is a 442, I would suggest that you rebuild it especially if you need to put much money into the 455 to get it running the way you want. The car will have the most value that way.

If the 455 runs, I might consider dropping it in the car while you rebuild the 400.

There are better experts out here to give you cam advice, but the specs you mentioned look fine. I had a cam with similar specs in my a '66 4-4-2 with a 425 out of a Starfire, and it was a blast. It was easy to drive on the street and had a ton of torque.

 

The original 400 engine can be oiled and bagged for whenever the car gets sold to someone who wants it completely original, will be amazed by its wire hose clamps and tar top battery, but for the forseeable future, we would like to drive and enjoy it, and lay rubber with the coker fake redline tires. The only people that will know it is a 455 are ones that read the number behind the water pump. Olds geeks . . . We could put the C heads on, then we will start thinking about all the mightaswells, and I really just want to put in a cam, timing chain, gaskets, and blue paint.

 

Sounds like a solid plan. You can abuse the heck out of the 455 without feeling any guilt, too.

Good luck with the project!

 

Buy parts that are made to work with each other.

 

With a 455 you can go longer than 214/224. Add 10 degrees. 224/234 would still have plenty of low end torque and adequate idle vacuum for power brakes.

 

The 455 should easily do that just the way it is. Personally I would put a timing chain and gears in it and put it in the car.

 

Thing is, low compression severely limits your cam options.

Also, if you paint it bronze you can really fool people.