I’m thinking of a cam swap. Give me your opinions.

[Bobby Sixkiller]

74 challenger. Motor home engine. 440 The cam in it is crane xe274h-10. Stock low compression. I didn’t do the work to it. It runs good but idle sucks. Not horrible don’t get me wrong but I want a smooth idle. I won’t ever probably go past 5k rpm. I just want to drive it around. What do you think about this Melling cam. I’ve had good luck using their rv type cam before but it’s been twelve years since then. Are they still good quality. This is supposed to be high performance stock for a 68 440 hp.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

This is the current cam.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Or I have a new set of Rhodes lifters. What’s your thoughts. Thank you much

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Well the specs on the Melling seem to be off , advertised duration @ 324/ 302 ???, you should be in the 260* range !!
other then that it looks close to a factory cam , similar lift in the mid .400 range & short duration @ .050 lift & 115 LSA it will build / trap a lot of dynamic compression & run well for what you want .
The Comp cam would be a terrible choice for a barely 8:1 compression engine !!
You could also look at the smaller Lunati VooDoo cams like the 701 grind

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Found this one. It looks pretty close to what I want

 

[Chryco Psycho]

the Melling would be better , the LSA is not right on the Lunati 110 * vs 115*

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Man there are so many choices. All I really want is stock.

 

[70chall440]

Just look for a stock cam, or perhaps look at the Mopar Purple shaft, pretty mild. Talking about cams is like a religion, there are so many opinions and conflicting information it gets confusing quickly unless you really understand them. Back in the day I relied on the Direction Connection racing bulletins because they had very well sourced and tried combinations and information. Doesn't mean it was or in "the best" but it would get you near the place you wanted to go, plus they have stock or near stock information which is always handy.

 

[70chall440]

Reference the Rhodes lifters, they were all the rage back in the day, I had some in a 440 and they worked very well. I have read some information recently about them on various forums and some people state that they are not that great, etc. but I think in a mild application they work well as they were intended.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

I’d get a purple cam. They are just so expensive. The last one I bought was half what they cost now. Lol.

 

[70chall440]

If you take the specifications of the purple cam and look around you can find other brands that is very close, I used an Edelbrock version in my 440 and it seems decent

 

[MerlinsMopars]

Or call Jim @ racer brown cams. He will grind 1 for you to perform as you want. Their cam and lifter packages are decently priced and an excellent choice for mopar motors. He normally don't answer the phone till 3pm est tho but its worth it just for the input and customer service. You won't regret the service.

 

[70chall440]

That works too.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

I think I’m gonna put the Rhodes lifters in and try them. I’ll only be out a couple hours work and a valley pan. I already have everything to do it. I’ll let you know how they work.

 

[fasjac]

I would have to do the Melling cam for what your trying to achieve. JMO
Good luck

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Here is another Melling cam. It seems like the best choice to me for what I want to achieve.

 

[Rob C]

Just purchase the stock cam for it and be done with it rather than possibly being unhappy and doing it again at more cost.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Yea I think I might just buy a resto purple cam. Mancini has them just shy of 400 bucks.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

The Melling cam may be a better choice , less duration & 115* CL will work very well on a low compression engine

 

[Racer Dave]

Rather than trying to choose a cam on your own I would recommend calling a knowledgeable cam grinder and tell them exactly what you want. Chances are many of the cam companies have what you're looking for, or will grind a custom cam for about the same price as an off-the-shelf.