I've got a 1976 440 out of a motor home that I put in my '70 satellite. It has an Edelbrock RPM performer intake, Edelbrock 800 cfm carb, and headers, the rest is stock. I'm looking to put a different cam in it but not sure which one is best. I like a good lopey idle sound (nothing crazy though) but still need to maintain streetability. What cam will give me the best performance for this setup while still being streetable?

 

Welcome.

You probably have lower compression than 1967-1970, so knowing that will help your selection.

Can't go wrong with a smooth 1967 440HP cam or a step up to a 1969 1/2 440 six pack cam with high taper lifters.

 

I have use the old Hemi cam in a low compression motor and it worked well, with 220 @ .050 lift its on the to "big side" for the low Compression 440.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-21-222-4
This has a little less duration which is a good thing but it's simular to the old hemi cam.

 

70 -

I agreed with the above, but you also have to consider the stall on the converter (if an auto) and the gears in the rear.
With a stock converter and gears, a lopey idle will = a low vacuum and a sluggish roll.

Comp Cams has updated versions of the old Mopar sticks, and anything below the 509 model should work.
But again, the converter and gears may become a factor.

Archer

 

I agree with all the above... There is not any gain in the H.P. area, But only a little to gain in the throttle response area, with a cam change. What your dealing with is an engine that might have like a 7.5 - 8.0 compression... So your kind of limited on how much more cam you can put in...
I myself like the VooDoo Cams....

 

You have to understand that comp and Lantai are the same company at this piont.

 

Thats news to me... I thought Lunati went back out on there own After the Holley Deal ????

 

My info came out the back door of Lunati, but it's not current.

 

Yeah its a 727 trans with stock converter, I'm not sure what gears are in it though. If lopey idle means sluggish throttle response, that's not something I want to sacrifice.

 

The first thing I would do is determine the condition of the motor with a compression test. More than likely it could use a valve job to go with the new springs a cam needs. Changing the stock smog cam for even a mild performance cam like this
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-21-221-4
will give your Mopar a nice boost in drivability, make sure that you install a new timing gear set also.

Me personally I would go with the first cam I put up but you have to be right on the money with your carb and ignition tuning.

 

70 -

"Stock" can mean as low as a 1200 rpm stall converter and 2.73 gears. Neither will like a performance cam. Sure, it'll run, but you won't like driving it.

Basically, you can enjoy it the way it is, or you can turn it into a long term project. The nice thing about the latter, is that once you have a plan, you can tackle it one part at a time, based on time and budget.

Archer

 

That was kind of my piont, just adding a performance cam to a stock or used motor can turn into a project in it self, your going to open the great unknown ....