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Need help with cam choice

1K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  Caprice Sleeper 
#1 ·
I need a little guidance when it comes to what cam to install in my engine. The car is a 1980 chevy caprice that is a daily driver. I want to make as much power as I can while keeping it a practical daily driven vehicle. The engine is a 1990 305 out of a caprice. I have a set of stock vortec heads for it (10239906) and will be most likely be running a edelbrock vortec manifold or whatever will accept a spread bore cab. Carb will be a rebuilt stock Q-jet. Stock HEI distributor. Transmission is a 200 4r with a stock lock up torque converter for a 305 (I plan on getting a higher stall converter but it will depend on what came I use, that is also something I need guidance in choosing). The 200 4r is currently installed in my car now but my car originally had a 200c so i think my rear end gears might be a little to high for use wih a overdrive tranny. I believe i have 2.76 gears now and I can use the rear end from my donor car (3.08 I think) to help keep the engine in a better rpm range on the high way. I don't know yet if the engine has dished pistons or not but it is a stock 1990 305 tbi caprice engine. Once again the car is daily driven and high way travel is often. Any help I can get will be much appreciated, Thank you. Please don't tell me to stop building my 305 and get a 350, I already have a 350 block bored .040 over that will be built someday, I just can't afford to do so at this time. Thanks again.
 
#2 ·
I forgot about exhaust. I was going to run the factory manifolds with a y-pipe and mufflerfor now. I want to run headers and dual exhaust but i'm not sure if I should go with full length or shorty. I figured that factory manifolds with a big cam would be kind of counter productive but I'm no expert. thanks everyone.
 
#3 ·
Something along the lines of a Comp Cams 08-408-8 or the GM ramjet cam would be a good choice.

The Vortec heads on a 305 will drop the CR of your 305 and the numerically low gear set along with over drive will require a short cam.

I would stay with a cam like this even if you went to a different gear...for a big car,305,daily driver.
 
#5 ·
I wouldn't mill Vortec heads, they're already thin enough as it is.
Next is to ask since your engine is a 90 model out of a passenger car it's got a roller cam installed. If your to use Vortec heads on a 305 your limited on the cam choice. I have a roller cam for sale that fits your needs perfectly.
It's a comp .206 duration @.050, ideal for your purposes and it'll work with the lower compression due to the larger chambers of the vortec heads. I would use a thinner head gasket. I would use the GM .028 thickness head gaskets. Get a set of long tube headers. As for gears I would use 3.42's. If your running stock tire sizes they would be ideal with OD. however if you planning on running wheels that are 18 inches or more taller then you'll want a lower gear according to the wheel and tire size. If your interested in the cam I have shoot me a PM, it has less than 3000 miles on it and you'll get it far cheaper than you'll get it anywhere else. Also with almost any cam you pick, you will need to have the valve guide clearance opened up as the limit on stock vortec heads are around .450 lift. plus you'll need valve springs to match the cam.
 
#6 ·
Thanks everyone for the info, the help is much appreciated. I did some checking and I found out I do have a roller block. There is also a hole behind the fuel pump block off plate, I can see what looks to be an eccentric on the cam to run the pump but I not sure yet. I think I will just keep my factory came for now due to the cost of a roller cam and lifter kit and the fact that my heads will need maching to accept a bigger cam. Slapping the vortec 906's on a 305 will give me a liitle more power than stock, alot more than the 229 V6 i have now. Thans again for the help.
 
#7 ·
If it already has a roller cam you don't need to buy lifters. You reuse the lifters it has in it. If it doesn't have a roller cam but a roller block, then you can get a set of roller lifters from the junkyard, along with the dog bones, spider and cam retainer plate for next to nothing.
 
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