Don't get to wrapped up in numbers, as that's what they are, numbers. Too many people these days are too caught up in numbers instead of the overall use of the car and how it's mainly going to be used. As I said, just put it together and enjoy the car, just make sure the assembly is done correctly, i.e. Bearing clearances, ring gaps, degreeing camshaft, rocker geometry, etc. The number one thing is it can never be too clean, in fact I've seen more engines suffer premature failure because of uncleanliness in the assembly process. It could even surprise everyone and go better than people thought. I've had engines like that and one in particular shouldn't have gone like it did, but for whatever reason it did and couldn't explain why. Everybody has different opinions on ways engines should be built, the old saying goes, ask 10 different engine builders how your engine should be and you'll get 10 different answers. Don't worry about what everyone else says, it's your car, put it together and enjoy and let us know how it goes.Thanks. When I saw those number I thought they were crazy and by no means was I hoping or thinking I would get to numbers like that. Hence why I asked. I will be happy with a decent increase over stock and no more lifter noise.
Exactly correct, there's so much misinformation out there about camshaft selection and the old myth of bigger is better only confuses the situation more. Also those that do not understand certain engines, like the Cleveland, lead people up the garden path selling them a cam suitable for a completely different engine as it works great in the engines they know. As has been said, parts/engines are sold on peak numbers not on overall drivability. I have seen it over the years, a guy will by an engine on numbers only and end up disappointed on how it drives on the street and basically end up rebuilding the engine twice to get what they really wanted in the first place. Another big misconception in engine development is flow numbers in cylinder heads, but that's getting way off subject.
I did not take your comment out of context regarding vendors promoting peak numbers . I build and sell engines AND parts like cams, therefore I too am a "vendor" and I do not NOT promote peak numbers . Chris Straub from Straub Technologies is one of the premier cam designers in the world and he doesn't promote peak numbers either and neither does Mark from Bullet Cams and so on.
I guess I'm the one with the problem - I just hate it when I share something that worked for me and someone basically craps all over it. Makes me feel invalidated on a level.
:bravo: :thankyouyellow:
It shouldn't, you used all available tools and research, put a lot of thought into it, and came up with an engine build that you are obviously very happy with, and rightfully proud of.
Here is an engine I recently helped a friend of mine with for his church carpool vehicle . He had a "professional" race car engine builder build it and it ate the distributor gear and cam distributor drive gear and timing gear thrust plate and distributor gear pad on the new Dart block after only 500 miles, so I got a new Crane cam gear and after checking the mesh pattern, I saw that I had enough room to suspended the distributor gear above the pad so it no longer touched it and got a double torrington bearing Rollmaster timing set and checked the end play and got a Howards cam that I knew from many years of experience of building these church carpool engines would be a better match for his other components then adjusted the Webers and recurved the new distributor by ear that I got him and he said it not only revved farther than it previously did, it also had way more bottom and mid range power but I never could figure out why it was so noisy and idled so rough.
Very nice...
