roller cam?

cj5steve

i am thinking about going to a solid roller cam.do i need to run some sort of anti walk cam button.any recomendations on the what cam to run.78 360 30 over aluminum heads 10 to 1 ross pistons.

SwampRat

More information would be nice. Gears, Tranny (converter), goals, vehicle weight, ect, ect.

cj5steve

it is in a 78 cj5 with 36"tires and 3.55 gears,t150 3 speed that will be changed to a t-18 sooner or later.i dont know the weight but it is light(fiberglass body).it is built mostly for mudboging straight line usually about 100 feet.it is geared pretty high but its so light it dose not matter a hole lot.

SwampRat

I still believe you need lower gears, that is a tall tire and a small engine. Even if it is light, it needs a way to get the revs up, and especially if your wanting to go roller, your reason is you must want a larger cam, because with smaller profiles, rollers don't have much merit. General reccommendation is 240-250* @.050 on a 112 LCA.

Holeshot

For cam walk, I'm using the lock plate that bolts to the block before the cam sprocket goes on.

cj5steve

is the cam button a must have with a roller cam or is it just good insurance.

SwampRat

Yes, it is required. With a flat tappet, the taper on the lobe and crown shape of the lifter create a wear pattern that keeps the cam in place fairly well, and it doesn't really matter to a flat tappet's performance if the cam walks, on the other hand cam walk for a roller creates timing chain and gear wear and I suppose could also cause lifter and lobe wear as well.

cj5steve

what about a solid lifter flat tappet cam(if that is the right way to say it)does that also need the anti cam walk deal?i am not real hot about the idea of drilling more holes in my block then i already have.about the gearing i know it is high but from a dead stop in the dirt in 2wheel drive i can pick the front tires up so i dont think it is to bad.i know if i went with a lower gear it deffintely would not hurt but there are other things that need addressed first,like do i want to throw more money in these axles or swap in bigger ones etc.

SwampRat

Alright, after pulling your wheels, you better come back down to earth. Only cars with very little weight on the front end with DEDICATED and HIGHLY TUNED suspension setups sticky tires and serious horsepower pull the front wheels. You better re-think that statement, since I don't believe it for a minute.

Holeshot

Two very small holes won't hurt your block a single bit, so don't even worry about that.

I would suggest using this on any AM V8 to eliminate any stress that cam walk may impart on the distributor drive. There are dozens of other posts regarding distributor gears and how to make them live on the AM V8, persue those threads for invaluable info that will help to keep you from having to R&R your timing cover except for cam changes.

Here's the anti-walk kit mfgr's tech page:
http://www.matadorcoupe.com/Alfano.htm

Blown7

Is the thrust plate a standard GM part? Jeff

Holeshot

Appears to be, doesn't it. Most likely a part adapted rather than a part created. I've got a kit buried in a pile of boxes (moving), I would go take a closer look, otherwise.

cj5steve

thanks holeshot.