"Old School" Stocker Cams

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

If the valve spring pressure were reduced, after a period of adjustment there would be no more carnage than allowing roller lifters and it would be a whole lot cheaper for the majority of racers.

I’ve seen roller lifters break and destroy engine parts. Flat tappets are usually pretty reliable. You can run roller lifters in SS. Leave them there. Race a stocker in SS with a roller cam then

[Frank Castros]

[QUOTE=Todd Hoven;605087]
We will have 10,000 RPM 396s, then how much money are we going to spend to keep up with them?[QUOTE]

Don't get me started on the most under factored combination in Stock Eliminator.

[Lyn Smith]

Hey lets get back to the Old School stock cams original thread. Just went to over to the vintage cams shelf in my garage and I've got a General Kinetics sbc cam clc -431 f stamped on the end. What era is that from?

[Bob Mulry]

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

Well we are half way there with Roller Rockers..

From the guy who won't spend 10 cents to make his "race" car quicker...

[Run to Rund]

I heard that the original "cheater" stocker cams came about when Joe Lunati took high lift cams and cut off the top of the lobes to max allowable lift. He then used a belt sander to round off the edges until the engine would reach the desired rpm.

[Frank Castros]

We ran a Lunati "Jerry Stein Special" in our Max Wedge. I don't remember the part number.
There was also a cam from Isky, the 1012-B.

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Run to Rund

I heard that the original "cheater" stocker cams came about when Joe Lunati took high lift cams and cut off the top of the lobes to max allowable lift. He then used a belt sander to round off the edges until the engine would reach the desired rpm.

Actually the original cheater cams came about when Bill Jenkins could not get a new OEM camshaft from Chevrolet to pass NHRA's specs. (For the "Monster Mash" 55 Chevy I believe.) He went to General Kinetics with the problem and they ground a cam that would pass. In the process, they also added in some area under the curve and voila!

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by GTX JOHN

I still run the same old square lobe cams that I ran in 80s -90s
that Richard @ Isky used to build for me in all my Stockers.
Not easy on the valve train but I still run Schubeck lifters and plenty
of spring pressure. I am old school.

We had to use stock valve springs. NHRA checked both open & closed spring pressures.
Those lobes (at least what I used) were valve spring killers. GM springs were dead at the end of one weekend. TRW springs were usually good for three races.

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Bob Mulry

From the guy who won't spend 10 cents to make his "race" car quicker...

Let’s see.....started out as G/PS
Ran 13.65 on 14.10 index in heat, 13.20 on good day.
Drove to countless bracket race events on the East Coast for 20 years.
Including all the IHRA races and Class Nationals.
Empire, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Budds Creek, Lebanon Valley, Island Dragway, Numidia, Beaver Springs, 75&80, Mason Dixon
Changed all 4 wheels to racing tires and wheels.
Back to street to go to motel and back to racing set next day.
Mounted Street tires and back home.
Because that is what I had.

Last Three years tow with a 1994 Caprice wagon and Featherlight trailer.
Took a bit to make it safe and reliable.
Oh and the discoveries of towing, owning and maintaining a trailer.

Just before trailering moved up to F/PS.
Every year found 2 tenths improvement and documented it.

F/PS index 13.75..! Best 12.47 at 107 mph on a good day.
Hot days can run within 2 tenths of the K/SA index, Atco, Cecil a 10th.
Still has a couple more in it too..and going to find them..
Always fiddling and finding incremental improvements..
Goal is to run the 12.65 index on a hot day set up as a Pure Stocker.

But Guess you are right again..!
I do not spend 10 cents, 10 dollars or thousands on anything !
I invest !

I have a real Stocker...you have a Super Stock Light car..
Or is it Called Modified Stock now...!?

At least my car is not so sensitive that it cannot be bracket raced.
Doesn’t need special gas, new harnesses every wink of an eye.
Or Wheelie Bar, Cage, or that fancy sputter putter take off technology.

As for spending money?
How come you are not racing a REAL race car ...
...... like a AA Fuel Dragster or Funny car?
What is the matter you cannot spend the money?

Life is short...I am out to have fun..you are not part of the arithmetic!
I attend S/SS association and Club races where I am welcomed.

I am not here on this planet to meet someones pathetic specious concept...
I do things my way..and been damn successful..

If NHRA doesn’t want my business it goes elsewhere.
And I will invest in those Races..!

I do not need NHRA. .....they need US!

D

[impstocker]

Originally Posted by Race Clean

This type of thinking is what’s killing the Stock Class IMHO
Stuff like trying to make stamped steel rockers work,finding ones with good enough ratios,making them live for example was very interesting from a enigineering stand point,just bolting in aftermarket rollers to make it easy and cheap for everyone is pointless in a Class like this to

I started this thread just to learn what made a Stock "cheater cam" different than a factory cam using the same lift and duration..

I see it evolved into a discussion about roller cams in stock.

I am running the same 396/325 HP engine I ran in my 68 Impala back in 2003-2006, at that time the index was 12.50 in I/S which I ran. I would go 11.70-11.80's , 6 to 7 tenths under. I used stamp steel rocker arms which was the rule then. "Everybody" told me BBC always broke rocker arms..in over 100 passes with that motor never broke a rocker arm. I used Crane rocker arms, nothing special, not even "long slot" since I only have .398 lift.

"Everybody" also told me the car would be a parts breaker running a stick in a heavy car...(4095 lbs in I/S) I broke one set of gears, that was only because I used a set of street gears 4:88 at first, swapped to Pro gears, never had a problem after that.

Since then the index has been changed to a quicker 12.20..3 tenths quicker. Running the same motor in my 65 Impala now, do I think roller rockers, or lets say a roller cam, will make up that 3 tenths difference? I don't think so.. I decided to go back to running a stick too..same set up I had back in 2003-2006 I know I still left some ET on the table with my clutch settings and 60ft times.

So most probable you will see low valve covers with stamped steel rocker arms under them. I do have a set of "chinese" roller rockers I can use, but rather spend my $ right now getting rest of stick stuff I need..bellhousing, shifter, Z-bar, pedals ect. instead of a good set of roller rockers..plus need to get longer rocker studs for those. Plus I still will be using Shubeck "hydraulic" lifters..even though I guess I can use true solid lifters now. oh, I also need to buy a trailer too, just "refurbished" my 1977 Chev C30 to tow with, which I used back in 2003-2006

So I guess my point is you can allow me to use upgraded stuff like roller cams, but for now I will be showing up with a "old school" motor that instead of running 7 tenths under I should go 3 to 4 tenths under..another reason to run a stick. Less heads up then.

I am just going to be happy racing again!

Will Lamprecht
G/H/I Stock 65 Impala 396/325