Yeah, its sort of a boat. But I'm not looking to run 10s, just more oomph and the lopey idle.

I looked at some of those cams but I wasn't planning on going roller.

 

What you need is a cam that will produce more torque. Probably an RV cam or something.

 

I would put a stall converter 2500/2800/3200. and the cam you looked at. or an rv cam if you are not going to replace the converter

 

Where did this magic # come from? I run a Erson Hi-Flow II 544 solid lift cam with press in studs on some ported 69 Windsor heads bolted on a 289 for several years. Adjusted the rockers regularly and never pulled a stud. Hell I sheared the pin on the cam for the timing chain and bent every intake valve and still no pulled stud.

 

Not so sure ^^^ is accuate especially with a hydralic cam. Lifters will take more of the abuse away from the valvetrain over a solid. As stated in the post above, I spun my solid lift flat tappet 289 7500rpms on a regular (more like daily) basis (4.11's w/toploader 4 spd then 4.56's). My 66 had this motor and I drove it to school my junior, senior year and a couple more years after that, before the cam pin broke.

 

.544 lift and you're wondering why you bent every intake valve and had to adjust it all the time? Tommy, I'm not trying to knock you at all. Heaven knows you probably know more than I do about this, but....I'm pretty sure Edelbrock knows what they're talking about. Even in their ad for the RPM cam, they say that you have to have screw in studs and guide plates. And that cam is only .496 and .520 lift IIRC. I LOVED that cam.....

 

When the timing jumps....most motors will bend valves. Have you ever owned a solid cam and drove 2-300 miles a week? Thats why I had to adjust the valves, not press in studs. Was it the ideal set-up? No.. did it fall apart because it was over .500" lift? No. But it did work.
Pleas dont be another copy and paster from the internet and swear by it, and not have done it or have 1st hand experience!!!

 

I ran the RPM cam in my 302, and in my 351w. I loved it. I tried a .544 lift cam with hydraulics, but that motor had KB pop ups, and I had clearance issues. So I HAD to go with a smaller cam.

 

Ummm, no you needed the pistons flycut!!

 

All Im saying is, you dont have to have screw in studs and guide plates for it to work with press in studs over .500.....preferred...yes...have to NO! Also press in studs have nothing to do with adjustments on a solid lift set up. I put a zillion, HARD miles on this car on a daily basis, besides going to the street car nationals that met 2-3 times a week