#1  
Old 12-21-2024, 03:43 PM
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Default Ram Air 4 clone cam favorite

Any favorites of the various manufacturers versions of this cam. Melling, Comp or? Motor 455, 10:1, 6x4 heads 247cfm/180 @ .500, Modified 66 tripower, 4speed, 3.42, oversized RA exhaust manifolds. Don't want roller cam just a good HFT. Street driven 65 with occasional trips to track. Seen a lot of mention for Crower 60919.

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Old 12-21-2024, 04:38 PM
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I am using the 60919 with Crower Cam Saver lifters and its all you need for the street in my opinion. My engine is kinda similar to yours.

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Old 12-21-2024, 07:30 PM
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Melling SPC-8 is the real deal. Overlap sammy!

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Old 12-21-2024, 08:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 64speed View Post
I am using the 60919 with Crower Cam Saver lifters and its all you need for the street in my opinion. My engine is kinda similar to yours.
I too have similar combo, but I dont like the cam I have. Does this combo buck and chug in 25 mph zones in first?

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Old 12-21-2024, 09:45 PM
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No not at all. I have the TKO600 and it will pull 5th at 40 mph with no buck

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Old 12-22-2024, 10:02 AM
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One of the gents on here has mentioned that the Crower 60919’s that he has seen recently aren’t necessarily ground correctly, maybe he can clarify?
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...ighlight=60919

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Old 12-22-2024, 11:39 AM
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I used the Crane muscle car series 041 ...but that's been a LONG time ago.

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Old 12-22-2024, 12:43 PM
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seems I recall reading a thread that it was stated all 041 cams are pretty much the same, most made by CMC. blue ta

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Old 12-23-2024, 01:59 AM
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The Melling SPC-8 is suppose to be an OE replacement. Probably gets my vote if you want a RA 4 cam. Side by side comparison the SPC-8 I have had used a different cam core with a wider lobe. It’d been 6 years though, I don’t know if that is still the case. CMC grinds the Melling, Compcams, Edelbrock, Lunati and Summit 041 grinds. Specs are the same as the Melling, but I think those others that are not OE replacements use the normal narrow lobe core.

The Crane and a Crower 60919 both are different than the Melling. Crower is more aggressive, Crane is less aggressive.

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Old 12-23-2024, 08:55 AM
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I prefer the Crane "Blueprinted" version

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Old 12-23-2024, 09:10 AM
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I prefer the Crane "Blueprinted" version
X2. I agree, I think it is top dog of the RA4 grinds. Sucks that Crane is no longer around.

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Old 12-23-2024, 09:21 AM
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X2. I agree, I think it is top dog of the RA4 grinds. Sucks that Crane is no longer around.
I was just going to say the same thing, I know a lot of folks recommend the Crane version but they haven’t been available for a few years, I wonder if you could have one custom ground but then I question what makes this version so much better than all of the other 041 choices like the Melling, Crower, etc

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Old 12-23-2024, 09:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 67Lemons View Post
I was just going to say the same thing, I know a lot of folks recommend the Crane version but they haven’t been available for a few years, I wonder if you could have one custom ground but then I question what makes this version so much better than all of the other 041 choices like the Melling, Crower, etc
The Crane version has a bunch of assymetric’s in the design, and shuts the valves a lot more gentle. The way it is ground it should have the broadest power band of those grinds.

The others are more symmetrical designs. Opening and closing ramps are the same.

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Old 12-23-2024, 09:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay S View Post
The Crane version has a bunch of assymetric’s in the design, and shuts the valves a lot more gentle. The way it is ground it should have the broadest power band of those grinds.

The others are more symmetrical designs. Opening and closing ramps are the same.
Wondering out loud here but could Bullet or any custom cam grinder ground those same characteristics in one of their cams or is it in the lobe that Crane used?

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Old 12-23-2024, 10:24 AM
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I used the Crane blueprint version about 20 years ago and it is still running very well.

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Old 12-23-2024, 10:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 67Lemons View Post
Wondering out loud here but could Bullet or any custom cam grinder ground those same characteristics in one of their cams or is it in the lobe that Crane used?
Compcams might have the master for it someplace.

It would take some effort to copy it, probably more effort than most cam grinders would be interested in.

There are also a few old grinds that a core does not exist anymore either. The Crane 041 is odd enough that could be an issue too. Wolverine had a pretty renowned flat tappet cam a little bigger than the RA4 grind that people have wanted to copy but as I recall John Partridge at Bullet said there is not a core available to replicate it.

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Old 12-23-2024, 12:09 PM
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Jay,
Is this the Wolverine Cam?

Stan
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  #18  
Old 12-23-2024, 05:26 PM
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Quote:
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Jay,
Is this the Wolverine Cam?

Stan
Identical to the Crane HIT 284281 "High Intensity Series" and later "PowerMax".




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Old 12-23-2024, 08:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stan Weiss View Post
Jay,
Is this the Wolverine Cam?

Stan
Yep. That’s the one. There are a couple cams that are close in specs, but don’t appear to be exactly the same. That 294B Crane could be the same. It does look close.

Two profiles in HP series sure looked close too. I think I remember being told they were different.
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  #20  
Old 12-24-2024, 01:36 AM
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Well, I looked it up and CMC only lists one flat tappet cam core for a Pontiac now. So I assume the Melling SPC-8 core is the same as all of the flat tappets now. So if you end up going with a white box RA4 cam ground at CMC, just probably makes sense to find the cheapest one, because they are all going to be the same.

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