[Old Skool 55]

Anyone running a soild lift L-88 cam, and if so, how do you like it??
I'm thinking of running one in a 396.

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

There are far better cams for big block chevies, the L-88 was made for larger cube motors, and for old race course type conditions. Too much duration for a 396, try something in the Crane or Comp cams line with shorter duration and more lift. Too much duration means soggy bottom end, lousy throttle response, no pulling power till the upper revs and then a short power peak.

[Super Streeter]

The L88 cam is pretty hot.It is comparable to maybe a 305 comp hydraulic as far as idle quality goes,but it makes more power.In a 396,it isnt a daily driver cam.It would like about 12:1 compression{anything under 10.5:1 will be lazy}.The L88 cam in a 396 would run great with about 12:1,rectangular port GM heads or most aftermarket 310cc heads,a good single plane like the 454R edelbrock and a 1050 carb and 2" headers,with a 5000 stall convertor and 5.13 gears with 30" tall tires the combo will run mid 10's at sea level in a 3200# car shifting at about 7200rpm.Good luck.

[Old Skool 55]

Hey, I sure appreciate the help. I'm trying to decide what cam I want to go with. I am building a 396 that is .060 over, it has 10.3:1 compression ratio with 113cc head with the 2.19 intake and the corresponding exhaust (dont remember the size), big tube fender well headers, rpm air gap intake, and roller rockers.
Any ideas would be a big help. I really want the radical idle, but I dont want it to be a slug. The performer rpm cam has crossed my mind also. I'll mainly use the car for cruises , but of course I'm gonna dog it too.

[Tiros]

Hey,

I'v got L88 2nd design cam in my 65 Corvette. I can smoke the tires all the way thru First and 2nd just by punching the gas. Dont even have to dump the clutch. I can burn em in 2nd while just rolling and stabbing the accelerator. My 396 is .030 over, 10.25, oval port heads, single plane holley street dominator, and 750 CFM dbl pumper with 50cc Reo. 411 rear doesn't hurt either. My idle is about 1000 rpm with about 7 inches of vacuum. The idles sounds cool as hell thru Heddman headers connected to factory side exhaust. blap blap It really shakes the windows of cars next to me at the light

No pulling power at the bottom end? You must be kidding!

[2wld4u]

Originally posted by Old Skool 55
Hey, I sure appreciate the help. I'm trying to decide what cam I want to go with. I am building a 396 that is .060 over, it has 10.3:1 compression ratio with 113cc head with the 2.19 intake and the corresponding exhaust (dont remember the size), big tube fender well headers, rpm air gap intake, and roller rockers.
Any ideas would be a big help. I really want the radical idle, but I dont want it to be a slug. The performer rpm cam has crossed my mind also. I'll mainly use the car for cruises , but of course I'm gonna dog it too.

Id use the L-88 before Id use the RPM cam....you basicaly have what I had in a 67 Impala, (402) I had a stock bottom end, stock oval ports, (not penut ports) 2" headers and a Holley single plane with a 800dp, I used the comp cams 274X with matching valvesprings with good results...and it had a nice lope at idle..It pulled hard all the way to 6000, and had tremendous off idle torque.......also in say a 3600lb car, 3.73's are more than enough...I did have Erson Roller rockers and top quality pushrods, but for a stock bottom end 402, it was a real torque monster...There are better combo's out there but for street and cruising it doesnt get much better...and I used only 89 octane pump gas in it also, I might have been able to run 87 but I never tried it....