advantages of high perf. cam and lifter - Ford Forums

79-f350 · 04-23-2008, 20:06

i have the engine (400ci) to my 79 f350 torn apart down to the block. it would be real easy for me to put a cam and lifter in it but i cant find an explanation of what it will do for me. also I've kinda dont have a steady flow of income for the $180-$200. is it worth buying????

wwb · 04-24-2008, 11:21

Unless you're into street racing, or plan to take it to the dragstrip, forget about it, and put the stock cam and lifters back in (provided they're in good shape).

A high-performance cam & set of lifters will give you more power, but the driveability will suffer, and your fuel economy will go right down the toilet. If you're pinched for money right now, the last thing you need is worse mileage with gas at $3.50 per gallon.

**jwko** · 04-24-2008, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwb

Unless you're into street racing, or plan to take it to the dragstrip, forget about it, and put the stock cam and lifters back in (provided they're in good shape).

A high-performance cam & set of lifters will give you more power, but the driveability will suffer, and your fuel economy will go right down the toilet. If you're pinched for money right now, the last thing you need is worse mileage with gas at $3.50 per gallon.

That's not necessarily true. There are cam's for heavy duty applications such as RV vehicles, wreckers and vehicles that haul or pull heavy loads. These cam's would produce greater low end torque over stock and still retain good idle & drivability.

If you have a manual transmission I recommend using a stock cam but if you have a automatic in that F-350 then I recommend a RV/Heavy Duty cam if you do alot of hauling or pulling.

If you plan on buying a new cam discuss it with the dealer and they will make sure you get the right cam for your needs.

Also if you go back with the old cam be sure the lifters go back in their original locations as you will end up with premature cam & lifter failure.

79-f350 · 04-24-2008, 20:33

i haven't taken out the cam or the lifters for that reason (mixing up the order). thats why i asked u guys before doing anything. the truck will probably haul a horse trailer occasionally or a bobcat or gooseneck trailer like if our 01 dodge 2500 cummins is broke( i like the cummins, dont like the steering or suspension in the dodge)so do u still think a cam is necessary? also how should i clean my 2v heads once i get them torn apart?

kaboom10 · 04-25-2008, 07:18

The factory doesn't put in a production cam that is worth the time of day. An engine is an air pump basically. The camshaft is the part that dictates the time/amount the valves are open. Improvements can be made, within reason, just by replacing it. Think of it as you would conditioning your body. You perform better when you can take in more air and utilize it for strength and stamina. For what you want to spend you could possibly find a used cam in good condition that someone used and found it wasn't what they wanted. I sold many a like new cam and lifters trying different grinds.