Cam Me Up

[Jroch]

I have made the decision I am going to stay with what I got for a motor in the Jeep, I figure it all matches up ie: Transmission transfer ect. So what I am going to do is rebuild the motor. I need a little help understanding cam specs. amy advice is welcome or if you know of some good liteture I could read to help educate myself when making a cam choice.

thanks in advance

Justin

 

[LongHorn]

I have made the decision I am going to stay with what I got for a motor in the Jeep, I figure it all matches up ie: Transmission transfer ect. So what I am going to do is rebuild the motor. I need a little help understanding cam specs. amy advice is welcome or if you know of some good liteture I could read to help educate myself when making a cam choice.

thanks in advance

Justin

What motor are we talking about?

 

[mylittlecj5]

X2 on what motor...

But pretty much any "stage 2" or "RV" cam will be best for a CJ. But it needs the accompanying upgrades to make it work its best (carb, exhaust, ignition). Just throwing a cam in it will not make it a better engine or have more power automatically.

 

[BajaEdition]

Remember when working with a 4x4 engine that horse power is not the goal, but instead what we want is to increase low rpm torque. Many a great engine have been ruined by creating a high reving high hp engine that has no low rpm torque. One reason that RV cam was mentioned is that RVs work off the same principles of low end torque.

 

[Old Dog]

All good info above. What we really need to know is what kind of use you have in mind. A rock crawler will want a different cam than a mudbogger will.

 

[Jroch]

Hey guy's sorry for the delay in answering the questions posted, been a busy week with work, and also trying to quit smoking, which has led to me not being able to sit still for more then 5min lol.

The motor is a 343, Plans for the Jeep not really doing any rock crawling or any pulling per say. What I am looking for is something I can drive on the road, but also be able to take out on the trails. Doesn't need to be a high performance largest cam out there. I don't want to get into the motor loading up when idling along in the granny gear and then stumbles when you hit the gas.

I have been doing some reading on cam's trying to understand them so I can make a decision but more so understand how to gauge their perfromance on the durations, lobe size etc. really the cam I have in there I have no complaints about, I am also not gear head that would notice the difference I don't think either.

The reason this all comes up is, I am getting ready to start purchasing the parts for a rebuild of the motor. Although I am not sure if the cam is bad or worn I am going to go ahead and order one and install it when I do the rebuild so that I know it's GOOD. For what the cost is, in my mind it seems like the logical thing to do, also get new lifters with it etc:

Originally I was thinking about just putting a crate 350 in it which is still an option, but the historian in me likes having the AMC motor in there even if it is not the stock motor

 

[mylittlecj5]

sounds like you got a plan




but




with all the trouble you have had finding parts for this 343, might it not be a good idea to sell the 343 (to a AMC performance collector maybe?) and drop a normal 360 or 401 in there? I know the cool factor of having a different engine than everyone else, but down the road, will it be worth the trouble for you?
For my $$. it would be. But again, its YOUR CJ build it the way you want it! I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just giving another perspective on it.

 

[LongHorn]

Hey guy's sorry for the delay in answering the questions posted, been a busy week with work, and also trying to quit smoking, which has led to me not being able to sit still for more then 5min lol.

The motor is a 343, Plans for the Jeep not really doing any rock crawling or any pulling per say. What I am looking for is something I can drive on the road, but also be able to take out on the trails. Doesn't need to be a high performance largest cam out there. I don't want to get into the motor loading up when idling along in the granny gear and then stumbles when you hit the gas.

I have been doing some reading on cam's trying to understand them so I can make a decision but more so understand how to gauge their perfromance on the durations, lobe size etc. really the cam I have in there I have no complaints about, I am also not gear head that would notice the difference I don't think either.

The reason this all comes up is, I am getting ready to start purchasing the parts for a rebuild of the motor. Although I am not sure if the cam is bad or worn I am going to go ahead and order one and install it when I do the rebuild so that I know it's GOOD. For what the cost is, in my mind it seems like the logical thing to do, also get new lifters with it etc:

Originally I was thinking about just putting a crate 350 in it which is still an option, but the historian in me likes having the AMC motor in there even if it is not the stock motor

Comp Cams
HYDRAULIC-Excellent torque and throttle Hyd. Hyd. 800 to 5000 68-231-4 X4250H 250 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l 206 214 .462 Edition .485 111°
response, great stock replacement cam. A good all around AMC V8 cam.