So one of my friends passed away, and I've acquired some of his parts stash. One of the items is a camshaft and I can't find any information on it and need help. The cam has the numbers L 1 4, which I know is the casting date, GM2, not sure other than GM, and 2944, which i figure is the last 4 of the casting number. I can't find any specs or if it's a hydraulic or solid flat tappet. Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
2944 are the last three digits of the finished camshaft part number, but this was not sold OTC through GM service parts. All service camshafts are ASSEMBLIES consisting of the camshaft and indexing pin. The finished camshaft and camshaft/pin assembly part numbers usually sequential or very close, but could be a dozen or more apart.
The 6272989 was an OTC high performance street and marine camshaft for big blocks listed in the Chevrolet Power Manuals from the seventies. What you have may be this or maybe not because it's just a coincidence that the last four digits are 45 apart.
Make sure that the 2 is really a 2 and not a 3... if a 3 it's a different story.
Then again, it may not even be a Chevrolet cam.
Duke -
Re: Mystery Camshaft
This is definitely small block Chevy. I thought maybe an aftermarket, but they usually have numbers stamped on the end and these ends are blank. 2944 is cast into the camComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
I contacted Joe Lucia and asked him to look into this. He's out of town at the present time and away from his voluminous information sources, but he should be chiming in within a couple of weeks.
DukeComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
Patrick,
In Alan Colvins book. PN 340284 Casting 6262944. 1974 350 160hp.
Wait for Joe to confirm or offer another another answer.
Kind regards.Comment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
and here's what Elgin's catalog has for the number Peter supplied:
6262944 Cam(1)_001.jpg
thx,
MarkComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
... interesting that the finished camshaft part number (not "casting number") is seven digits starting with 6 and the cam pin assembly is six digits starting with 3.
Back in the early emission era Chevrolet played around with various so-called "smog cams". California placed limits on NOx in '71 and EPA followed with "49-state" limits in '73. One way to create an EGR system to reduce NOx is to simply increase overlap, but this hurts idle quality and may reduce torque and power across the range along with fuel ecomomy compared to a dedicated EGR system than only recirculates exhaust gas when necessary, which is low to medium load cruise conditions.
Note that the above cam has 8 and 11 degrees more inlet/exhaust duration compared to the 3896929 cam (194/202, 108/116/112 ,2600/.2733" lobe lift) that was the base Corvette engine cam from '67 to at least '79, but at 110 degrees has a two degree narrower LSA, so effective overlap is greater.
At only 160 NHP compared to the '74 Corvette base engine's 195 I wonder if the engine it was used in maybe only had a 2-bbl. carburetor... maybe a truck engine ?
DukeComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
Duke,
I am sure there are other applications. I happened to notice the number while I was researching a engine that came in a project car I recently bought.
Kind regards.Comment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
Duke------
Chevrolet started using the 626xxxx series of part numbers about 1972 when the 39xxxxx series ended with 3999999. GM was not ready yet to go to the 8 digit series so they found a series of unused part numbers of the 626xxxx (and, maybe, 627xxxx) series from, possibly, the AC Spark Plug Division. So, many Chevrolet part numbers assigned in the 1972-74 period are 626xxxx series.
About late 1972 or early 1973 they started using the 6 digit 3xxxxx series. These were also from an unused part number series from practically "ancient" times.
So, the part numbers in question here are very consistent with the time period in which they were first issued/used.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
I looked it up as per the reply and I found the page in the Elgin catalog and that cam is under marine. I plugged it into the Comp Cams dyno sim and it came with massive toque number off the line, no horsepower and only worked to about 4000 rpm. I simulated a 350 with stock 1.94/1.50 valves, 750 dual plane and 9/1 compression. is there any reason to put a marine cam in a street car?Comment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
For the type of use most vintage Corvettes see today, a flat torque with a linear power curve and max useable revs of 5500 to 6000 is a lot more useful than a torque shy engine that doesn't get into the power sweet spot until 4000 or better, and the former will work very well with a tall axle ratio for low to moderate highway revs.
Ask anyone who runs a McCagh Special camshaft... nearly 90 percent of peak torque at about 1000 revs.
DukeLast edited by Duke W.; October 15, 2022, 04:00 PM.Comment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
So on the dyno simulation it show torque on the descending from 2000 rpm at over 450lbs. Unfortunately it doesn't go lower than 2000 rpm. I'll try to upload a picComment
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Re: Mystery Camshaft
mystery cam.jpg
So this is a shot of the screen on my computer. Probably does mad burnouts, but then I'd have to clean my wheel wells and quarter panels.Comment
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