[shoebox1.1]

i read a lot of not so good things about this cam for a 400-455 pontiac. im curious to see who here really likes theirs and whats the fastest it can go? (in a street type setup)

[steve25]

If you turbo charge or super charge the motor, probibly quite fast!!
How fast do you want to go?
I can not see a change from a 68 400 4BBl cam picking you up more than 40 HP over stock in my view.

[Johnny406]

I got mine in the low 13's with one in a heavy car with a 400, ported 6X-8 heads, at 5200ft altitude with a slipping converter (900RPM on the top end).

[steve25]

Johhny, you cars some 800 lbs lighter than his even if both are stock.

[shoebox1.1]

i pretty much know that im going to do a 2802 or RAIV type cam i was just curious about this grind with a lower CR motor. whats out there on the street and track and how it works for you.

[BruceWilkie]

If its going in a 400 in a 68 CAT none of the 3 are a good choice unless all your interested in is sound effects. Cam for a 400 vs 455 are totaly different character. Stroke difference is main reason why. In fact if I still had my 68 Cat I'd run either the Summit 2800 or Edelbrock "Performer" (depending on compression). Especially with street/highway gears. The 2800 pulls from idle to about 3800(like a freight train) where it levels off to about 4500 (then falls like a rock).
HOWEVER my old 68 bird convert(heavy but not quite as heavy as a Cat) with 2.56 gear out-pulled my freinds 4.10 geared 4 spd 355 SBC 70 Camaro that ran low low 13's in same trim. We never got my car to the track but plenty of deserted highway "tests" left him swearing there was no way it was a 400. I had small tube headers and an RPM intake/thermoquad.

[shoebox1.1]

my combo is more than likely be 455, 10-1Cr 6x-4's fully ported,2802, 72 intake, 800qjet, long branch manifolds 2.5 to tail, 2200 ish stall 3.23 posi. look stock front to back (428 ho cat) and runs whatever it runs! lol my buddy had this same combo in a formula with no porting,log manifolds at 3900 race weight and was consistant 7.70's in the 1/8th mile.

IM NOT GOING TO USE THE XE274 just curious what cars run well with it. i hear about a lot that dont!

[grivera]

Mikes455Wagon went pretty quick:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ighlight=xe274

[shoebox1.1]

very interesting discussion!

[black_bird]

I went low 13s with an XE274 in a 400 with unported #48s, an rpm intake, and a 750 holley with ProForm parts, with the pistons down in the hole pretty good. I got it to 12.80s with KRE heads before I built my stroker motor. I think it could have been faster had the block been decked. This was in a 1969 LeMans, full weight, TH400, 3200 stall, 3.90 gears, M/T 275/60 drag radials.

[shoebox1.1]

sounds pretty cool mr bird... i just want to put this out there for everyone.. i didnt post these question to start trouble! after the fact my buddy pointed out "man thats beatin a dead horse lol". the XE wars dont need to get started again

[Sun Tuned]

Why... fast enough to get you asked to leave Wendy's and McDonalds, and not come back.

Haven't been to Dairy Queen yet, but that's next on my list. I hear they are rather accommodating there.

I like the one I got in my Dually truck, it is peaky, but that's fine for the range I use it in.

[roadrage david]

Originally Posted by shoebox1.1

sounds pretty cool mr bird... i just want to put this out there for everyone.. i didnt post these question to start trouble! after the fact my buddy pointed out "man thats beatin a dead horse lol". the XE wars dont need to get started again

aczackly!!. my frind did a 12.12 with a (edel headed) stock 455. 3.42 rear 28inch tall tires(mutch to tall) factory weight 71 formula .

[Mikes455Wagon]

Went 11.90s at 3600 lbs in 3200 FT of air shifting at 5000.

[aktattoo]

mike that thing looks like my moms old 74 malibu wagon. came stock with the 454, at 15 years old that thing left mean burnouts all over the yard. I was a stupid stupid kid,lol now i'm older.

[Cliff R]

Real track numbers from a very well set up 73 Ventura (same basic deal as my car).

The owners first engine was a 455 with unported 85cc KRE aluminum "D" ports. Never did bust into the 11's with an XE274 camshaft. Stuck in the 12.0's to 12.20's at 110-112mph.

He installed a HR roller cam (Shelf grind from Comp), 236/242/110 and went mid to high 11's with no other changes. For those reading this, the performance improvment was considerably MORE than one would expect from 6 degrees additional .050" duration even in a HR profile.

His car uses 3.73 gears and tight 10" converter, weighs in right at 3400lbs race weight.

He always felt the XE274 camshaft was holding back the combination a bit, since my nearly identical drivetrain set-up (at that time) in the same car a few pounds heavier went 11.64 @ 116mph with a Crower 60919 camshaft.

FWIW, he's taken that vehicle on into the 10's with a set of 310cfm KRE heads and a bit more roller camshaft, something around 244/254/110, nearly as I can remember?

No big secret I'm not a big fan of that line of camshafts, but no need to "bash" them or beat any dead horses at this point, the results we have seen from them speak for themselves.

We did build a 455 with unported Edelbrock 87cc heads and the Crower 60919 camshaft. In a street driven 3900# FB with a Continental 10" converter and 3.90 gears it went mid-11's at 118mph, a solid .6 seconds quicker that RRD's example above......Cliff

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Cliff. Hard to compare a hyd roller to a std hyd camshaft as the ramps present a new area of performance.

Remember the ole how many degrees difference with a hyd to solid to roller is there needed to be, theories? Some were at 10 degrees difference depending on the @.050 duration. So saying a dude picked up big numbers going to a hyd roller is really a stretch to compare camshafts.

Just my personal opinion dealing with all types of grinds over the many many years.

274 XE cams are a decent cam for most street wake up engine combos. As always certain combos will pick up more with different profiles or brands depending on what all is done to maximize one's combo. Just a minor change in the ingredient, just like cooking, can make a big difference in the outcome. Good or bad.

[Mikes455Wagon]

I am just gonna go get the 7/8 beat half to death horse and save him from his final death blow. Me and the ol horse will be sitting back watching and minding our own while apples and steaks are compared. AK...a big block Malibu wagon would have been a sweet sleeper to have. Could have surprised a few people in that for sure!

[Cliff R]

"Cliff. Hard to compare a hyd roller to a std hyd camshaft as the ramps present a new area of performance."

Agreed.

The 73 Ventura at 3400lbs race weight ran 12.0's, showing about 450-460hp. About what I would have expected from the XE274 camshaft in a 455 build with unported KRE's.

The 236/242/110 HR cam made 497hp in a smaller 428 that we built here with KRE heads. I suspect at least that much in a 455 with unported KRE's. 494hp at that race weight pushed my car to 11.64, than on to 11.52 at 514hp.

The XE274 cam in that same build was actually making right at 450-460hp, EXACTLY where I would have expected it to be, and the drag strip numbers confirmed it.

The reason I say "EXACTLY" where I expected, is that it has LESS seat to seat timing, and considerably less overlap than the 60919 cam that we dyno and drag strip tested in the same basic engine.

Since it's a flat cam, and not a roller, you can't get around the basic laws of physics.......a SMALLER cam in the same engine is going to make LESS peak HP, and probably quite a bit less average power as well, at least with those type of cams in that specific .050" range.......FWIW.....Cliff

[aktattoo]

so does this cam actually work better with some combos than the crower 69019