So i decided as long as i have my engine down to the block+internals why not finish the deed and take everything out. good thing i did too, one piston had a broken ring. now as long as i have it down to a chunk of metal what would you guys suggest for a Cam? I want to reuse all stock parts if possible. looking for a mild street usage/daily driver, but still fun with a lumpy idle.

setup is all stock, cylinders seem to have had work done.


1967, 289 2bl.

 

The best cam is one that will give you power in the rpm range you are going to use it. If this is a street only, grocery getting, daily driver the I would suggest a mild RV cam that will give you maximum torque in the 2-2500 rpm range.

 

Given the limited description of your driving needs, I'd say use my old standby, the C9OZ-6250-C hydraulic version of the 289HP cam. Excellent driveability, smooth power from idle to 5500.

My 66 has the C3OZ-6250-C 289HP cam. Drove it every day for over 20 years.

 

A lumpy idle is nice but don't be fooled into putting too much focus on that. There are cams designed just for a rough idle and that's about all they produce. No real power and hard to tune. Check out comp cam's website for an app that let's you put in what you expect and it suggests cams based on that. It's not 100% accurate, but closer than asking a group of gearheads what they like as we all like something a bit different.

If you plan on everything else staying stock, keep total lift below .5". Closer to .45" or less and you'll still want new valve springs due to age alone.

Lastly, a cam alone will get lonely without the rest of the breathing picture - head work, intake, carb, headers... It's a good starting point, but it's like taking a small dose of steroids and sitting in a lounge chair waiting for results.

 

i plan on doing intake, carb and headers down the roads. I am in the process of porting the heads so that should help a bit.

so i took the quest to find a cam :P and it gave me a few options, i chose one that sounded what i was looking for and was within your lift zone.
http://www.compperformancegroupstore..._Code=31-218-2

do i need to replace the lifters/pushrods?

 

That's one of the cams I was going to suggest for you, although it's going to like lower gears and a higher rpm stall converter. Something like the Dual Energy 255DEH would work better with the stock heads, exhaust, and gears.

Any time you replace a flat tappet cam, the lifters need to be replaced. If you're getting the block or heads decked, measure for new pushrods and replace them as well.

 

That's a popular choice and I think you'll be happy with it. The cam won't require new hardware but worn parts will. Valve springs are a must as yours are worn and just enough for a stock cam. New ones will allow the more aggressive cam to rev a bit higher without valve float or broken springs so make sure they're on your list. No big mega-springs are required but make sure they're up to task. See what the cam requires and if the suggested springs require machining, look elsewhere for a good spring up to .5 lift NOT requiring machining. Too many suggestions on CCams call for machining the heads to fit the springs when many other sources fit to spec without cutting the heads. You'll need to tear it down and see what shape the other parts are in. Valve stem seals will be a bonus here as well.

I chose a Trickflow stage 1 cam and matching springs (no machining for springs - will work with your choice) for a good overall price, great performance, lumpy idle at 650 rpms, smooth(er) at 900 just to give you another good choice that I'm quite happy with.

 

alright thanks for the advice guys, any pointers on installing the cam?

 

check this post for installation. Starfury once wrote that up for me and it was a great read before I got stuck in there

https://mustangforums.com/forum/clas...and-heads.html

 

Reinstall the pushrods and rockers, adjusting to zero lash plus 1/2 turn with the lifter on the base circle of the cam (so TDC on the compression stroke for each cylinder).

what does this mean?

also, after putting in cam does the crankshaft have to go on in a certain way? and should it be at TDC before putting in lifters/pushrods?