need a cam before i do the carb

[roller400]

Hey cliff
I have an edelbrock low mileage q jet  divorced choke Carb that I want to rebuild for my 69 c 10 truck but I also want to do a mild cam upgrade. The truck weighs 3900 lbs has a th400 with stock converter, 3.73 rear with 28 inch tall tires, engine is a goodwrench 260hp 350 with 8.0:1 comp and ram horn manifolds. It runs OK even withe remain jet but is out of breath early.  Smooth idle and mileage are main concerns. Are headers worth it on an engine like this ? I have 2 intakes an older eddy performer and a GM performance parts cast iron LT 1 style high rise , l like the GM piece but not sure if it'll be a mismatch. I appreciate any advice.

[Cliff Ruggles]

With 8 to 1 compression, a cam upgrade isn't really going to help much.  The stock 350/300hp cam would be PLENTY for what you are doing.  For every full point of compression ratio increase, you could add about 10 degrees more cam and it would be a nice improvment.....Cliff

[Shark Racer]

I very much agree with Cliff. The GW cam is a good truck cam, it's actually more agressive than what many trucks would have come with from the factory. A more modern grind may help things some as they tend to extract a bit more lift but I honestly don't think it's worth the effort.

The edelbrock coupled with a nice set of headers (1 5/8) with dual exhaust and you'll have a good moving truck. I ran this motor for more than a few years in my 78 vette and it responded VERY well to exhaust upgrades.

[Cliff Ruggles]

There aren't any cams out there better for 8 to 1 compresson 350 engines than the stock cam.  It is still available at NAPA last time I checked, pretty sure the part number is CS-274.   Those cams make a great truck cam.  They are also "slow ramp" cams, with generous off seat timing compared to the .050" numbers.  This is a good thing with flat tappet set-ups, providing plenty of contact patch for the lifters and helps to prevent "scrubbing" a lobe, which is a very common occurance these days with flat tappet set-ups.

The "generic" 204/214/112 cams are very popular for mild 350 Chevy builds, but they don't run any better anyplace than the factory 350/300hp cam, if as good.....IMHO.......Cliff

[Shark Racer]

I looked up the CS-274, that's the same or nearly identical to the cam offered by the GW350 - incidentally, very close(if not identical) to the 350-300 cam.

[Cliff Ruggles]

It is very close, sold by Speed Pro and under several other labels as well.....Cliff

[billy 2]

I have used that same cam in several engines over the years with good success.  It has good idle characteristics, makes good power,  I would recommend that cam shaft for your project.  billy 2