I think you have to be very careful with cams & not have a 'one size fits all' approach. Plus, there are deep seated convictions that are more fiction than fact. An example would be as someone prieviously said, that an earlier cam opening event delays the power band. Well, if that is true, how is it, that in nearly every case, advancing a cam [ causing an earlier opening ], improves low end, because it makes power at a lower rpm?? Also, comparing hyd & solid flat tappet cams by using combinations of seat, 050 & 200 figures is risky, because valve lash MUST be subtracted from the solid to get a true comparison. Example with 1.5 rockers: a hyd cam @ 0.050" opens the valve 0.075". If the same profile used a solid lifter with 0.024" lash, the valve is only open 0.051", versus 0.075" for the hyd. In percentage terms, the hyd cam has 32% more opening at 0.050", a significant amount. This is why a hyd cam needs less duration than the solid for a comparable outcome, not to mention the lobe shape [ & the lash of the solid ]. The solid cam in my opinion has only two benefits, all else being equal: better idle because the valves seat quicker & possibly higher rpm because of no lifter pump up. Idle quality may not be a problem for some people, & stronger springs can move pump up away from the hyd cams's power band. My 02 worth.
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