Mean sounding cams worth it?

[Avery brown]

I am 14 years old I have a 1974 chevy k20 with a target master good wrench 350.
Not the richest of the bunch, paid $300.
I was wondering if installing bigger cams is worth it like. How much? What will I need to do? And will it be hard?

 

[SquareRoot]

I am 14 years old I have a 1974 chevy k20 with a target master good wrench 350.
Not the richest of the bunch, paid $300.
I was wondering if installing bigger cams is worth it like. How much? What will I need to do? And will it be hard?

Awesome to hear you're 14 and into a good hobby that lets you use your hands and brain! In your case, no a BIG cam is nothing but trouble because its part of a "system" that relies on other parts (Heads, intake, transmission, gears, etc.) to work correctly. It's also a "domino" effect. Change one thing and then you have to change another and each piece costs money. But, it's worth learning and can be fun.

BTW, I grew up just down the street from you (Burley). You might say were spud brothers!

 

[Avery brown]

OK, thanks and I used to live in burley, rupert, heyburn too. That's cool.

But anyways, that's what I was thinking. Because there's alot more than just installing a cam .and the work and prices just keep adding up. So thanks for the suggestion. Any thoughts on a edelbrock carb? Or keep it stock?

 

[WebMonkey]

if your quadrajet is working fine, leave it there.

i had a booger'd quadrajet on mine and simply replaced it with a rebuilt (not by me) quadrajet.

the only thing i did was adjust for maximum vacuum and set the 'sensitivity' of the secondary butterfly.

very happy and plan to keep fuel running through it regularly so it doesn't get booger'd up.

good luck

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site. Glad to see another generation keeping our trucks alive.

With any type of modifications you need to decide what is best for you and your budget. Only the 1% folks (you millionaires) can spend 30k on an engine but will never have the satisfaction of building one.

Decide what you would like to do with the engine/truck and lots of research/questions.

 

[Bextreme04]

Cleaning and rebuilding the quadrajet is your best option. Rebuild kit is only about $50. For a truck with a stockish engine, you will notice a difference with a decent RV/towing cam. A big cam will require more parts and more problems. I'm going to use the summit K1102 cam kit in my build. its ~$120 for the kit with cam and lifters. WHile you are chaniging cam, you should at a minimum replace timing chain as well. You'd also need an intake gasket kit and a timing cover gasket kit since all of those parts have to come off for a cam change.

 

[Rusty Nail]

In short to answer your query of "is it worth it?"
Yes, in certain instances, just not yours.


It's a fine thing to want but you are not yet ready young Padawan.

Can I make suggestion?

I understand that money in your pocket IMMEDIATELY begins to burn and if you like burning money? You are in the right place lmmfao.

If you intend to change a camshaft you will want and need tools.
Way more than you probably own. Screw buying carburetors you're going to need a CHERRY PICKER and an ENGINE STAND before anything else can happen towards changing a camshaft? You will need TOOLS. Many.

EXCELLENT sources of tools at good prices are garage sales and pawn shops. The Snap-On truck is a goal, much like a camshaft swap haha.

Since your pocket is on fire, my suggestion is to spend towards the best "bang for the buck". Work on the stuff that doesn't require many fancy tools and will yield the most return given the investment.

I.E. change the fluids and filters. All of them - and start a notebook or something to keep records with dates and mileages or your services performed. Initiate a service record .

Squarebody truck owners MUST own a grease gun. Have you got one? How about a jack?
Can you change the spare?

Have you got a drain pan to change the oil? The transmission filter and differential fluids will be GREAT learning experience as you may never forget.

And for the record?
Holley>Edelbrock.
I don't support Edelbrock anything!

Consider the Street Avenger 670 instead.

the fluids and the filters...

Oil + filter
Trans fluid (dextron 6) + filter
Differential fluid
Air filter
Fuel filter
Antifreeze
Blinker fluid
Halogen refill juice

That's more than $100 and may take all day.

Rotate the tires.
(Best ones should be on the back)

Grease the fittings (at least 11)

How are the wipers? Does the washer work?


THEN I would repair things starting with the smallest and cheapest stuff to fix. It's 40 years old...it's got broke stuff and is missing parts. I'd sure as hell change the U-joints near the beginning of ownership. That is one of the first chores to accomplish.

For Pete's sake keep it from breaking down before you take it apart!

 

[Bextreme04]

In short to answer your query of "is it worth it?"
Yes, in certain instances, just not yours.


It's a fine thing to want but you are not yet ready young Padawan.

Can I make suggestion?

I understand that money in your pocket IMMEDIATELY begins to burn and if you like burning money? You are in the right place lmmfao.

If you intend to change a camshaft you will want and need tools.
Way more than you probably own. Screw buying carburetors you're going to need a CHERRY PICKER and an ENGINE STAND before anything else can happen towards changing a camshaft? You will need TOOLS. Many.

EXCELLENT sources of tools at good prices are garage sales and pawn shops. The Snap-On truck is a goal, much like a camshaft swap haha.

Since your pocket is on fire, my suggestion is to spend towards the best "bang for the buck". Work on the stuff that doesn't require many fancy tools and will yield the most return given the investment.

I.E. change the fluids and filters. All of them - and start a notebook or something to keep records with dates and mileages or your services performed. Initiate a service record .

Squarebody truck owners MUST own a grease gun. Have you got one? How about a jack?
Can you change the spare?

Have you got a drain pan to change the oil? The transmission filter and differential fluids will be GREAT learning experience as you may never forget.

And for the record?
Holley>Edelbrock.
I don't support Edelbrock anything!

Consider the Street Avenger 670 instead.

the fluids and the filters...

Oil + filter
Trans fluid (dextron 6) + filter
Differential fluid
Air filter
Fuel filter
Antifreeze
Blinker fluid
Halogen refill juice

That's more than $100 and may take all day.

Rotate the tires.
(Best ones should be on the back)

Grease the fittings (at least 11)

How are the wipers? Does the washer work?


THEN I would repair things starting with the smallest and cheapest stuff to fix. It's 40 years old...it's got broke stuff and is missing parts. I'd sure as hell change the U-joints near the beginning of ownership. That is one of the first chores to accomplish.

For Pete's sake keep it from breaking down before you take it apart!

You really only need a basic socket set to change the cam... definitely don't need a cherry picker, or an engine stand. You can pull the entire front clip in about 1 1/2- 2 hours tops and then just pull the accessories, intake, water pump, valve covers and timing cover. Pull timing set, loosen rockers, pull pushrods(make sure you keep them in order because they MUST go back where they came out of), pull lifters, pull out cam. Clean everything up, coat the new cam in assembly lube, stick it in, install new lifters, reassemble everything in the opposite order you disassembled it. Then make sure to follow proper cam break in procedure with a good break-in oil or zddp additive. The only special tool he might need would be a harmonic balancer puller, and he can rent that from the local auto parts store that he buys the gasket sets from.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Uh huh.

Kid the best thing you can take from this discussion is to choose your sources of information very carefully.

I've said that HERE 100 times at least.

 

[Snoots]

Sage advice from a lot of members!

Learn from folks that have been there and WASTED THOUSANDS OF $$$$$!!!

Better to be this

You must be registered for see images attach

than this

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Rusty Nail]

Hay kid - check this out! @Avery brown




Where'd he go?










I stumbled upon a good example of something the other day and thought to share it here.
See a couple of weeks ago I bought the bottom part of the two piece fan shroud for a 1988 - been putting it off.
Hard to believe the part is available for sale NEW, capitalism and stuff ya know? Somebody sells reproductions!

These Counterpart dudes hooked me up, it finally arrived - check out the badass cardboard box it came in!

You must be registered for see images attach

But the shroud half? oh it looks cool but dang! $50?
HELL no, the part was only $24.99...heck of a deal right?



Shipping the cardboard box cost $24.95.
:**** Eater:
PLUS TAX!


Not with packing or anything else inside. Not even cool newspapers from another town ... no "single use plastic bags" filled with COVID straight from China ....no stickers... not even one lousy Styrofoam peanut! Can you believe it?

BUT!

I get to keep the box.....good lookin ain't it?



Ohhh
Ahhh

You must be registered for see images attach

Look at how clean the interior is.

You must be registered for see images attach

Pretty sweet, right?

 

[Jason Ensign]

I just did a top end rebuild. Cam, heads, intake, carb, timing chain, etc. I found a set of vortec heads on the cheap and modified it to take screw in studs. If you get a bigger cam, you will have bigger lift and if you do not have the heads to accept that lift, it is pointless. All of the components work with each other. By the time I was done, I was around $2k in, it will add up fast.

The BIG question here is what is your goal? If you want something super reliable, I would start with a good once over on everything. If you are going for performance there are much simpler things as a part of the once over you can start with, like a better dizzy, wires, plugs, etc..

It's great that you are 14 and interested in this, this forum is a great resource with a lot of feedback from members.

 

[73cheyenne]

Shortly after I bought my '73 k20 new I put a big cam in it, trying to get more power. Big mistake. It has an auto transmission. It had very little low RPM torque, had to idle very fast. Had lots of power at high RPM though. Not good for a truck, would have been fine in a race car. I very shortly changed back to the stock cam. Wish I had left it alone, but I guess that's how we learn sometimes.

 

[Bextreme04]

Shortly after I bought my '73 k20 new I put a big cam in it, trying to get more power. Big mistake. It has an auto transmission. It had very little low RPM torque, had to idle very fast. Had lots of power at high RPM though. Not good for a truck, would have been fine in a race car. I very shortly changed back to the stock cam. Wish I had left it alone, but I guess that's how we learn sometimes.

Big cam requires a higher stall torque converter so that the engine can get up into the right power band. A small RV/towing cam is a decent investment and can be felt at the seat of the pants without needing to change anything else, including torque converter or valve springs. The problem with that, if you are trying to get a "mean sounding cam", is that a small RV/towing cam will be almost indistinguishable from stock sounding. You wont have a lopey idle at all.

 

[82sbshortbed]

Hay kid - check this out! @Avery brown




Where'd he go?










I stumbled upon a good example of something the other day and thought to share it here.
See a couple of weeks ago I bought the bottom part of the two piece fan shroud for a 1988 - been putting it off.
Hard to believe the part is available for sale NEW, capitalism and stuff ya know? Somebody sells reproductions!

These Counterpart dudes hooked me up, it finally arrived - check out the badass cardboard box it came in!

You must be registered for see images attach

But the shroud half? oh it looks cool but dang! $50?
HELL no, the part was only $24.99...heck of a deal right?



Shipping the cardboard box cost $24.95.
:**** Eater:
PLUS TAX!


Not with packing or anything else inside. Not even cool newspapers from another town ... no "single use plastic bags" filled with COVID straight from China ....no stickers... not even one lousy Styrofoam peanut! Can you believe it?

BUT! I get to keep the box.....good lookin ain't it?

You must be registered for see images attach

Look at how clean the interior is.

You must be registered for see images attach

Pretty sweet, right?

Man igotta way cool fan shroud for a sbc that wouldn't fit when I put the BBC in. It's both halves and bet I couldn't beat that price in shipping alone.