5.0 cam upgrade?

[Jeff Sch]

Hi guys,
I would like some advice about cam and other up grades to the 5.0. I bought a 99 xlt rollover and want to put the 5.0 in my 69 mustang. I will be going carb but have some ?'s about cams. I read that the E303 is a good cam and the TFS 1 is also good. I don't want to get too wild but would like a little lope to the idle, which cam is better and what other changes would I need to make with the cam? Do you install the cam 4 degrees advanced or straight up? I've heard the springs are weak. Would it make any sense to go to 1.7 rockers with the stock cam? I know headers r an issue with the gt40p heads but I want to make them work. Any advice on these and any other issues with the newer 5.0 would be a great help. I think putting a stock 5.0 roller engine would be an improvement over my old tired engine.

 

[CDW6212R]

The cam is the biggest decision you will make for that car now, and later if you change things. The Ford letter cams are junk compared to a real custom camshaft. If you pay $169 for a cam with less power and mileage and driveability than a custom cam, that's your choice.

There is a lot of power(and mileage and driveability) to be had with a true custom cam made for your vehicle. The extra money is nothing compared to the power gained over the cams that you keep reading about.

The stock Explorer 302 is very good except for the cam, it's as good as any Cobra 302. Find the proper "P" headers to fit in your Mustang. I suggest that you pull the heads and have the springs replaced with matching parts for a great cam. With a valve job and the right springs, you will be much happier than bolting it in as is with some odd cam etc.

If you buy a custom cam and keep the stock rockers, you will spend much less than a poor cam and 1.7 roller rockers. Roller rockers may gain you 3-5hp in a stock rpm 302, save that money for something valuable(cam). The right cam can gain you 20-50hp over the roller rockers, and depending on the intake etc, more. Welcome to the site, and drop a post to let us know how it goes. Regards,

 

[Jeff Sch]

Any suggestions as far as a custom cam(comp, crane etc.).

 

[CDW6212R]

I learned of two well known Ford cam designers on the Corral forum. I chose the one who sponsors another forum with a great Ford engine builder. They have an incredible reputation for making killer Ford engines. The cam builder is Jay Allen of Camshaft Innovations. He can get more power out of a Ford smallblock than any big name cam maker, including Ford.

http://sbftech.com/index.php
Contact him through his CI website, or the SBFtech forum that they run. Custom cams will all be over $300, but well worth the extra effort. If you go that route, I suggest that you join that forum and gain acceptance with at least ten posts. There is a discount for members such, the cam design fee and shipping are free for members.

I've been searching for a dyno sheet I read on that site two weeks ago. I wanted to post a link to it for a member here. Someone with a 375(302) Ford made just over 600hp at 600rpm, and over 700hp at 7200rpm. That's special and takes a lot of the right combination of parts. Regards,