[QUOTE=techinspector1;360936]

Secondly, it must be because there is some romaticism surrounding the camshaft that causes newbies to buy the cam first, before they have any clue about anything else in the motor. As Robot said, you need to sit down and line out everything as a COMBINATION based on the intended purpose of the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle, the rear gear, the suspension systems front and rear, the transmission, the converter (if auto), the piston crown volume and combustion chamber volumes, gasket volumes, piston deck height, block deck height, compression height of the pistons, etc., etc. so that you can calculate the static compression ratio. You CANNOT intelligently choose a cam without knowing the static compression ratio of the motor. The cam should be the next to last purchase, with the converter being the last.

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I've seen so many engines fall flat on their face because of cam selection..... I guess it's too be expected when the only consideration given in selecting the cam is that it has to have a lopey idle!!!!!! Just a minor change in cam specs can make a huge difference in the engine's performance!!!

Next thing I've seen is poor cylinder head selection.... Bigger is not necessarily better!!!! Properly sized and shaped runners and combustion chambers are critical to engine performance.

I still defer to the experts on both cam and heads....Never have spent enough time studying to know what is the best. There are some very knowledgeable folks on this site, so with them and some input from the manufacturer's tech (not sales) people selecting the best components for the application is much easier....

My last observation is that so many people think performance is all about just the engine, when in fact the engine is just a part of the package!!!! It requires a good chassis, good suspension, the right pieces in the drivetrain, and most importantly a good set of binders to slow the whole thing down!!!!!

Planning and research BEFORE starting an engine build will result in much better performance then just collecting a hodge podge of parts from the swap meet and the clearance rack at Jeg's!!!!!!!