[Jim Hand]

This topic has moved fast and covered many subjects, so I am a little late posting on “obsolete” and “modern” cams, but it contains facts rather then speculation.

Several previous posts mentioned my wagon running so well at the October, 2000 Pontiac Uprising in Arkansas City, Kansas. We had been running 11.50’s/115 at Kansas City, but at Ark City, it got with it and ran 11.30’s/117. But as mentioned, the weather caused the big increase in performance – the temp was in the 50’s, baro as high as 30.60, and a strong/steady tail wind.

But this performance caused a terrific uproar on this board, especially with several that were consistently pushing the then fairly new E heads. I had bought a new Holley carb built for my car to find out how my home prepped Q Jet was working (pre Cliff days). The agginers suggested the great performance at Ark City was due to the new carb and that I couldn’t run well without such new modern parts. Or it was the clocks, or I was running fuel prepared for me by another member, or my car was not nearly 4050#, or my home ported iron heads just couldn’t do that (64’s flowing 254 peak) and much more such crap! Yet, many of the board members were there and watched us run all day. Incidentally, the chief “mouth” no longer posts on this board.

To shut up some of the BS, I posted I would reinstall the Q Jet, an 041 cam, an iron stock intake, and the quietest mufflers I had and still run 11’s at 4050#. That even caused some doubt with Pontiac Dude, but he didn’t fuss about it like several others. I made the changes over the winter, and the second time out was solidly in the 11’s. We ran the setup through 2001, but I still had the 3.55 gear in the car. We went to the Pontiac Uprising in 2001 – lost in Super Pro, but won the Second Chance/Gamblers bracket.

So I installed a 3.31 for the upcoming 2002 season. We again went to the 2002 Uprising in Ark City to run about as many stock parts as possible – the “obsolete” 041 cam and original style Rhoads lifters, a doorstop Pontiac intake with a Q Jet, (the Holley was long gone back in the ’71 season!), a 3.31 gear, 28” tires, stock type water pump and clutch fan, HEI, and no line lock! And weight as raced was at least 4050# - didn’t reweigh after adding the iron ! And this time no mine shaft air – had about a 25-30 MPH head wind all day, and 70-75 temp with a normal baro.

To give everyone an idea what the “obsolete 041” and moderately home ported iron heads can do, I have dug out the time tickets we ran and will list the results in order starting at 10:15 AM and finishing at 7:19 PM. No shut downs, no redos, simply go through Tech, warm the car, and head for the line! Note: my friend Kevin Kirk drove several time trials and the brackets. He is about 40# lighter – thus the larger variations in ET!

TIME TRIALS

1/4 ET, 1/8ET, 1/8 speed. 1/4 speed, 60'

11.91 - 7.54 - 91.29 - 111.14 - 1.699

11.88 - .753 - 91.27 - 111.85 - 1.687

11.89 - 7.51 - 90.96 - 111.44 - 1.66

11.77 -7.43 - 91.66 - 112.19 - 1.639

11.78 -7.44 - 91.78 - 112.16 - 1.644

SUPER PRO

Dial---- Ran
11.77 11.81 - 7.47 - 91.57 - 112.10 - 1.654 LOST!

Gamblers

11.80 11.81 - 7.46 - 92.46 - 112.16 -1.65 WON

11.80 11.78 - 7.44 - 91.70 – 112.13 - 1.639 WON opponent red light

11.75 11.758 ---- ---- 112.16 - 1.644 WON (BYE RUN)

11.77 11.73 ----- 113.20 113.20 - 1.634 WON opponent red light

Final two agreed to split the $284 purse and race!

11.72 11.718 ---- ---- 113.75 - 1.647 LOST/BREAKOUT Won $142 on the split

And remember that with good traction, 100# is .1 second at this level of performance. So at 3500#, we would have run 11.30 – 11.40.

In other words, the 041 is a great cam in a 455 – it matches the torque range very well but is pretty salty without Rhoads lifters up to about 3000 RPM. It is too much cam for a 400 unless special gears and a correct looser converter are used along with a short block that can handle some R’s.

Jim Hand