"Old School" Stocker Cams

[Stan Weiss]

I dug up some old data. This is the lifter raise for a Lunati sticker cam for a 302 Z28 from the mid '70s.Let me add that by the time I got to check the cam it was used.



Stan

[GTS340]

I remember we put what was called a 7000 plus Cheater cam in a 1868 Dart GTS 340. This was around 1975. Best camshaft way back that I had was a G K that McElroy had something to do with. That was around 1980.
Had Rhodes lifters and 273 adjustable rocker arms. With some pencil neck pushrods compared to todays. Those good old days when tuning was an art and records were set.

Paul Haszlauer

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by GTS340

I remember we put what was called a 7000 plus Cheater cam in a 1868 Dart GTS 340. This was around 1975. Best camshaft way back that I had was a G K that McElroy had something to do with. That was around 1980.
Had Rhodes lifters and 273 adjustable rocker arms. With some pencil neck pushrods compared to todays. Those good old days when tuning was an art and records were set.

Paul Haszlauer

General Kinetics 041/560 grind number, the best Mopar cam grind before the rules were changed. You could balance the lifter on the lobe. It was designed by the Don Twelles, the owner of GK, one of the brightest cam designers ever and was a former Ford engineer. He designed also the cams for Grumpy Jenkins in the early days of Pro Stock.

[Ralph A Powell]

And Gapp and Roush. I herd that he was working for Roush after he closed his shop.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

I can say,I have ran under the old style rules spring pressure and lift, duration and overlap and it having to check.... and I have and do run under current rules....
I would pick current rules on cam,lifters and springs...been there done the stock pressure spring,which was checked...and duration overlap....
my IHRA pure stock combo 305/160/230 ABSOLUTELY ate springs and valves and it LOVED the taste of them... if nothing went wrong about 35-50 runs heads were coming off for valve job, valves and springs....

present rule stocker... I have one right now in D3 with 3 seasons on engine and same springs... had one with 500 runs on cam and lifters...had 300+repeatedly

I will take current rules on springs...
however if I built another stocker it would be a roller cam car... no other reason than eliminating cam break in...

[James L Miller]

Any of the Mopar 340 guys ever run either of these cams? I think the Lunati is from the 1990s, GK maybe the 1970s?

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by James L Miller

Any of the Mopar 340 guys ever run either of these cams? I think the Lunati is from the 1990s, GK maybe the 1970s?

That GK cam was the low-lift version from the 1980's. The GK 041/560 was the higher lift version.

[BLAZER]

Originally Posted by SSDiv6

General Kinetics 041/560 grind number, the best Mopar cam grind before the rules were changed. You could balance the lifter on the lobe. It was designed by the Don Twelles, the owner of GK, one of the brightest cam designers ever and was a former Ford engineer. He designed also the cams for Grumpy Jenkins in the early days of Pro Stock.

DON was by far ahead of Lunati-cam dynamics ect. Joe Lunati needed my cam to design a flat nose in early 70s mid 70s big block stocker chevy from GK--Don T was the guy!!!

[djm670]

Originally Posted by GTS340

I remember we put what was called a 7000 plus Cheater cam in a 1868 Dart GTS 340. This was around 1975. Best camshaft way back that I had was a G K that McElroy had something to do with. That was around 1980.
Had Rhodes lifters and 273 adjustable rocker arms. With some pencil neck pushrods compared to todays. Those good old days when tuning was an art and records were set.

Paul Haszlauer

Paul you have me laughing, you would never see 7000 rpm with one of GK's cam's ... those we came up with were low RPM with lots of torque - 6200... maybe 6400 rpm... living with stocks springs was a treat. The Chrysler specs that were turned in for the 340's and 360's were a treat to work with after working with the limited spec's on the chevrolets.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by djm670

Paul you have me laughing, you would never see 7000 rpm with one of GK's cam's ... those we came up with were low RPM with lots of torque - 6200... maybe 6400 rpm... living with stocks springs was a treat. The Chrysler specs that were turned in for the 340's and 360's were a treat to work with after working with the limited spec's on the chevrolets.

I shifted my ‘56 Chevy “Jr Stocker @7500. About the same at the finish line. The factory springs, on the seat at Stock specs (79 lbs) were weak open. I discovered PAC (?) springs, still needed new springs each race. The cam looked like a roller cam, with those nearly square lobes. Red Anderson shook his head at cam check time during tear downs. Not difficult to change the springs with the heads on the engine. TRW springs, out of the box, checked much better than GM springs. The better springs may have been Comp or Lunati. I can’t remember names well since I got so old. I apologize for that.