307 chevy camshaft selection?

I've never built a mild small block chevy before, but I guess there is a first for everything.

The engine is a 307 chevy that will be going into a Toyota land cruiser. The engine currently has a 2 barrel carb on it and I'm thinking about keeping it for gas mileage reasons.

Anybody have a cam recommendation for a good running, good gas mileage, small small-block?

Most likely get better mileage with a 4 bbl instead of a 2bbl tho

Mellings MTC-1 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mel-mtc-1?seid=srese1&gclid=CM-B3MGh8sYCFQqsaQod3mgNiQ

Mellings SPC-7 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mel-spc-7/overview/

Mellings SPC-7

Pontiac cam?

Flipper_1938 said:

Mellings SPC-7

Pontiac cam?

Click to expand...

OOPS

Anybody run any of these in a small cube motor? prices look good. Thinking most about the bold ones

http://www.competitionproducts.com/Elgin-Chevrolet-SB-Complete-Cam-Kits/products/2636/1/0

Elgin, Hyd. Flat Tappet Cam Kit, Chev SB, .368/.398
Chev SB
Lift: .368/.398
Duration: 250/260
Duration @ .050": 184/194
Lobe Separation: 104 LC
Improved bottom & torque. Low rpm only.


Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .385/.408
Duration: 258/269
Duration @ .050": 190/200
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Smooth idle. Excellent torque, good economy.


Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .390/.410
Duration: 258/269
Duration @ .050": 194/203
Lobe Separation: 116 LC
'70 350/300HP (GM #3896929)



Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .398/.420
Duration: 260/270
Duration @ .050": 194/204
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Strong torque, smooth idle.


Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .420/.443
Duration: 278/288
Duration @ .050": 204/214
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Smooth idle. Improved power. Good low and mid-range.



Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB, 214/224, 288/298, .443/.465, 112 LC
Chev SB
Lift: .443/.465
Duration: 288/298
Duration @ .050": 214/224
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Mild idle. Good low end torque. Stock converter OK.

i have had good luck with three different cams in a mild 307, one is the 300 horse 327 cam, the other two were comp cams 268 high energy and the 270 magnum. i have ran bigger but i wouldn't call them mild. good luck.

Fipper, this is the one I prefer to use for an every day driver and mileage.

Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB, 214/224, 288/298, .443/.465, 112 LC
Chev SB
Lift: .443/.465
Duration: 288/298
Duration @ .050": 214/224
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Mild idle. Good low end torque. Stock converter OK.

I do like the Comp Cams Extreme Energy 268H but you mentioned fuel mileage.

Camshaft Part # 12-242-2 Designation XE268H-10
Duration @ 0.006": 268° / 280°
Duration @ 0.050": 224° / 230°
Max Lift w/ 1.5RR: .477" / .480"
Lobe Separation: 110° Intake Centerline: 106°

I keep struggling with common sense on this motor....I am thinking about staying on the small side. This thing is going in a 4x4 with a 4-speed in it. I don't really want it to breathe well enough for my daughter to scatter the motor from over revving it in first gear. ...or at least not scatter so quickly.

Also, the small valves on the 307 heads are a concern for me. I really don't know how they will react to hot rodding. I'm thinking it might be best to approach this as a "tractor motor".

There used to be "RV" cams, might still be some classified as such. They were low RPM, high torque grinds with good idle. Just another choice to look into.

I got a stock 202HP 283 power pack cam for my Rover. 283 with 305 small valve swirl port heads. Quadrajet carb. Have not driven it yet but it has great throttle response and idles smooth.
I wanted peak torque and horsepower down low to go with the 200r4 OD automatic. Should cruise at 1,8oo rpm at 65 mph.

bob w said:

I got a stock 202HP 283 power pack cam for my Rover. 283 with 305 small valve swirl port heads. Quadrajet carb. Have not driven it yet but it has great throttle response and idles smooth.
I wanted peak torque and horsepower down low to go with the 200r4 OD automatic. Should cruise at 1,8oo rpm at 65 mph.

Click to expand...

Do the specs for your cam match up with any that I posted?

Is this one it? I have found similar specs listed for a 1966 283 cam

Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .390/.410
Duration: 258/269
Duration @ .050": 194/203
Lobe Separation: 116 LC
'70 350/300HP (GM #3896929)

I just installed a stock 400 from a 1977 G30 in my dually.
The 350 that overheated had the Edelbrock performer rpm
it got 12 mpg city and highway but you put another truck in the tow dolly and it dropped to less than 4 mpg although it had bookoo power
The 400 i don;t know the specs but calculating for 1.5 rocker ratio It runs .420 valve lift.
it idles smooth as silk and has way more torque than the 350 did off idle but noticeably less upper rpm power.
But here is where I'm impressed.
I just made it 2 weeks on 20 gallons of gas- about 150% better than the 350 did

It might be a factory RV cam as the G30 was a cutaway van RV conversion.
I wanted to install the cam advanced
Oreillys had double roller timing sets with multiple keyways for around $50 and up
I searched many applications and found 1966 chevelle ss 327 to be the cheapest AND it was adjustable for $25 !!!
They pulled one of the expensive kits off the shelf!

basically they sell the same timing set but at different prices depending on how you look it up

I had an 82 half ton chevy van
It had a 350
I thought my cam went flat so I ordered a 268h comp cams kit
on disassembly it turned out I merely had some bad rocker nuts that had backed off
I installed he cam anyways

I noticed ZERO difference between it and the stock cam in the GM Target tmaster engine.
None what-so-ever

I once put a CC 268h in a 305 with 283 194
power pack heads and it ran as strong as a 350.

I have not been really impressed with any performance cams until you strat getting over 300 degrees duration and over .5 lift

They make smaller cams that sound lumpy by tightening the lobe spread to increase overlap but that doesn;t increase the area under the curve and it hurts mileage by sending unburned fuel out the exhaust
.

My favorite performance cams for 1800- 6000 rpm are usually 320 degrees duration and .550 lift on a 144 or 116 degree lobe center.
But if you work them hard they will drink the gas.

That elgin 350/300 horse cam I would pick for a daily driver 2 barrel econorod
I had a stock pontiac 350 that got 22 mpg with a rochester 2 jet and highway gears
My buddy had a 75 chevy c10 with a 3 speed manual and a 2bbl 305 that got nearly 20.

I myself have a Rochester 2jet and 2bbol intake I' won't throw away. Not enough for the dually but I'll use it on something.

I'm also a fan of the Rochester quadrajet spreadbore
good mileage if you can keep your foot out of it.
rochester 2 jet has a mileage advantage if your rochester 4 barrel setup or 650 edelbrock is spending alot of time just past the point where the secondaries open.
The 2 jet is bigger than the primaries on a 4 barrel and a carb is most efficient at or near WOT. partially opened secondaries on a 4 barrel will drink the gas.

I put a big glob of hi temp wheel bearing grease (red not moly) on the lifters when I put them down the hole for cam break in

I adjust the valves on the engine stand
I put the dizzy in hook up a spark plug on #1 and battery charger to the hot and with the crank on the timing mark rotate the dizzy back and forth watching for spark.
to have to go bak and forth with some speed to get enough trigger signal to initiate a spark but you narrow down your oscillations until you center on the moment.

lock down the dizzy and your ready to run.
set your carb screws and 1.5 turns out
With the engine in the car
crank it over with the sparkplugs out until you get oil pressure- no need to prime

the engine will fire right up and you can take it right into a 1500 rpm cam break in for maybe 10-20 minutes.

Whatever you do don;t let it idle for any length of time before you break in the cam

following this you will never have a cam go flat regardless what they say about zinc and additives, bad oil etc.
it only takes a few minutes of idling prior to break in to wipe a cam
they also say don't use synthetic for break in as it does not allow enough friction to work-harden the cam surface. they say it will break in smooth but the cam could remain soft.

replace your oil filter after a few hours of driving to capture the break in particles
if your filter plugs the oil bypass will open and unfiltered oil will go to your bearings
My friend just had a 454 built and he ran it until his oil pressure dropped.he replaced the filter but it was too late the crank was gouged by that time.
I tried telling him how to flush his oil galleys and install a crank kit without pulling the heads and having to buy new rings but he won't listen to me and is going to have the machine shop rebuild it again.

Those things you read about an engine needing to be surgically clean inside are not as big a deal as they say. every new engine is dirty inside right after you fire it
The issue is WHERE dirt gets into.
The critical zone is between the oil filter and the crank and cam bearings

So with Jim even if he has crap in his lifters. if his cam bearings are fine that stuff will just go up the pushrods, over the rockers, down into the pan ans settle out to be removed at the next oil change/flush. they will not get past the filter unless you allow it to plug up.

I ran a ford 4.6 from 186k miles to 194k miles with timing chains grinding into the adjusters with no damage to the rest of the engine simply changing the oil filter when the oil got "sparkley"

it's not good advice on a new motor but it's good advice on a bad motor

Torch said:

I just installed a stock 400 from a 1977 G30 in my dually.
The 350 that overheated had the Edelbrock performer rpm
it got 12 mpg city and highway but you put another truck in the tow dolly and it dropped to less than 4 mpg although it had bookoo power
The 400 i don;t know the specs but calculating for 1.5 rocker ratio It runs .420 valve lift.
it idles smooth as silk and has way more torque than the 350 did off idle but noticeably less upper rpm power.
But here is where I'm impressed.
I just made it 2 weeks on 20 gallons of gas- about 150% better than the 350 did

It might be a factory RV cam as the G30 was a cutaway van RV conversion.
I wanted to install the cam advanced
Oreillys had double roller timing sets with multiple keyways for around $50 and up
I searched many applications and found 1966 chevelle ss 327 to be the cheapest AND it was adjustable for $25 !!!
They pulled one of the expensive kits off the shelf!

basically they sell the same timing set but at different prices depending on how you look it up

Click to expand...

.420 intake or .420 exhaust?


Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .398/.420
Duration: 260/270
Duration @ .050": 194/204
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Strong torque, smooth idle.


Elgin, Hydraulic Flat Tappet Complete Cam Kit, Chev SB
Chev SB
Lift: .420/.443
Duration: 278/288
Duration @ .050": 204/214
Lobe Separation: 112 LC
Smooth idle. Improved power. Good low and mid-range.

Flipper_1938 said:

.420 intake or .420 exhaust?

Click to expand...

z

not sure flipper. I just picked a lobe and measured it's rise with a cheepy caliper using the thingy on the end and multiplied by 1.5
I wasn't intending to get an accurate reading was just curious what the approximate stock lift was.

get the rods rebuilt with ARP rod bolts.
As long as it has oil in the pan it won't throw a rod for at least 6k rpm.
Teach her about how you don't need to rev beyond the bottom of the next gear's powerband to pick up the next gear... usually no more than 3500-4000 rpm if your really beating on it.

Torch said:

get the rods rebuilt with ARP rod bolts.
As long as it has oil in the pan it won't throw a rod for at least 6k rpm.
Teach her about how you don't need to rev beyond the bottom of the next gear's powerband to pick up the next gear... usually no more than 3500-4000 rpm if your really beating on it.

Click to expand...

Unless you are in mud....or climbing something steep.

Low range & first gear is where I suspect she will hurt one. She has always been the "hey y'all, watch this" kind of spirit. ....almost no fear....when somebody starts something, she escalates things quickly. Her 6'5", 280 lb brother does not push her buttons any more. She is definitely my kid.

I have a feeling she would LOVE to beat on a 4x4.

I'm hoping the small cube/short stroke motor will help things live longer.