Cam recommendations

[crazyman]

Found out that my buddy has a flat lobe on his hodgpodge 454. 84 square chevy 1 ton 4x4, 74 block, 69 427 heads. He's not looking for all out, just a tool around toy for the weekends. Any recommendations on a reliable flat tappet hyd or retrofit roller that works with a stock converter that's cheapish? AKA <$500

[Richard Till]

Not over .550 lift without checking retainer to guide clearance or over 230 degrees @ .050 , 250-260 advertised duration. 110 LSA. low rpm torque and smooth idle.

[F-BIRD'88]

Isky Hyd cam #396271 Degree it in be sure it is installed a bit advanced on a 104deg in cl.

Crane Cam #130201 same deal verify correct installed phasing.

Here is a little torky TRUCK Solid flat tappet Comp cams #11-676-4 XS 268S-10
degree in on a torky 105 deg intake C/L
Set valve lash cold at .014-.016" Use correct high perf dual valve springs.
Big blocks love these lil mechanical lifter cams.

The 1974 454 motor probabily has low cr flat top pistons. Replace the head gasket with a GM .022" steel shim head gasket GM 1970 chevelle 454 450hp LS-6 head gasket
Or aftermarket equal ( Detroit gasket mr gasket steel shim)
This will get the compression up a bit.

Use this stuff in your oil. it will make the BBC flat tappet cam and lifters break in easy and last longer
http://www.molyslip.com Moly Slip E oil supplement.
Recurve the distributor for 24deg inital base idle timing and 36-38deg total max mechanical advance
with all these cams. Do that by limiting the mechanical advance travel stop to 12 degrees....
( stock HEI distributor is about 20deg) (limit it to 12deg) gets you 24 initial 36 total timing
for these cams.


And also limit the vacuum advance curve stop limit to 10deg max

If you replace the stock 13" GM turbo 400 torque converter with a stock GM th-350 12" converter you get a nice 2500 rpm stall behind a 454 BBC
Easy effective swap.

[CamKing]

Hydr F.T.
Cam# BBCH, H70330-72334-110
224/232 @.050"
.330"/.334" Lobe Lift
.561"/.567" Valve Lift
110 LSA

[wyrmrider]

I have a Rick Jones Cam in my PU
well worth it
the consult is worth the Delta in cost
or jump to the bottom and get an Elgin
no reason to spend money on obsolete stuff

[FuelieNova]

^^ Same here, I have a Rick Jones cam in my engine. It just flat out runs, does everything he promised and a little more. I agree, I learned a lot from the consult and hope to have him grind another when I do a new engine this summer.
Tom

[Newold1]

Your buddy should probably open his hodgepodge 454 flat lobe and wiped out lifter engine and get all the metal out of all the places its now found a home in and will make it eventually a non running hodgepodge engine. Follow Mike's cam recommendation and it will be less hodgepodge! Also have him read up and learn about the proper break-in procedure on a new camshaft, or he might end up again with a nice new camshaft with a flat lobe or two in his redone hodgepodge engine!

[crazyman]

Thanks for all the recommendations!