best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

I'm building a L/S 89 Mustang , now going with a C4, 4:30 gear. spool, 28'' tire. Trans builder wants to know cam specs . What would you think a good legal cam would be and who makes it ?

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Comp Cams, Crane Cams, and Lunati already have a Mustang 5.0 stocker grind you can get. Bullett can make something very custom based on info you give them.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

i'm working on a k or l 89 mustang also (total newb) and I spoke to the guys at bullet, who seemed very knowledgable and willing to help. Lunati was slow to respond, didn't seem like they were all that confident in picking the grind, and pretty pricey. I went with a cam from Ed Curtis at Flowtech - I just got it a few weeks ago and if you wanted to go with him my guess is he'd be in good shape to send you one b/c he just went thru this with me. I hope to be installing the cam in the block this weekend and degreeing it, checking ptv etc.


Good luck

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Whatever the cam grinders recommend, make sure to verify that it's a full race cam, not 3/4 race. And tell them you're going to spray it. If you do that, it should make 800HP and you can still drive it on the street. :D

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

This is a stocker and we can not use spray

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Thanks for the replys , seems like alot of good stocker builders in Pa.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

David,

What's a little spray among friend's.............?

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

You need to provide the NHRA specified lift information to whomever you are speaking to. Comp cams Chris Pagent or Bullet have been helpful for me. You have to deal with a specialist in our category or you will just get a person that sells to the general public.

Sean

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

I was kidding... guess it just wasn't that funny. I've always gotten a kick out of the Craigslist-type guys who describe their cars. Everything has a full race cam (whatever that is) and "NOS". They all make 800 horsepower, but are driven on the street.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

You have a pm

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

it matters what is being sprayed and where!

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

David ,

This is Stock right , No- Spraying at all , so why even bring it up !!!!!
He made a bad joke , it's Over .... have a nice Day...

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

I was talking about someone's leg not into an engine

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

What started out as an interesting, news worthy thread kinda took a wrong turn.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Whatever cam you try, be careful to check piston to valve clearance, especially intake as there is more or less room depending on what piston you use. If you have a quality stocker piston w/ valve reliefs in the right place and angle, no problem most choices. If you are using factory stock or low buck cast pistons, valve clearance is way less forgiving. Let your clay be your guide!

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Make sure your piston is above the deck by at least .001

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Bobby,

out of curiosity, is this just to get proper quench? i'm .005 in the hole (asked for zero deck, took my budget build to a budget shop, so that's what I get I guess . . .)

thanks

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

It is a rule that you will not find in the rule book but one for which you can get disqualified if they tear down your engine. I know of a racer a few years back who got bounced for it and was using a bone stock bottom half. The '88 Mustang 5.0 is spec at .0135 above the deck along with a .041 gasket so you have to be at least .001 above and then you can use a thinner gasket.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

wow. Good to know!! Dang, I might have to take this block back.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Alex,
That spec is in the engine blueprints. It shows like Bobby pointed out 0.0135ab.

Sean

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

thanks. i'll get a measurement on PTD and then decide what to do. luckily all I have done so far is drop in the crank and I piston to measure PTV and degree the cam.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

I think it was Jay Roeder who was bounced for a below deck piston. I think NHRA
has since rescinded that rule. You just can't be above more than the given spec.
I would check with Glendora to be on the safe side though.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

I also got DQ'd for piston below deck .

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

WTF ?/ (What the Ford?) Bounced for below the deck? Really?

Sounds like you had some real lulus of tech guys back east. I had my motor teched in Div 6 when I set the P/SA record, the only thing that mattered was total deck + gasket thickness as allowed in the rule book. The tech guys were professional and measured everything but went by the letter of the book/ cc'd ports. pull valves/ cam check/ piston deck check/ all very through. I was impressed.

If you set a 5.0 at .0135 AB+.041 gasket =.0275 piston/head clearance. Good luck there, maybe you run yours that tight, but mine get shiny at .035. NHRA posted deck clearance specs are MINIMUM deck specs and I would expect anything below that would be ok. They come factory way below the deck!

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

That was rescinded years ago, as pointed out.
Just get some Cometic gaskets in the thickness and bore size you need.
Leave the block alone.

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

Mark,
I hate to say no, but I was doing a BB Chevy combo that has an AB demension and was told it needed to be above the deck. I think that is something that needs to be addressed and put in print. This was less than a year ago. So it might be different in Div. 4. I'm now doing a Drag Pack that calls for AB. I think I will hold up. What do any of you guys running Chevy LS say??. They call for AB in the specs, too. Hummm

Re: best cam for L/SA 89 Mustang
 

You should be in good hands with Ed Curtis he use to run stock and works closely with CC.

Gil