cam adjustment.

[superawsomeguy]

im thinking of getting a new cam for my truck, ive got a 94 silverado with a 350, the only performance mod ive done to it so far has been an american thunder cat back. can any one tell me what to look for when im looking for cams. i really dont understand the whole duration with the intake and the exhaust.

thanks.

[75K30]

Welcome to the site;
We could talk for years explaining cams, and in that time could cover enough to get fairly confusing.
Here is a smal tech article that explains some of the terms used, but you will have to take it upon yourself to extend your own knowledge and understanding.
Plenty of pretty good mechanics actually think these are "magic" and don't really understand the principles, or maybe just understand the principles, and do not truly have an understanding of how, or more important, why it works why it does.
Anyway, I am no pro at cams, but have enough understanding to have a reasonable conversation regarding them, and have a stack of used sticks that became test pieces during the never ending learning process. Some worked well, and some not as well, but I can pass along a little piece of advice, and that would be to keep your selection on the conservative side, and do not get too aggressive.
Too many builders get real aggressive, and actually make less power than a smaller cam would.
Any rate, happy reading.

Try this now, (must have forgot to click, lol)
Cam Basics - Tech Article - Chevy High Performance Magazine

[436'd skylark]

75- you didn't post a link..

I'll throw my 2 cents in.. picking a cam for a truck is hard. generally speaking when swapping a cam in a car, the intention is more performance which means more duration and higer lift. but in a truck the ideal cam for towing is not at all similar to the ideal cam for racing type purposes. you probably want your horsepower peak around 4000 RPM or so, and maximum low end torque, which will be a shorter duration cam.

the first step in cam selection is identifying your goals for the truck, and future mods..