429 CJ Camshaft Good enough??

I'm in the process of re-building my 429 out of my 1970 GT Torino. It has the factory 429 Cobra Jet engine. The original camshaft has long gone. I'm getting ready to put in the replacement but unsure if I'll be happy with it. The local machine recommended it for me, it's a comp cams 270h cam part number 34-229-4. After buying it of course, some people have told me it's not a really good sounding camshaft. Everything is new in the motor, .30 over, CJ heads smoothed out, valve job etc. It's really a big breathing motor and I want a good sound out of it. It does have an automatic tranny so I did not want to have to revamp the converter, but if I hear more and more people tell me to, I will. Has anyone used the camshaft? Any feedback greatly appreciated in advance. I haven't been able to find the original specs of the CJ camshaft that I could decipher. Is this close? When you look for cams it seems there are many many choices.

Thanks again
David

Check out the Comp Cams XE Line and The Lunati Voodoo line, those are the "Current" grinds of choice for alot of BBF builders.

BBF's like a duration split of about 6-8 degrees, raher than the Single pattern ones.

im no expert on cam choice, but what are you looking for? stock sounding/performing engine? or mild street motor? If your just looking for a stock rebuild type thing then go with the stock replacement type cam. If you want more power with a little meaner sound, look for a more agressive cam. If you find one with specs you think you like, post it here and the experts will tell you if you will have problems with the converter or valve springs ect.

Originally Posted by pwrcrzy

I'm in the process of re-building my 429 out of my 1970 GT Torino. It has the factory 429 Cobra Jet engine. The original camshaft has long gone. I'm getting ready to put in the replacement but unsure if I'll be happy with it. The local machine recommended it for me, it's a comp cams 270h cam part number 34-229-4. After buying it of course, some people have told me it's not a really good sounding camshaft. Everything is new in the motor, .30 over, CJ heads smoothed out, valve job etc. It's really a big breathing motor and I want a good sound out of it. It does have an automatic tranny so I did not want to have to revamp the converter, but if I hear more and more people tell me to, I will. Has anyone used the camshaft? Any feedback greatly appreciated in advance. I haven't been able to find the original specs of the CJ camshaft that I could decipher. Is this close? When you look for cams it seems there are many many choices.

Thanks again
David

David,

The camshaft you have selected is a straight profile cam, as opposed to a split profile cam. In fact, that cam (34-299-4) is a very early Comp Cams grind that was carried over from their BBC line of camshafts, because back then everyone mistakenly thought that with the 460 Ford copied the BBC. We know better now, and because of this there are better cam grinds that are profiled specifically for the 429/460 engine family.

Since the factory iron heads of the 429/460 engine family have such a poor flowing exhaust port, the exhaust lobe is usually ground with more lift and/or duration so as to help extract the spent exhaust gases. In most cases with a straight profile camshaft (such as what you currently have), a great portion of the exhaust gas is left trapped in the cylinder and dilutes the incoming air/fuel charge.

So, you are better off with a split profile cam. And yes, it will have a more aggressive exhaust note and it will also produce more power in your case. Incidentally, the closest to the original OEM camshaft for your 429CJ engine is Ford Racing's cam, p/n M-6250-A460.

Also, as noted above the CompCams XE family of cams would work better for your build. I would recommend something such as the XE262H (34-238-4). Or believe it or not, for the money the Summit Racing SUM-3501 will work well too.

Paul