Reply to "What Cam?"

Aloha Dennis,

I've not run the XE274, but I have recommended it to others, it looks to be a great street cam. I would choose it for myself if I were purchasing a flat tappet hydraulic cam. Lots of lift, short duration, low overlap, especially desireable for a low compression cobra jet motor. It is rated for the right powerband, 2000 to 6000 rpm.

I want to provide the normal warning about the oem Ford valve train. Hydraulic cam clevelands had the multi-groove valve locks that actually but up to one another before they seat tightly in the valve stem grooves. this very small clearance was some engineer's bright idea to promote "valve rotation" and thereby prolong valve and valve seat life. It didn't work. The valves were made of 2 pieces, a valve head induction welded onto the stem.

Running the XE274 cam would require installation of new springs, because the oem valve springs will coil bind with that much lift, and they do not provide enough pressure for the aggressive lobes of the XE274 camshaft.

It is always recommended if you're going to run a Cleveland vigorously, run more valve spring pressure or a higher lift cam, to replace the oem 2 piece multi groove Ford valves with one piece, single groove, stainless steel valves, replace the spring retainers with chrome moly (or better) retainers and to utilize single groove style locks. This is because perhaps the single most common mode of failure for the 351C is dropping the valves, either because a valve head separates from the stem or the spring retainers split, or the keepers let go of the valve stem. When this occurs, the damage to your motor is massive, if not terminal.

Your friend on the DTBB, George