Can you get a good performance and good cruising cam for the FE?

[67FEfastback]

Hi, new here, but did go ahead and seach a lot of the old posts on cams and cam selection. I know a lot of cobra guys use the FE's so I though this would be a good place to ask.

What I am trying to find is a good performance street cam, which will utilize my engine combo best, but if I take it on a long summer cruise down the highway, it will be nice and smooth.

I don't mind if the engine comes to life when I put my foot into it, I do want to be able to relax on a nice long highway cruise.

I was looking at the comp 280H (maybe it's a little mild?)

Engine 428, heads Edelbrock, CR 10.5, intake Edelbrock RPM, Carb Holley 770, Ignition MSD, aluminum water pump, cobra tee pan, windage tray.

Brakes manual, steering manual

Clutch 11.5" dual friction, wilwood hydraulics, wide ratio toploader, 3.50 gears

Car weight 3350+

Engine is out of the car again and in the shop. I want to narrow it down pretty fast.

Thanks for any and all suggestions

[RICK LAKE]

67FEfastback You didn't say what you where running for style of camshaft. I can't help on a solid camshaft. Hydro lifter cam would be a .533"-.566" It will give a small lobe idle, give you great midrange power and pass a 3 and 300 emmissions test for the tail pipe sniffer. If you have the money for a hydro roller camshaft and lifters, KCR has about 20-30 custom roller camshafts that make more power than stock and are drivable on the street or cruising. The FE motor doesn't like to be lugged in the 1,600-1,900 rpms. This is hard on the bottom end. The smaller cam from crane in a 9.2 compression motor with ported heads made 360HP and 448 ft of torque at the crank. The idle is great, flat torque band that pulls hard off idle to 5,200 rpms. After that you are all done with motor power. I have a 587-607 small hydro roller in a 482 motor with 10.5 compression. Just got home from the dyno and we are in the 500's in both torque and HP at the crank. The motor is done at 6,000 rpms. It's all about putting the right parts together and where you want the power to be. If you want to talk more on this private e-mail me with a number to call you at. Rick L.

[Excaliber]

With a top loader and a 3.5 rear gear you could just about run any 'hot' cam you like for cruising in the 70-80 mph range. Cam profile is all about the rear gear ratio and thus the expected rpm range you want the cam to work in. Your rpm will be in the 3500-3600 rpm range at cruise speed, pretty high. Wide ratio trans has a reasonably low first gear ratio as well so 'around town' won't be so bad either. The over all setup I would call 'cam friendly'.

You might want to consider a 42 gallon gas tank though, your cruising range with that kind of rpm/speed is really going to empty the tank in a hurry.

I went with a solid flat tappet Comp Cam's 292S for a nice 'lumpy' idle and decent throttle response from about 2000 rpm. My cruise rpm is around 2800-3200 and that works out real nice. 3:31 rear gear, CLOSE ratio top loader.

My PREVIOUS solid roller cam didn't like the rpm to drop much below 3000 and that was a pain in the butt on the street or the freeway. Sometimes I would be forced to run THIRD gear on the FREEWAY just to keep the engine rpm up.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

I run a Comp Cams 270H Magnum in my 428 FE ERA w/3:31, 10.0:1, MSD, and a 750 vac secondary Holly carb. Although it's sorta mild, it runs very well at 1700/1800 on city streets and really wants to pull hard when it gets over 2600 or so. Timing is set to come in at about 1700/1800 (36 deg total, small springs). Works good for me.

[67FEfastback]

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

67FEfastback You didn't say what you where running for style of camshaft. I can't help on a solid camshaft. Hydro lifter cam would be a .533"-.566" It will give a small lobe idle, give you great midrange power and pass a 3 and 300 emmissions test for the tail pipe sniffer. If you have the money for a hydro roller camshaft and lifters, KCR has about 20-30 custom roller camshafts that make more power than stock and are drivable on the street or cruising. The FE motor doesn't like to be lugged in the 1,600-1,900 rpms. This is hard on the bottom end. The smaller cam from crane in a 9.2 compression motor with ported heads made 360HP and 448 ft of torque at the crank. The idle is great, flat torque band that pulls hard off idle to 5,200 rpms. After that you are all done with motor power. I have a 587-607 small hydro roller in a 482 motor with 10.5 compression. Just got home from the dyno and we are in the 500's in both torque and HP at the crank. The motor is done at 6,000 rpms. It's all about putting the right parts together and where you want the power to be. If you want to talk more on this private e-mail me with a number to call you at. Rick L.

Thanks a lot Rick, I will drop you an email.
The 428 I bought used with supposedly 7000 miles on it and an RV cam.

I am leaning very strongly towards a hydraulic cam. Am I right in assuming I will have to change to adjustable rockers with a hydraulic roller cam?
Probably the majority of driving will be in town. I actually don't mind it if is slightly raunchy through the gears.

Originally Posted by Excaliber

With a top loader and a 3.5 rear gear you could just about run any 'hot' cam you like for cruising in the 70-80 mph range. Cam profile is all about the rear gear ratio and thus the expected rpm range you want the cam to work in. Your rpm will be in the 3500-3600 rpm range at cruise speed, pretty high. Wide ratio trans has a reasonably low first gear ratio as well so 'around town' won't be so bad either. The over all setup I would call 'cam friendly'.

You might want to consider a 42 gallon gas tank though, your cruising range with that kind of rpm/speed is really going to empty the tank in a hurry.

I went with a solid flat tappet Comp Cam's 292S for a nice 'lumpy' idle and decent throttle response from about 2000 rpm. My cruise rpm is around 2800-3200 and that works out real nice. 3:31 rear gear, CLOSE ratio top loader.

My PREVIOUS solid roller cam didn't like the rpm to drop much below 3000 and that was a pain in the butt on the street or the freeway. Sometimes I would be forced to run THIRD gear on the FREEWAY just to keep the engine rpm up.

Thanks Excaliber. regarding the gas tank, I did opt for the 1970 22 gallon tank, anticpating fuel economy just might be an issue
With the export brace on the 'stang, I am concerned that solid lifter adjustment will be a real bear on this car. It's a real PITA to remove without scratching the paint.



Unless I go for a modern shock tower brace. I am kind of trying to keep it retro and the mods stealthy.

Originally Posted by ZOERA-SC7XX

I run a Comp Cams 270H Magnum in my 428 FE ERA w/3:31, 10.0:1, MSD, and a 750 vac secondary Holly carb. Although it's sorta mild, it runs very well at 1700/1800 on city streets and really wants to pull hard when it gets over 2600 or so. Timing is set to come in at about 1700/1800 (36 deg total, small springs). Works good for me.

Thanks very much, helpful info.

[xlr8or]

I put that 280 cam in my 427 (stroked to 468) with the Edelbrock heads and it did just what you are asking for. Keeping away from the huge porting jobs and big valve that cam seems to really like to live in the 2500-4500 range. It ran fine around town in the car with a 3.31 rear and TKO600. Not the fastest or most powerful setup but great low-mid range torque.

[68gt500]

I have been running a real old Lunati cam for the last 15+ years.

It was listed a a 280, with a tad over .500 lift.

It idles nicely at 750 rpm with the air on, has plenty of vacuum for the brakes and pulls real hard from off idle to 5500+.
Our engines are pretty much the same (428 PI with Edl. Heads). I do have Hooker Super Comps and a Magnaflow 3" exhaust.

I used to run it with the orig. Police Interceptor & different Holley carbs - an 850 DP giving the most smiles and decent mileage. I have since switched to Webers and noticed more power up the range - will turn 6000+ now.

Likewise I have a TKO II Trans with a locker 3.00 rear.

With this setup I can (and I do so) cruise in the city in 5th gear with rpms running as low as 900 - no hickups, no stuttering, no problems. 1200 rpm is more than enough to take care of most slower traffic.

If I would be in the market for a new cam, I would probably go for a hydraulic roller cam.