what are cams advantages

i have heard of about 3 different kind of cams out there what are there advantages
i have heard of a
Flat tappet
hyd roller cam
solid roller
anymore?

whats the best as far as reliability for a 450-500 hp(maybe more) 351/393

As with any engine part the type of cam is a trade off between:
cost
reliability
performance
economy
durability

What engine do you have?
_________________
Steven Fowler
1967 Galaxie 500 Convertible
1969 Galaxie 500 XL Convertible
1969 LTD 2-Door Formal Top

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: stevenfma on 11/7/03 9:09pm ]</font>

I'll sum it up:

Hydraulic: [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lame.gif[/img]

Solid: [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_tup.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]

Just having a little fun...........[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img]

Greg
[addsig]

flat tappet
[addsig]

i have a 302 with a flat tappet

but i'm doing some research on my next motor 351/393 stroker that i want to be reliable and i hear people talking about this and that cam and i just wanted to know what the advantages of certain cams are ie. roller are supposed to give you more torque and a better curve and flat tappets wear fast
any other input?

I run a plain old solid flat tappet cam. With poly locks lash adjustments are not a problem. I think the advantages of roller setups are marginal and often exaggerated while there are also disadvantages. For one, a roller lifter is a heavy mutha compared to a solid flat tappet. I've also heard several horror stories at my track where a roller lifter wedged itself into the bore sideways and wiped out the whole motor. Obviously this was when running roller lifters in non-roller blocks. Although there may be a lot of people doing this and its working fine I won't do it. A non-roller block will also limit you as to what roller cams you can run.

The distinct advantage a roller is said to have is that the cam lobe profile can be made to hold the valve open longer near max lift. It does this by having a steeper valve lift ramp and a flatter cam lobe at the tip. This widens the torque band of the motor some and also enables you to run more duration while the cam will have a tamer idle. You can also run a bit less lift and still get the flow you want.

That is all worth something but it wasn't worth the extra cost of a solid roller cam and lifters to me. I also don't have a roller block so it was kind of moot.







[addsig]

Flat tappet cams, advantages:mild to extreme durations/lifts
use stock dist gear,good reliability ,cost moderate; best bought as a kit with everything, disavantages requires a breakin period ,adjustment of valve lash about every oil change , slow rise /closing ramps after .050 lift
Solid Roller advantages: very fast ramps from .050 to max lift giving longer valve open duration,push rods do not spin ,a little less noise from lash, very high speed(RPM) operation ,no breakin period, disavantages :the lifters turning in the bore has been an ongoing problem for about 40 years,the new strap systems are much better now,requires bronze dist gear which wears instead of cam gear(must be checked and changed)same lash adjustments, major expence for cam and lifers 600/1500 $ /If you get a chance to drive a roller engine car do so /you will fall in love with the power
Hyd Roller Advantages: Very aggressive grinds avaible/most stock springs will not work correctly;no lash adjustment,
GOOD PRICING,reto kits for nonroller blocks,low noise factor,Disavantages: confusion about correct dist gear,adjustments to valve train specs/may require fitted push rods /fast becomeing the standard for strong 5.0 FORDS

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Foxfire on 11/8/03 4:10pm ]</font>