NA Cam Specs

[LemansWagon]

Anybody ever turbocharge an NA 3.8 without swapping cams? I am putting an 84 NA 3.8 into my 79 Lemans Wagon and doing a blow through turbo setup. I was planning on installing a stock 86-87 GN cam until I looked up the cam specs. The melling replacement cam for the 84 NA 3.8 is part number MTB-2 and has 194/204 duration and .424/.448 lift. This is actually bigger than the 86-87 GN cam (part #SBC-14 193/196 .400/.422) and even has a wider LSA (114 vs. 107). Are these numbers correct? If that's the case I see no reason to spend the money on the GN cam.

 

[87GN_70GS]

The MTB-2 is your typical aftermarket moderate perf cam. Those are not the factory cam specs.

 

[LemansWagon]

Oh OK. That's the cam autozone lists as the stock replacement.

So what are the factory cam specs?

 

[LemansWagon]

I guess I'll just run a dial indicator on it to at least see what the lift is on the NA cam.

 

[charlief1]

the stock lift for a NA cam is less than the 86-87 IC cams. The IC cam has a max lift of .420 and the NA cam is about .387 if I remember right. Please come visit us in the B4Black section and one of us will be more than happy to help you with what you're wanting to do.

 

[whitehot1]

Stock cam data from a vendor's catalog: Advertised Duration : 258/262
Duration at .050" lift : 192/196
Lift .384/.408
Lobe Separation 107 degrees
Overlap 38 degrees

 

[87GN_70GS]

Stock 84 cam should be 187/194 deg at 0.050", 260/280 deg adv, .374"/.384" lift, 108.5 deg LSA, 1.5 deg advanced (Melling 229-2268)

 

[LemansWagon]

Thanks, then I am back to my original plan of running the stock 86-87 cam. Although I may just throw the engine in there with the stock cam just to see what it does at first. If I am not happy, in goes the 86-87 cam.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Thanks, then I am back to my original plan of running the stock 86-87 cam. Although I may just throw the engine in there with the stock cam just to see what it does at first. If I am not happy, in goes the 86-87 cam.

why waste your time with either cam.

just get a cheapy grind from melling. you were right the first time.

A.j.