High-Performance Chevy Small-Block Cams & Valvetrains

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Item # SA105  ISBN: 1932494081




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Without a doubt, camshafts and the engine valvetrain are the most misunderstood areas of engine performance and have been for a long time. Misinformation us continually passed down from generation to generation, from Grandpa's "3/4 race cam" to countertop myths at the local speed shop.

Since camshaft selection is vital to making real horsepower, improper selection and tuning has cost horsepower junkies real power for decades. Finally help is on the way!

A good engine builder can look at the cam specs along with the cylinder head flow and a few other small yet important details and tell you, within an amazingly narrow window, what that engine makes for power.

Graham Hansen, author of the best-selling SA Design title How To Build Big-Inch Chevy Small Blocks, takes the mystery out of camshaft and valvetrain function, selection, and design. Author Hansen covers camshaft basics, including a thorough explanation of how a cam operates in conjunction with the rest of the engine and valvetrain. He discusses technical terms like overlap, lobe centerline, duration, lift, and cam profiling. Comparisons between roller and flat-tappet cams are addressed and analyzed.

This book covers rocker arms, lifters, valves, valvesprings, retainers, guideplates, pushrods, and cam drives, as well as detailed information on how to degree and choose the proper cam for your application. Finally, matching cams to cylinder heads, analyzing port flow, and proving it all through dyno tests round out this informative volume.

This book is a must-have for anyone trying to squeeze all the available horsepower from the ever-popular small-block Chevy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to Small-Block Chevy Cams and Valvetrains
Basics | Where we're headed

Chapter 2: Camshaft Basics
Camshaft types | Lobe prospecting—Duration | Lobe centerlines | Advance or retard | Overlap | Overlap specialties | Exhaust closing | Lobe profiling | Conclusion

Chapter 3: Roller Cams
Mechanical vs. hydraulic rollers | Pluses and minuses | Mechanical rollers | Street rollers | Converting from flat to roller | Conclusion

Chapter 4: Valvetrain Overview
Evolution

Chapter 5: Valves, Springs, Retainers, and Keepers
Valves | Springs | Retainers and keepers | Seals | Conclusion

Chapter 6: Rocker Arms, Studs, Pushrods, and Lifters
Rocker arms | It's all in the ratio | Studs and guideplates | Pushrods | Lifters

Chapter 7: Cam Drives
Practical applications | Conclusion

Chapter 8: Shaft Rocker Systems
Fulcrum length | Offset rockers | Practical applications

Chapter 9: How to Install and Degree a Cam
Bolt it in | Tools to get your degree | Degree program | Converting to a roller cam | Power tuning | Lash loops | Conclusion

Chapter 10: How to Choose a Cam
The saga of Ricky Racer | Street compromises | Duration facts

Chapter 11: Supercharger, Nitrous, and Turbo Cams
Nitrous | Supercharging | Turbocharging | Power adder cams | Nitrous cams

Chapter 12: Valvetrain Dynamics
Valve float | Valve toss | Lobe design | Mass attack | Conclusion

Chapter 13: Matching Cams and Cylinder Heads
Port flow | Cams and cylinder heads | Conclusion

Chapter 14: Dyno Tests

Source Guide

High-Performance Chevy Small-Block Cams & Valvetrains