Needs some advise/feedback-

History lesson- Many of you assisted me with power output problems with my complete overhaul last year and though I've worked the bugs out, its simply not to my expectations. Last winter, I completly tore down the stock 289 and pretty much replaced everything- except crank and stock heads- Cylinders are .30 over, crank .20 under, rods bolts replaced w/ ARP 3/8th, pistons replaced w/ Speed Pro Hyper (HP-273-CP), tri-Y headers, full 2.5 inch Flowermast exhaust, etc, etc..

I mistakenly went with an Edelbrock Performer plus Cam and matching intake with 600cfm auto choke- this combination simply didn't give me the sound or fell that I wanted (less than 500 miles on it, FOR SALE

That said, my VERY cool wife has given me the green light to do some top end work thus I’m strongly considering the Edelbrock RPM Top End Kit (Heads, Intake and RPM Cam). One weakness of mine is the abilty to translate cam profiles to sound (yes, that’s important to me) and power output expectations. I’m told this cam somewhat aggressive and the new heads will make a huge difference…

So I'd like your thoughts on this Top End Package and whether I should consider something else… Please note, though my wife is accepting, she not cool enough to consider a new motor or dropping another 3-4K… Some of you will recommend AFR's and full roller setups, but she's likely willing to all about a $2000 investment...

Thoughts?

 

First, I'm not suprised you're not that happy with the Performer Plus cam It's basically a stock replacement cam.

Second, choosing a cam based on sound @ idle is likely to get you a less than ideal setup, possibly something that's not very streetable. Even the original 289 hi-po cam idled fairly well.

While I agree, new heads are definitely in order, I'm not a fan of the Performer RPM camshaft. It works, but I think there are better off the shelf grinds available than the sparce few Edelbrock has.

In order to find you a camshaft that properly fits your needs, we need to know some things about your car: transmission type, rear end gear ratio, how much freeway driving you do, how important gas mileage is, and how aggressive you drive on the street.

 

Thanks for the quick response Starfury...Tranny is new stock C4 auto, rear end is 8 inch 3.20, freeway driving is possible from time to time, but limited..gas mileage? Well who cares about that, and yes I'd like something SIGNIFICANTLY more aggressive then this performer-plus... She's just a weekend toy that I want to move when I need her to and since the heads are on thier last leg, I figured I'd right a few wrongs with the first rebuild...

Considering everything I've done thus far, I was hoping for some "bolt-on" power to really wake her up...I will be upgrading the rear end gears and stall converter eventually, but just want her to have a bad attitude...If you know what I mean....

Again, cost is a concern...Thanks again...

 

performer rpm heads are nice, you can also look at RHS, Canfield 170's, Trick Flow Twisted Wedge, and AFR 165's

i'd say with your budget to stick with a hyd. flat tappet cam. either a crane Z series, a lunati voodoo, or a comp cams thumper would all make more power than the edelbrock perf. rpm cam.

go with a weiand 8124 intake, or go bigger with a performer rpm or rpm airgap. all of the intakes listed would be better than your current, and the level of performance (and powerband in terms of rpm) are in order as i listed them from lowest to highest.

 

Ok, now that i've got an idea what you're looking for, I'd recommend a Comp Cams Magnum 280H or XE274H, although the latter might be pushing it on valve clearance depending on the pistons/valves you're running. Both might be a little pokey off the line until you get a stall converter to match, and shorter gears would help a lot.

I'm running the the 280H with Rhoads lifters in my 331 and I love it. The Rhoads lifters give it usable torque from 1700-2500, and it makes heaps of power from 3k-6k.

 

what heads are you running tad?

 

Slightly worked '68 heads=/ 1.90/1.54 valves, Comp Cams hardware, and I opened up the exhaust port exits quite a bit. They're not fantastic, but they're better than stock, and they were cheap when I was running out of money at the end of my engine build.

 

Thank guys...The cams you recommend look like they'll give me the more agressive response and loppy sound I'm looking for...Now some offer Hydraulic Roller setups, something I'm not familair with...Any benifets to considering this?

Still the Edelbrock RPM top end package looks enticing...Even if I pick up one for the cams you've recommended, I can always sell the RPM it comes with....

$1800 for the kit, plus another $300 for one of the cams listed above...Thumper Murtha sounds clips are exactly what I'm talking about...

 

Roller cams are great, but not something I'd recommend without tearing the engine down. You have to drill and tap the lifter valley to mount the lifter spider assembly, and you don't want metal shavings anywhere in your engine. They also limit your cam selection (you have to use a reduced-base-circle cam) and cost quite a bit more than a standard flat tappet setup.

You should be able to find a set of Edelbrock RPM or Trick Flow Twisted Wedge heads for about $1200, plus $180 or so for a cam/lifter set, and $80 for a good double roller timing set. Add gaskets in there and you're still under your $2k cap.

 

Starfury, as alway, great feedback...2 more questions and I'll go away..With respect to cam selection, whats the max lift you'd recommend without Valve Piston clearance and lastly, would you also recommend the Weiland intake or stick with the Edelbrock RPM air flow?