I'm strongly considering changing my olds 350 camshaft to either the Edelbrock Peformer or RPM model. My engine is the 9:1 that is getting freshened #5 heads, Hooker Headers, Performer Intake, and a Bob Stone (carb classics) restored Q-Jet. Does the combination of RPM camshaft with the Performer Intake work or make any sense, or am I just better off to combo the performer intake with the performer cam? Any input from someone that's been down this path is certainly appreciated. - Steven

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...ams_olds.shtml

 

The intakes are good and both have their use. What are you looking to gain with this combo. I ran the performer with a comp 260h Had a nice idle no much lope if any but it had gobs of torque and ran very strong. I did a similar build like you 9 to 1 on a freshened up block and heads . You have better cam choices I all comes down to your needs and what your drivetrain combination limits such a gear converter etc.

 

If the combo of performer intake and RPM camshaft is a mistake I'd rather know now, otherwise since my heads are milled some and have comp springs I'd like to have the lope that the rpm could offer. This car will be driven both stop light to stop light as well as seventy mph on the freeways/highway. I probably won't be pushing it to more than 5500 but I'd take rumble over more torque if it's not a bad combination.

P.S. Copper; If you were anywhere near me in the country I probably would have been a buyer for your built 350, It seems like quite the deal when compared with what it costs to have work done! - Steven

 

The rpm camshaft is not the greatest and most recommend against it. You need good compression with it atleast in the area of 10 to 1 high 9 to xx. I would go with the biggest cam your combination will allow that's taking into consideration rear end ratio, your converter , compression and rpm range desired. If you stick the rpm cam in an pretty stock drive train it will run horrible. Dpending on how much your heads where milled and where they cc'd you may either have 9 to 1 or less compression. Assuming your pistons sit appx .025 in the bore and the shim gasket being .018 and heads cc's stock at roughly 68 cc's your compression is 8.87 to 1 that's in stock form. Do you know what your compression is what head gaskets you are running, head cc's etc. This will help anyone else to chime in and to better help you pick a cam.

Btw Fastenal ships cheap I had a quote to cali for 300 ball park figure.

 

THX, that's what I was afraid of and I'm glad I asked!

 

Contact Cutlassefi on here. Mark even does custom grinds. The Performer is an outdated grind. I went with it, bought it used in good shape. I just did a super cheap regasket, cam and timing chain swap on my 76 350. If I didn't already have it from the 403, I would have got one from Mark, especially on a fresh build.

 

Not knowing the rest of your combo I'm going out on a limb here but the Performer cams are cheap generic grinds. You would do better with something with less lobe sep and split.

Unless you have a high numerical gear I'd do something around a 220/223 on a 110 with 4 degrees advance. That'll give you some lope and work with the 9.0:1. I'd do the RPM intake with that as well unless you have a tall gear.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the input. I already own the performer 3711 intake and a 1970 q-Jet restored by Bob Stone. The #5 heads have the standard valves but do have competition springs already. They have been milled to clean them up so I don't expect much increase in compression once installed with new (thicker than stock) gaskets. I'd have chosen the RPM manifold or the 2711 in my application but I already have the 3711 and am going to use it. I own a set of new Hooker competition headers and will be adding them at the same time, car already has 2" dual exhaust. The gear ratio is stock one legger at the moment but I will probably change that down the road at the time I trade out the turbo 350 for a 200R. I'm as interested in the car going down the highway unlabored as I am adding much zest to the acceleration aspect. I'd expect only a modest improvement in performance with the heads, manifold, carb, headers, and better cam but that's really all I'm looking for is a modest improvement. - Steven

 

This is more ambiguous than you might think. Being a 350 car we can make assumptions as to what gear you have, but honestly there were a lot of choices.

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It's certainly on the 2:56 end of the scale by the way it drives. I've owned a car with a 4:33 and it's nothing like that. I do plan to change it to a posi (Probably the 3:42) and change to a 200R not so far down the road so I'd want a camshaft compatible with a low low and the overdrive of the 200R as well. If I put in a 3:42 I'll certainly want the .67 overdrive of the 200R,
so I guess the camshaft would need to be flexible even if it means that I forgo a certain amount of performance. - Steven

 

Based on your latest info then I'd change it a bit, 220/220 on a 112.

 

Do you know or have at hand what it is now (stock 9:1 250HP)? - Steven

 

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So is this a Lunati custom grind? Cost? It appears you are doing the same things with your drive train that I'd like to gravitate to in mine. The EFI you are using is Chevy, not Olds? - Steven