CAM SELECTION--NEED ADVICE

[1992MustangGT]

I need some help choosing a cam. I have a 67 Mercury Cougar XR7 with a 289and C4 automatic. I'm wanting to install a roller cam and am not sure which cam to use. This will be a fully functional street car with A/C and all the modern comforts I can cram into it. I want to really wake up the little 289 and make it scream, but still have great street manners and hopefully some respectable gas mileage.

I realize that I'll have to purchase a retro-fit cam, but for now I'm looking at cam grind numbers. It currently has an Edelbrock Performer 289 intake manifold, which is rated from idle to 5500 rpm, so I need to choose a cam that will work well off idle. I'd really like a cam that would make awesome power from idle clear up to about 6200 to 6500 rpm, if that's possible. The cams I've been looking at are: Ford Motorsport X303, (advertised power range is from idle to 6200), Ford Motorsport Z303 (advertised power range is from idle to 6500), Edelbrock #2221 (advertised power range is from 1500 to 6500), Comp Cams #35-349-8 (advertized power range from 1500 to 5500), Comp Cams #35-514-8 (advertised power range from 1600 to 5600), Comp Cams #35-351-8 (advertised power range from 1800 to 5800).

Has anyone used any of these cams I mentioned? What is your opinion? How do they perform with my combination? Are there any other cams I haven't mentioned that you have used that would work well with what I have? Thanks in advance for your suggestions....

 

[htwheelz67]

your biggest problem is if you have stock heads with pressed in studs (except for maybe the stock ford HO hyd roller) you will need to install screw in studs,guide plates and new rockers and in order to run any of the off the shelf hyd roller cams you will need expensive link bar conversion hyd roller lifters and new pushrods as well, otherwise you will have to drill and tap your block for the "spyder and dogbones" and use a small base circle retrofit hyd roller cam which will limit your cam choices and you will still need new pushrods and stock type hyd roller lifters. Either way you do it it will cost you 1000.00-1500.00 when you are done. For about the same price or less if you junkyard it (way less at pick your part) you can get a rebuilt or used good running 5.0 longblock, you will need a 50 oz flexplate and balancer, they do make 50 oz balancers thet will work with your 3 bolt pulley and accesories.

Going the 5.0 will give you a roller block, forged pistons, better heads with hardened valve seats and a roller cam, you can bolt on your performer intake/carb and use a 85 up duraspark dist or use the one you have and add a steel dist gear.

I've been there, done that and unless you are going to run aftermarket heads and conersion lifters it is way expensive to convert a stock headed 289 to a roller, once again the stock HO hyd roller should be OK with the stock heads as it has 444 lift and about 211 duration @0.50 but most other decent hyd rollers have over .500 lift which will require extensive mods to the stock heads.

There are many decent flat tappet cams that will work with your stock heads and give a nice boost in power but with stock heads, you will never have a screamer........sorry.

Another option......drop in a 351w.....instant 50hp/50ftlbs even in stock form, but again your best option is a 5.0 ho longblock, it will give you much more power/TQ.street manors and MPG's over a 289, throw in a mild hyd roller like a smaller comp xe and you will have the best of both worlds.

 

[D.Hearne]

Ditto on that. Except there's no point in limiting the selection of 5.0's to just the HO Mustang engine. At this point in time, most will need a rebuild anyway. Other good 5.0's to pick from are the 94-97 E or F series 5.0's and the 96-2001 Explorer/Mountaineer 5.0's. These also have an excelllant street cam that's only a hair below the HO in specs. Bolt on a set of 1.7 rockers and it's there. Porting the stock heads will also help it. I would also go with an RPM intake or any of these: Weiand Stealth, Ford A321, Edelbrock's old F4B, plus others of the highrise dfual plane design. All will work off idle to 6500, and in some cases higher.

 

[rbohm]

I need some help choosing a cam. I have a 67 Mercury Cougar XR7 with a 289and C4 automatic. I'm wanting to install a roller cam and am not sure which cam to use. This will be a fully functional street car with A/C and all the modern comforts I can cram into it. I want to really wake up the little 289 and make it scream, but still have great street manners and hopefully some respectable gas mileage.

I realize that I'll have to purchase a retro-fit cam, but for now I'm looking at cam grind numbers. It currently has an Edelbrock Performer 289 intake manifold, which is rated from idle to 5500 rpm, so I need to choose a cam that will work well off idle. I'd really like a cam that would make awesome power from idle clear up to about 6200 to 6500 rpm, if that's possible. The cams I've been looking at are: Ford Motorsport X303, (advertised power range is from idle to 6200), Ford Motorsport Z303 (advertised power range is from idle to 6500), Edelbrock #2221 (advertised power range is from 1500 to 6500), Comp Cams #35-349-8 (advertized power range from 1500 to 5500), Comp Cams #35-514-8 (advertised power range from 1600 to 5600), Comp Cams #35-351-8 (advertised power range from 1800 to 5800).

Has anyone used any of these cams I mentioned? What is your opinion? How do they perform with my combination? Are there any other cams I haven't mentioned that you have used that would work well with what I have? Thanks in advance for your suggestions....

all the cams you are looking at will work just fine since they all compliment the rpm range of your current parts.

 

[JonK]

I also looked at going the roller cam route in my 289 and the cost was 3X the cost of using a hyd. like original. I stroked my 289 to 333 and went with the CC XE262 as I am installing A/C and PB so I didn't want to get too radical and this was the last cam that didn't lower vacuum. I do also have AFR 165's w/screw in studs, I think 500 lift if right at the line where they suggest screw in studs. Try downloading the free program CamQuest on the CC website, you can change variables to see what cam they suggest if you add/change things down the line like different heads, rear gear, etc.
Jon

 

[1992MustangGT]

Thank you for all the advise. However, since most of you are talking about heads and conversion parts and switching motors all that, I think I need to bring you up to speed with the other parts I plan to put on this engine and maybe that will help with the advise you give.

I currently have a 69 351w in my 68 Cougar XR7 (which caught on fire 3 years ago and isn't running right now) that has a roller cam, roller rockers, and tie-bar roller lifters in the engine (I was in the process of converting it to fuel injection a little at a time). So I plan to take those parts (minus the cam since the cam was built for the 5-speed I have in the car) and use them on my 289. So I already have the lifers and rocker arms.

I also plan to use the 351w heads on my 289. The heads are stock heads that have been machined and worked over. They have 1.94/1.60 valves, exaust ports opened up considerably (so they flow really good for a stock head), have been shaved .030 (higher compression), and have screw in studs. I got them from a buddy of mine who used them on his 302 in his 68 Mustang drag car that ran 11.20's in the quarter. So I know they do really well for a factory head. Plus I was using them on my 351 in my 68 Cougar and that engine had tons of power!!!

So I have all the parts I need for the 289 (including the pushrods) except the cam. So I was hoping to get some advise on which cam is best to use. The car currenly runs, I'm just fixing some minor rust problems and while I have the engine and tranny out I was wanting to throw a cam in it with the other parts I already have. I wasn't wanting to rebuild the motor right now or anything like that, just pump it up a little with a cam and throw it back in the car and drive it for a while until I get ready to tear it down and restore it sometime in hopefully not too distant future. So with that said....Cams....any advise??? Thanks for your help....

 

[D.Hearne]

What are the specs for the roller you have now?

 

[1992MustangGT]

The cam I currently have is from Anderson Ford Motorsports. It's a B-31. These are numbers from the cam card I got when I purchased the cam....

Advertised Duration at .006 = 270 Intake / 280 Exhaust
Duration at .050 = 218 Intake / 228 Exhaust
Timing events at .050 = 1/37 Intake 55/-2 Exhaust
Lobe lift @ cam = .340 Intake / .340 Exhaust
Gross Valve lift with 1.6 rockers = .544 Intake / .544 Exhaust
Lobe separation = 112 degree
Degree intake lobe to 108 degree

 

[htwheelz67]

with some gears/stall and those heads that cam would run pretty good in a 289.

 

[D.Hearne]

The cam I currently have is from Anderson Ford Motorsports. It's a B-31. These are numbers from the cam card I got when I purchased the cam....

Advertised Duration at .006 = 270 Intake / 280 Exhaust
Duration at .050 = 218 Intake / 228 Exhaust
Timing events at .050 = 1/37 Intake 55/-2 Exhaust
Lobe lift @ cam = .340 Intake / .340 Exhaust
Gross Valve lift with 1.6 rockers = .544 Intake / .544 Exhaust
Lobe separation = 112 degree
Degree intake lobe to 108 degree

I'd stick with that cam. It'll work fine in a 289. It should also put the cruise at about the sweet spot on the highway for fuel mileage.

 

[1992MustangGT]

Thank you all for your advise. I've done some research on a bunch of different cams and have made my decision on which cam I'm gonna use. I have the Dyno 2000 and Cam Quest programs and I inserted all the cam numbers in both of these programs and from what I discovered is that the cam I have (Anderson Ford Motorsport B-31) is the cam that produces the best overall power throughout the entire RPM range. There is only one cam that produces consideral more power of idle, however the cam I have has lots more power from 4000 to 5500 rpm. So I'm gonna use the cam I have on my 289. I have the 351w heads at the machine shop right now just to make sure that the heads weren't damaged in the fire. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to purchase different valve springs because I did have some valve float at 6000 rpm when I was running the 351w. So once I get the heads back and the valve springs I'll throw the engine together and toss it back in the Cougar and see what happens. In the mean time I'm trying to get the body work done and put back together. I just repaired the cowl vents, now I need to get the cowl welded back on and the new fender apron welded in. I'm excited to drive this car and see what it will do. It should be a pretty fun ride!!!!

 

[1992MustangGT]

Well I'm forced to change my engine plans. I was going to just throw my roller cam and 351w heads on my 289 and put it back in the Cougar, but as I was cleaning the block I discovered that the #2 cylinder wall had 2 deep gouges as deep as a dime is thick. The gouges came from the wrist pin in the piston that had walked out of the wrist pin. So my crossroad is...do I fix the cylinder wall and rebuild the 289 or use the 351w in my 68 Cougar XR7 and clean up the cylinders and put new rings in it and put that in the Cougar. My decision is...it will cost less money to clean up the 351w and put it back together than it will be to rebuild the 289. Everything happens for a reason and maybe it was meant to be to use the 351w instead of the 289. So tomorrow I'll yank the 351w out and finish tearing it down and clean it up. I just pray there's not more wrong with it than just cleaning up the cylinders and putting in new rings. i know some of you are asking the question, "why is he just putting new rings in it and not bearings and everything else"? Well the answer is that I have already rebuilt this engine and it only has about 15,000 miles on it so the bearings and everything else shold still be ok.....Wish me luck!!!!

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

The Dang 351 would have been my first choice any way. 'specially as the Coug is heavier and has the room to acomodate, the slightly larger 351.
That Anderson cam will do fine in the 351, too.
As your getting the new springs, double check & get ones spec'ed to match the cam.

 

[1992MustangGT]

Honestly, the 351w is my first choice also, but the idea was to do this project with the least amount of expense as possible. But now I don't have that choice since the 289 needs major work done to it.....The valve springs are matched to the cam. I bought the cam from Anderson Ford Motorsport about 3 years ago and I did some research on the valve springs they offer before I called them. After talking to AFM and getting the dimension and spring rates of the springs, they will work perfect for my cam. I ordered them and am waiting them to arrive. In the mean time, I tore down the 351 block yesterday and discovered the crank needs turned as there are groves in a couple journals. So now I'm taking the entire engine to the machine shop today to have them hone the cylinders and hot tank the block then I'll put it back together. I would hone the cylinders myself, but with it being hot as hell outside and the fact I'm getting frustrated I just don't feel like doing it myself. Damn I just can't catch a break!!!!!

 

[68RCodeConv]

You mentioned AC. I would not spin one of the stock compressors over 5500 rpm. Better use a modern Sanden unit.

 

[1992MustangGT]

The car is missing the A/C parts under the hood. It has all the A/C parts inside the car though. So right now it doesn't have a functioning A/C. I was planning on purchasing an aftermarket A/C down the road, such as Classic Auto Air, Cold Air Products, or from one of those companies. Can those A/C parts handle high rpm's?

Well....I took the engine block to the machine shop today and was hoping I could just get away with honing the block, but it looks like the block is gonna need bored, which means having to buy pistons. Damn this is turning into an expensive project.