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Cam swap questions

5K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Redtruck-VA 
#1 ·
So forgive me if this topic has been beat to death but I'm hoping somebody more familiar with hemis can help me. So to start with I'm a mechanic by trade and I've done plenty of sbc and Honda builds but hemis are new to me. I got customer who came in with a miss and found it leaking from the intake valve. Customer said he just wants the engine rebuilt and not worry about anything for another 100k miles. I'm going to rebuild using clevite bearings. One thing he wants is a new camshaft since I'm in there as it is. So I'm looking into a performance cam and valvetrain. The thing is I live in California. I know there are no carb legal cams but as long as I can pass the visual and test they should be none the wiser. Had anybody passed the ca smog? Also I don't want something radical I would like a smooth idle or at least tolerable idle. Also when I looked up the oem plugs on this car I saw they are some cheap copper plugs. From experience I know to put only oem plugs in. I've seen plenty of drivibility problems from using non AC delco plugs in chevy or non ngk/denso plugs in Asian cars. How are hemis with laser platinum?
 
#2 ·
welcome to the forum. You are correct, stick with the coppers or NGK 5306. What year truck? Depending on how beat the engine is, why not just do a head job which covers most all of the common problems? Valve springs, exhaust manifold bolts, and various gaskets. These engines are very tough if even given minimum maintenance. As for cams, since it's not your truck I'd recommend a basic RV cam without the need for custom tuning.
 
#5 ·
It's a 2007 Dodge Ram 5.7 hemi. I already have the engine out of the car so it's not a big deal to rering it.
I would talk to Matt at Moe's and go with him for suggestions, he won't steer you wrong..
 
#6 ·
Matt at Moe's or David at modern muscle is someone to discuss cams with if Matt is busy.
 
#9 ·
I dont stock the spring and pushrod kits anymore for the 3rd gens because not many guys are working on those anymore.

Modern Muscle will have a complete install kit there including gaskets, and can set you up with a Comp 260 shelf cam or spec out a custom grind for you.

For how you are using the truck, the Comp 260 or comparable sized custom grind would be a nice setup. Not too choppy of an idle, but still smooth street manners and requires little tuning, if any at all.
 
#11 ·
What did you end up going with? even with an aggressive cam and now the stroker with a real lopey cam it still passed smog.. it's more visual inspections and making sure all the sensors work
 
#13 ·
Try some mopar sites, 3rd strike Moe's, Arrington, modern muscle. These folks know cams. Also PPP does cams for a lot of GC that fly.
 
#15 ·
darn, sorry to not have seen this earlier...I live out in Tracy and would have loved to come out to check your build process...after building my 392 Stroker I have been out of the game because there is nothing else to do on it anymore :) ...for now...
 
#17 ·
Boost it, that'll keep you busy...
 
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